Nutmeg Coffee Cake

Ok folks, I've found the best coffee cake ever.
The best.
It looked delicious when I saw it at Brandy's Baking blog, but as I was making it I grew a bit concerned. First, there's no sugar mixed with the walnut topping. I found out that it doesn't matter at all, of course you can add a few tablespoons but it doesn't need it. My second concern was that it really only requires nutmeg. Won't it be plain??? Nope! It is packed full of flavor. And my last concern was the crust. A coffee cake with a crust? How would that work? Works perfectly! It isn't REALLY a crust. It does create a layer of texture that you can taste and see, but it still blends with the cake (it's a soft crust).

Oh, and my biggest concern was dividing the flour/sugar mixture evenly. I just eyed it and it worked perfectly, but feel free to measure it out more accurately if you want. And even though I didn't try this, because I gained a shocking amount of weight at my 2 week pregnancy doc. appointment, I think that drizzling the top with a powdered sugar/milk icing would be awesome. Almost cinnamon roll-ish.

You will LOVE this recipe, give it a try! Definitely my favorite coffee cake!

I made some brown sugar

Press the crust into the bottom of the pan

Mix up the batter

Sprinkle on the topping

See the layers? Mmmm

Nutmeg Coffee Cake
Serving Size = Roughly 9 big pieces
Original Recipe: Brandy's Baking

• 2 cups flour (all purpose)
• 1 1/4 cups brown sugar (I made my own, click here for the recipe)
• 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg (I used freshly ground)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup finely chopped walnuts (about 4 oz)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. Line a 9-inch square pan with parchment paper and grease the paper (I just sprayed my baking dish with oil). 
3. Crust: In a food processor, add the flour and brown sugar and pulse until mixed. Add the butter and pulse until it resembles sand. Spoon 1/2 of the mixture into the pan and press evenly over the bottom.
4. Batter: Pour the remaining flour/sugar mixture into a large bowl (I used my mixer). Add the egg, sour cream, nutmeg and baking soda and mix until combined. Spoon the batter over the crust. 
5. Topping: Mix together the chopped walnuts (I used my food processor) and cinnamon. Sprinkle over the top of the batter.
6. Bake until the center is set (check with toothpick), about 40 - 45 minutes. Do not over bake though or the edges might get a bit hard. I prefer it served warm, but if you let it cool down then the crust will get a little more crunchy.

And of course, it's even better with a cup of coffee. :)

Linking to: Hearth and Soul, Cast Party Wednesday, These Chicks Cooked