Every year after Christmas one or more of our Christmas paraphernalia does not make it back in the boxes to which they belong.  Even after a careful sweep this year was no exception.  The object in question?  A pretty, round cake pan with a recipe for "Christmas coffee cake" printed on the bottom. 
 
Fast forward a week or two.  I'm sitting in church and the pastor is encouraging everyone to use those things that we put away for special occasions.  He's telling us to use the good towels.  The good candles.  The good china.

Which made me think...

Maybe it was no accident that this cake pan did not get put away.  I can't say that I'm sorry it didn't. I even found a home for it in my cupboard (which is no easy feat, my friends, no easy feat).  No...now I'm thinking it was my subconscious telling me that this coffee cake was too good to save for just Christmas.  It should be made any day.  Every day.  

And if one of my New Year's goals wasn't to lose a few pounds I would make it every day.  Believe me -- no one else in my household would mind!

I bought these pans from a catalog that I like.  I bought four of them, three for presents and one for me.  For my girls' teachers I actually made the cake in the pan and gave it to them for Christmas.  Ella's teacher emailed me shortly afterwards raving about how good it was and how much her family liked it.  I couldn't wait to try it on Christmas morning!

I can't even begin to tell you how delicious this cake is.  The cake part is so moist and the topping is crunchy without being too overpowering.  It is just the right amount of sweet and spice and yumminess.  Between the five of us we devoured it and we all wanted more.  

That's when we renamed it "Christmas and New Year Coffee Cake".  Then we decided it should just be called "Everyday Coffee Cake."

And so it is...a coffee cake delicious enough (and easy enough)  for special occasions or to make every day special.
Make this coffee cake now.  Make the day special.  You will thank me.


Everyday Coffee Cake
1 1/2 cups flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla

Struesel Topping
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoon cinnamon
Walnuts ore pecans, optional (I left these out)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix the first three ingredients together and set aside.  In a separate bowl, beat egg until frothy.  Beat in sugar and butter.  Add milk, sour cream, and vanilla.  Add dry ingredients and mix on low.  Do not over mix.

Combine struesel ingredients and set aside

Put half of batter into dish (a 9" round cake pan will do) and spread evenly.  Cover with half the struesel.  Add remaining batter and top with remaining streusel topping.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes.