Coffee Cake

By mamacasma

Ingredients

• Topping:
• 1/2 cup firmly packed light-brown sugar
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• Pinch salt
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut up
• Cake:
• 2 Tablespoons white vinegar plus enough milk to equal 1 cup
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 Tablespoons butter, softened
• 2/3 cup firmly packed light-brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons confectioners' sugar

Preparation

Step 1

1. Heat oven to 350°. Coat 9-inch square baking pan with cooking spray. Topping: In medium-size bowl, blend brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt. With pastry blender, cut butter into flour mixture until crumbs form. Chill.

2. Cake: Pour vinegar into a measuring cup. Add enough milk to equal 1 cup. Set aside. In a medium-size bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

3. In large bowl, beat butter, sugar and vanilla until fluffy, 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Working in batches, beat in milk mixture alternately with flour mixture.

4. Scrape batter into pan. Sprinkle with topping. Bake at 350° for 1 hour, until a toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack. Dust with confectioners' sugar; cut in squares.

The trick to making moist baked goods is to combine an acidic ingredient-such as buttermilk, sour cream or yogurt-with baking soda. If you don't have buttermilk, it's easy to replicate with two items you likely have on hand: vinegar and milk. See note below.

Note: Pour 2 Tablespoons vinegar into measuring cup. Add enough milk to equal 1 cup liquid and stir. Mixture will look curdled.