I’ve coveted a Kitchen Aid mixer for many years, and my amazing boyfriend Shawn got one for me for Christmas this year!  Excited is an understatement!  I had already done all my Christmas cookie baking, so I had to think of something else to do (oh jeez, poor me 😉 ) and we decided on coffee cake…it made a nice after dinner snack later in the evening.  I’m still stunned over the ease of baking with the Kitchen Aid!  This recipe came from one of my favorite baking sites, Joy of Baking, and I combined her coffee cake with a streusel recipe I had on hand.  It was my first time making coffee cake and we like it a lot!

Crumb Topping:

• 1/4-2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 2-3 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons chilled butter
• Optional – 1/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Coffee Cake:

• 1 2/3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup granulated white sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup sour cream or plain yogurt (full or reduced fat)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place rack in center of oven. Prepare a 9″ baking pan with butter or cooking spray.

Crumb Topping: Place flour, sugar, spices and nuts (if using) in a bowl and mix well.  Cut in butter until it’s a grainy, pea-sized sand texture.  Set aside.

Coffee Cake: In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter until softened (about 1 minute). Gradually add the sugar and continue to beat until light and fluffy (about 3-4 minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla extract. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture(in three additions) and sour cream (in two additions) alternately, starting and ending with the flour. Mix only until combined.

Spoon half of the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with an offset spatula or back of a spoon. Sprinkle about half of the crumb topping on top of the batter. Cover with the remaining batter and then sprinkle with the remaining crumb topping.  Alternatively, you can put the streusel just on the top of the cake.  Bake for about 40 -50 minutes, or until a tooth pick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let rest for about 10 minutes before releasing the sides of the pan.

Serve warm or at room temperature.