Ruth Ahlberg’s Quick Coffee Cake

This recipe comes from my maternal great-great-aunt Ruth and has been adapted from her original handwritten recipe card. The original instructions were wonderfully brief, reflecting a time when home bakers often needed little more than a list of ingredients and a few simple directions. I've expanded the instructions to make the recipe easier to follow while preserving the simplicity and charm of her original coffee cake.

Made with just a handful of pantry staples, this lightly sweetened coffee cake comes together quickly and is finished with a classic cinnamon-sugar topping. It's one of those wonderful old-fashioned family recipes that proves you don't need a long list of ingredients or hours in the kitchen to make something delicious. I love being able to share recipes like Aunt Ruth's, keeping a little piece of my family's history alive for future generations to enjoy.

Ruth Ahlberg's Quick Coffee Cake

Ingredients

Coffee Cake

• ½ cup milk

• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

• ½ cup granulated sugar

• 1½ eggs (1 whole egg plus 1 egg yolk)

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

Cinnamon-Sugar Topping

·       2 tablespoons granulated sugar

·       ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a 8 × 8-inch glass baking dish.

2. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and sugar until combined.

3. Add the whole egg and egg yolk, mixing until incorporated.

4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder.

5. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, alternating with the milk. Mix just until combined.

6. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking pan.

7. Sprinkle the top generously with granulated sugar and ground cinnamon.

8. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 12 minutes, or until the cake is lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

9. Allow to cool slightly before slicing and serving.

Recipe Notes

• Original Recipe: Ruth's handwritten recipe calls for 1½ eggs, specifying one whole egg and three yolks. The ingredient list above uses one whole egg and one additional yolk as a practical adaptation, but the original proportions can be followed instead, though I have not tested it myself.

• Cinnamon-Sugar Topping: The original recipe does not specify quantities for the cinnamon and sugar. Adjust the amount according to your preference.

• Original Recipe:  This coffee cake is made from the original family recipe. Unlike taller, modern coffee cakes, it has a thinner, old-fashioned style. The original ingredients have been preserved, with only the baking temperature and time adjusted for an 8 × 8-inch glass baking dish.