German Coffee Cake

Coffee and cakes have always gone together, and have been a huge part of European and German traditions since the 17th century, when coffee was first introduced to Germany. The first coffee cake likely originated in Germany, specifically in Dresden, however, the Danish came up with the earliest version of eating a type of sweet bread while drinking coffee, so coffee cakes really evolved from many different cultural traditions. During the 17th century, coffee and cakes were only for the aristocracy, but by the 19th century, they had become a tradition for everyone. It is known as kaffee and kuchen, or coffee and cake. Even though the coffee cake itself does not contain any coffee, it is the time honored tradition of serving coffee with cake that gives coffee cake its name. It’s a time for people to gather together to enjoy coffee, cake, and conversation, happening any time between two and five o’clock. The only real defining trait of a coffee cake is that it is meant to be served alongside a cup of coffee. It’s a treat that asks nothing of you other than to slow down and enjoy a nice hot mug of coffee and a bite of something sweet, and it is best when enjoyed with friends and conversations.

Coffee cakes have been a part of American traditions since the Germans and Scandanavians first started immigrating to the United States.

In keeping with the German traditions, I made a German coffee cake for our German cooking class, with Janet, Bob and Luke. Our German Cooking Class. The recipe came straight out of one of my German cookbooks too. 🙂

German Coffee Cake

The cake part of this delicious treat is more like a dough than a batter. It is a thick batter that has the consistency of a soft dough. The filling is like the filling used for cinnamon rolls. The results – DELICIOUS or LECKER!

I read the recipe and re-read it again and again, but I couldn’t find the use of cream mentioned in it at all. So I’m guessing, that even though the recipe called for heavy whipping cream, it was only to serve with the cake as a topping afterwards.

Preheat the oven to 350* F or 180*C.

Spray with cooking spray and lightly flour an 8″ cake pan.

The Filling

2/3 cup brown sugar

1 1/3 cups pecan or walnut meal

1 tsp cinnamon

Mix everything together well and set aside until ready to use.

The Cake

1/2 lb or 2 sticks of softened butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 tsp vanilla or 1 tsp vanilla and 1 tsp pecan oil, optional

2 eggs

2 1/2 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

Beat the butter first until creamy, then add the sugar and beat again for about 1 minute. Add the eggs separately, beating in between each addition. Add the vanilla and/or the pecan oil and beat again.

Combine the flour and baking powder and mix well. Add 1/2 of the mixture at a time and mix in between each addition.

Spoon 1/2 of the dough into the prepared pan and pat it out with your hands to spread evenly in the pan. Then add 1/2 of the filling mixture on top and spread over the dough evenly. Then repeat until all the dough and the filling are used, ending with a streusel-like topping.

Bake for about an hour, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle. Allow the cake to cool completely before removing it from the pan.

The cinnamon flavors really come out when this cake is served warm, so I like it best when heated slightly before serving, with or without the whipped cream. I found the cake to be delicious on its own, and didn’t really need any whipped cream with it. It was a big hit with everyone, and Luke, our resident German native, went back for seconds. 🙂

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.