We’ve been inside for way too long, and no end in sight, because of my level of risk factors. I asked my mom for this recipe, because I’m Going To Alter It At Some Point, but in the meantime those who can eat wheat and sugar should have the opportunity to try it. We’ve been making this coffee cake since I was small, and one of my earlier cooking tasks was to roll the little bits of butter in sugar. I ate more than a few of them before the cake ever got into the oven. Mom always called this Mace Cake. It’s adapted from a James Beard cookbook. (I’ve modernized the instructions.)
So, here you go:
- 1 1/2 cup minus 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 teaspoons double acting baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon mace
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 beaten egg
- 1/2 cup milk
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
- butter and sugar for topping
- extra cinnamon or mace for the top
Preheat your oven to 400 F
Butter an 8×8 pyrex or corningwear baking pan. Be generous, the butter helps make a really delightful edge piece.
Set a small child or other helper if you’ve got ’em to rolling little bits of butter (they were the size of my pinky fingertip when I was little, so ehhh pencil eraser sized?) in sugar. If they finish first, stick the sugared butter bits in the fridge until you’re done if the kitchen is warm.
Sift the dry ingredients together, make a little well in the middle of the pile
Pour in the wet ingredients into the well, and then beat everything until smooth.
Pour the batter into the greased pan and dot the top with the little butter bits. The number and placement of these is completely subjective, but personally I like them spaced every inch or even more frequently. Ask your kids to calculate the number you need, if there are none at the edges and your pan is 8×8 and they are placed every inch.
Sprinkle a little cinnamon over the top, or more mace.
Bake for 25 minutes, until golden brown and puffy. The top should be pretty crisp from the extra butter and sugar.
Serve warm, with coffee.
I’m planning on trying this with almond flour and monkfruit/erythritol sweetener, in well-buttered muffin tins.
