Coffee Cake with Crumbs

This is a new addition to our family’s recipes; since I saw this recipe in a magazine a few months ago, I have made it several times. It is SO easy to make, so light and good, and I know that it is going to become a family favorite.

Note that the ingredients can be doubled, to make a larger cake.

Ingredients:

• 50 grams (1.8 oz) butter, softened (take it out of the refrigerator a few hours before using)
• 1/4 cup (40 ml) canola oil
• 1 cup (200 grams) sugar (if in Israel, there is now sugar which is more finely granulated, that has recently appeared in the supermarkets, similar to the granulated sugar in the U.S.)
• 1 1/2 cups (210 grams) self-rising flour
• 1 container (200 ml) sour cream (here in Israel I use the 9% fat sour cream, which is lighter than the traditional sour cream – but feel free to use whichever type you like).
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinammon

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F).
2. Grease cake pan (use either an “English cake” or loaf cake pan), or a round pan (9 or 10 inch). If you want to take the cake for a picnic you can bake it directly in one of the disposable “carton” cake pans – when using disposable cake pans, I always put a metal cookie sheet underneath, to absorb part of the heat from the oven, so as not to burn the bottom of the cake).
3. In large mixer bowl, place the softened butter, 1/4 cup of canola oil, one cup of sugar, and 1 1/2 cups self rising flour. Mix until it turns into crumbs.
4. Remove 3/4 cup (150 grams) of the crumbs and set aside. Mix 1/4 teaspoon ground cinammon to these crumbs.
5. To the remaining batter in mixer bowl, add the sour cream, 2 eggs, and vanilla extract. Beat till the batter is smooth and all is incorporated. Stop mixing as soon as all ingredients are incorporated; do not overbeat.
6. Pour the batter into the greased cake pan.
7. Sprinkle the reserved crumbs/with cinammon, evenly onto the top of the batter.
8. Bake about 40 minutes, or until the cake is a nice golden brown, and the top is firm. (Reminder: if you are baking the cake in disposable cake pans, place a cookie sheet underneath the disposable pan, so as to help prevent burning the bottom of the cake).
9. Allow cake to cool to room temperature. Once cool, cover well.