Recipe, Stolen

I wish I can say this was my next door neighbor's recipe, but it's not. This is the famous Coffee Cake of the precious Mrs. Isabel Buerschaper, who first inspired famous cookbook author and foodie Molie Katzen to consider the kitchen. Today I was very much craving for coffee cake to go with my fantastic cup of Civet Cat coffee. And deciding against the easy way out of divulging a store-bought cake, I thought I should at least slave away for what I am about to divulge.

Classic Buttermilk Coffee Cake

Unwrap the butter ahead of time, and place it directly in the mixing bowl to soften.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened1/2 cup sugar 2 large eggs1 teaspoon vanilla extract1-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon baking powder1/8 teaspoon baking soda1/2 cup buttermilk
Topping
2 tablespoons brown sugar1/2 teaspoon cinnamonWalnuts or pecans (optional)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F (325°F for a glass pan). Lightly spray an 8-inch round or square pan with nonstick spray.
In a large bowl, beat the butter for several minutes with an electric mixer at high speed. Add the sugar and beat for several minutes longer. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each, then beat in the vanilla.
In a second bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda, slowly mixing them together with a whisk.
Add the dry ingredients in three installments to the butter mixture, alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry (dry-wet-dry-wet-dry). After each addition, mix from the bottom of the bowl--just enough to blend--with a spoon or a rubber spatula. Don't overmix.
Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, spreading it evenly into place. Mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon (and optional nuts), and sprinkle this on top before baking.
Bake in the middle of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick or sharp knife inserted all the way into the center comes out clean. Cool for at least 15 minutes before cutting and serving.
Makes one 8-inch round or square cake (about 6 or 7 servings)
Variations
Caramel-Nut-Crusted Coffee Cake
Make the preceding recipe, preparing the pan as follows.
•2 tablespoons butter, melted in the pan•3 tablespoons (packed) brown sugar, sprinkled into the melted butter•2/3 cup chopped pecans, sprinkled onto the brown sugar
Invert the cake onto a plate after it's cooled down. Scrape in all the topping that may have stayed in the pan.
Buttermilk-Rhubarb Coffee Cake
Before making the batter, toss the following together in a small bowl:•2 cups chopped rhubarb (1/4-inch pieces)
•2 tablespoons sugar•1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour
Let the mixture stand while you prepare the batter. Increase the sugar in the batter to 2/3 cup, and fold the rhubarb mixture in with the last installment of dry ingredients in Step 4.
Bake the cake for 30 to 40 minutes.
Buried Treasure Coffee Cake
Yield: 12 to 16 servings
For a bigger cake that you can fill with extra goodies, double the recipe, and use a standard-size Bundt or tube pan. Instead of putting the topping on the top, put it in the center. To do this, just spoon half the batter into the prepared pan, then sprinkle in the topping (now a filling), then spoon on the rest of the batter. You can also add up to 1/2 cup of any or all of the following:
•Semisweet chocolate chips•Chopped almonds or walnuts•Sliced dried fruit•Shredded unsweetened coconut•Jam or marmalade (spooned in, blob by blob)
Bake this larger cake at 350°F for 45 to 50 minutes. Cool it in the pan for 15 to 20 minutes, then rap the pan sharply and remove the cake to finish cooling. Let it cool completely before removing the cake from the pan. Then invert it onto a plate (if you used a Bundt pan) or pull out the tube and gently lift the cake off and onto a plate (if it's in a tube pan). Cool for another 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.