LAUSD Coffee Cake

A couple of months ago, I hosted a brunch for a few of my friends from high school [well, technically we've all known each other since elementary school].  One of my friends brought a coffee cake to the brunch.  All of us were slowly eating it because it tasted so darned familiar.

"I've had this before..." i said, "but I can't figure out WHERE."

Jana smiled at me and said, "think down memory lane...it's a recipe from a long, long time ago."

Judy shouted, "OH MY GOSH, this is the coffee cake recipe from junior high school!! I used to eat this all the time!"

When she said "all the time", she wasn't kidding - we all did.  It was our go-to snack/breakfast during recess.  You know...back in the day when calories didn't mean anything because you could burn it off by simply breathing.

I've been craving this coffee cake so I thought I'd do a nice thing and make some for my co-workers [who sadly, can not burn off the calories from this coffee cake just by breathing...but don't tell them I said that!].

LAUSD Cinnamon Coffee Cake

Adapted from LAUSD

CAKE INGREDIENTS

3 ¾ cups all purpose flour

½ cup plus 2 Tbsp nonfat dry milk

1¼ tsp salt

1 tsp nutmeg

1½ tsp cinnamon

3½ tsp baking powder

¾ tsp baking soda

2 Tbsp vinegar

1½ cups water

1 cup plus 2 Tbsp butter

1¼ cups brown sugar, packed

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

TOPPING INGREDIENTS

¾ cup plus 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour

¼ cup plus 1 Tbsp brown sugar, packed

¼ cup granulated sugar

dash salt

¼ + 1/8 tsp cinnamon

¼ + 1/8 tsp nutmeg

¼ cup butter

CAKE:

Combine flour, dry milk, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside.

Combine vinegar and water in measuring cup. Set aside.

In mixing bowl, cream together butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar on low speed until blended. Add eggs and continue to blend on low speed for 1 minute.

While mixer is on low speed, add dry ingredients alternately with water and vinegar to butter-sugar mixture. Scrape down bowl, then blend on medium speed for 1 additional minute.

TOPPING:

Sift together all ingredients except butter into a bowl, set aside. Cream butter in mixing bowl, adding the dry ingredients until topping is crumbly.

Evenly divide batter between 2 greased 9-by-9-inch pans. Spread ¾ cup topping evenly over batter in each pan. Bake in preheated 375° oven until tester comes out clean when inserted in the center of cake (about 45 to 55 minutes).

Makes 18 servings.