Jewish Coffee Cake

Jewish Coffee Cake

I find that as I am getting older, I look for shortcuts in cooking.  Simpler ingredients, fewer steps, less time.  But I still want deliciousness; it's not enough to be convenient.  I have to have some standards, grins.

Truth be told, for a very long time I was a cake mix snob.  Never did I dream the day would come where I would make anything that started with a cake mix.  Well, I've gotten over myself and that ridiculous notion and hail the invention of the boxed cake mix.  While, no question in my mind that homemade is better, the occasional boxed cake mix can become the basis for something delicious and delightful.  Hence this wonderful coffee cake.  From the first whiff of cinnamon-y aroma while it baked till we took our first mouthful, we loved it.  Yep, I'll be making this again.  I have two boxes of cake mix on hand just for that purpose.

JEWISH COFFEE CAKE

1 box yellow cake mix  the kind without the pudding mix already in it (I used white as it's what I had)
1 package, 3.5 ounce, instant vanilla pudding powder
4 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sour cream

In a separate bowl combine and set aside:
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Grease and flour a 9" x 13" baking pan; set aside.

In a large bowl, mix the first five ingredients together on medium speed for about two minutes.  Pour half the mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking pan.  Sprinkle half the sugar mixture over the batter.  Pour remaining batter over the sugar mixture.  Top with remaining sugar mixture.  Run a knife in a swirly pattern through the batter.

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 40 to 45 minutes or until tests done.

Let cool a bit before cutting and enjoying.

COOK'S NOTES:  I did not use all the sugar mixture, though I regretted it later.  I think it would've looked prettier if I did, but I balked at consuming so much sugar.  It's a trade off.

The batter is a little tricky to "pour" as it doesn't pour; it glops.  So, I spooned like 12 mounds in the pan and took two forks and pulled/stretched the dough into place.  It doesn't have to be perfect but it the cake is meant to have two layers of a sort, grins.

Cake remained moist and delicious for a couple of days, well wrapped.