kuchen, or a breakfast cake.



Yes yes, I have returned home. Our trip to Las Vegas and Los Angeles was nice, but it's good to be home with leaves that are starting to change colors and a bit of a coolness in the air. Plus, I am ready to start regular baking again and have some ideas in my head for adorable sweets.

This morning I awoke to a rather empty kitchen, since we had used up or gotten rid of all our dairy and produce before we left. We were all quite hungry for breakfast, so I began searching for very simple baking recipes that could be eaten in the morning without much guilt. I came across one for a coffee cake, or kuchen, that I could throw together quickly, so I messed up my very clean kitchen and made us all a very sweet breakfast.

The cake can also be topped with fresh fruit of your choice in addition or instead of the honey glaze (although I wouldn't leave it out- it's delicious)





Quick Coffee Cake or Kuchen: altered from The Joy of Baking

Ingredients:

For cake batter
1 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons double-acting baking powder
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
2/3 cup regular or soy milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
For honey glaze
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup regular or soy milk
1 unbeaten egg white
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup crushed nutmeats
1/2 teaspoon cardamom

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9" square or round pan.
Sift together flour, salt, and baking powder. With an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugar. Beat in the 1 egg, milk, and vanilla extract. Add the sifted ingredients to the butter mixture and stir until smooth. Spread into prepared pan.
To prepare honey glaze: Cream the sugar and butter, blend in the egg white, and add the rest of the ingredients.
Spread glaze over unbaked cake batter. Bake for 25 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes and then turn onto a plate and let cool.

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