Southerners don’t eat “Danish” with their coffee for breakfast the way Yankees do—much less (heaven forbid!) gummy bagels. They eat coffee cake—homemade coffee cake like this spicy pecan classic that might well be smeared with fruit preserves and consumed after all the eggs and sausage and biscuits. Rich coffee cakes are also served at teas, taken to shut-ins and bereavements, or given as housewarming, birthday, or wedding gifts in the South. Since they freeze so beautifully, I know some home cooks who make two or three at a time for future needs. If you do freeze coffee cake, first make sure it’s wrapped tightly in foil and stored in an airtight plastic bag—whole or cut into individual wedges.
Makes 8 to 10 servings
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1⁄2 cups sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1⁄2 cup vegetable shortening
- 1 1⁄2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1⁄2 cups coarsely chopped pecans
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9- or 10-inch round baking pan with butter and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, sift together 2 cups of the flour, 1 cup of the sugar, the baking powder, and salt. Add the milk, shortening, and vanilla and beat for 3 minutes with an electric mixer. Add the eggs, beat for 2 minutes longer, and scrape the batter into the prepared baking pan. Distribute the chopped pecans evenly over the top.
- In a bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 cup of flour, 1/2 cup of sugar, and the cinnamon, add the butter, and work with your fingertips till the mixture becomes mealy. Distribute the mixture evenly over the pecans and bake the cake till a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.
- Let the cake cool completely on a rack, transfer to a round serving dish, and cut into wedges.
