There’s something about eating coffee cake for breakfast that makes me feel a little bit devious. I think it’s the fact that it has the word ‘cake’ in it and I know I’m not supposed to be eating cake for breakfast. But I can completely justify eating ‘cake’ for breakfast because it also contains the word ‘coffee’ and obviously, you have coffee with breakfast.
I don’t tend to make a habit of eating cake for breakfast but I do enjoy it as a treat every now and then on the weekend or on a special occasion. It’s perfect for those mornings when you’re feeling a bit lazy and sleep-in extra long, you roll out of bed and have nothing on the schedule for the day. You’ve already been lazy sleeping-in so why not just continue the act by treating yourself to some cake for breakfast with a steamy cup of coffee while you work your way through the DVR.
Sounds like a great weekend to me!
This recipe is something my Grandma used to make for my Mom when she was a kid and my Mom made for me growing up. It’s definitely a family recipe. For me, this recipe represents something special, fun or exciting happening as my Mom most often made this on holidays. I remember eating it on Christmas morning and on snow days, because what better excuse to have cake for breakfast, than when you get a surprise day off from school and work!
Now that I’m grown, I’ve also continued to make this cake for special occasions or on extra lazy weekends. I’ve made it for <3M on Valentine’s Day, on Christmas morning, and sometimes just on a surprise Sunday as a way to show him I love him. Because to me, food speaks words, it stirs memory, and it definitely represents love.
I love this coffee cake because although it looks fancy it’s actually very simple and quick to make. This cake has only 5 ingredients, comes together in less than 20 minutes and bakes in 15. In less than an hour, you have a warm, delicious sweet coffee cake to dive straight into so you can get back to treating yourself to the weekend.
The base of this recipe is Bisquick and although the cake seems a bit biscuit-like the addition of cream cheese into the actual cake results in a light and fluffy texture that crumbles slightly when you bite into it. It’s filled with red raspberry preserves, which is how my Mom made it, but truly you can fill it with any jam you have on hand. Although the braided look of the coffee cake looks fancy and time intensive, it’s actually just quick slits in the dough which are then folded over. The cake is topped with a simple vanilla glaze that adds a hint of sweetness and a bit of extra moisture to the cake.
It’s perfect paired with a cup of coffee or if you are having yourself a fancy weekend, a mimosa! It’s the weekend so why not indulge and treat yourself to cake for breakfast!
- 2 cups Bisquick + ¼-1/2 for kneading/rolling
- 3 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- ¼ cup butter, at room temperature
- ⅓ cup milk
- ½ cup raspberry jam
- 1 cup confectioner's sugar
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ - 2 tablespoons milk
- Preheat oven to 375*
- Cut the cream cheese and the butter into the Bisquick until crumbly.
- Pour in milk and stir to incorporate
- Turn out onto a surface dusted with Bisquick
- Need the dough just until it no longer becomes sticky
- Place the kneaded dough onto parchment paper or a silicon baking bat
- Roll the dough into a rectangle, 12 inches x 8 inches
- On the two long sides, make 2.5 inch slits running towards the center of the dough at 1 inch intervals
- Spread the raspberry jam down the center of the dough, careful to avoid the cut edges
- Fold the cut strips over the filling towards the center of the dough
- Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown
- While the coffee cake is baking, make the icing
- Mix the confectioner's sugar with vanilla and milk until you achieve a thick consistency for drizzling over the cake
- Once the cake has cooled 10-15 minutes, drizzle over the cake and serve
That is my favorite coffee cake! Your pictures of it are awesome!
That recipe has spanned 3 generations now.