Buttermilk Coffee Cake

Buttermilk Coffee Cake

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup butter, softened
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/3 cups buttermilk or sour milk
1/2 cup chopped pecans, walnuts, or almonds

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease the bottom and 1/2 inch up the sides of a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan; set aside. In a large bowl combine flour, brown sugar, and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs; set aside 1/2 cup. Stir baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg into remaining crumb mixture.

2. In a medium bowl combine eggs and buttermilk. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture, stirring just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared pan. Stir together reserved crumb mixture and nuts; sprinkle over batter.

3. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool slightly; serve warm.

From the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook.

Notes: I generally like to set aside more than 1/2 cup of the crumb mixture to sprinkle on top. I also always use 1 cup of whole wheat flour and you can't really tell the difference.

Buttermilk substitute: If you don't have buttermilk, put a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar (I prefer lemon juice) in the bottom of a measuring cup, and add enough milk to make a cup. Let it sit about five minutes.