Sister Hrncirik’s Cinnamon Coffee Cake
Jump straight to the recipe
Cinnamon is my favorite dessert flavor of all time so I was thrilled when Navarre managed to get his hands on this semi-legendary cinnamon coffee cake recipe. Its a super simple recipe. My brain is already thinking of ways to jazz it up (Fresh blueberries and lemon zest! Apple pie filling baked into the bottom!), but the truth is that this recipe’s simplicity is part of its charm. I’ve made it, as written, about seven times now and everyone has enjoyed it immensely each time. I recommend accompanying your slice with a tall glass of ice cold milk.
Navarre’s Take
This recipe is incredibly important to me, it brings back a flood of memories whenever I eat it. In High School I attended early morning Seminary. Seminary is a four year religious educational program for High School aged youth. It is operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; students and their teachers meet each weekday during the school year to study scripture.
After Seminary in the morning, my friend Adam and I would head to our friend Stephen’s house where I would do my best Marlon Brando impression for Stephen’s mom Stella, before we’d all go together to Adam’s place. Adam’s mom would make us this coffee cake and I swear I could eat an entire pan on my own; it’s best piping hot, almost burning, and cooled with sips of milk. Sister Hrncirik was a saint, and her coffee cake fueled this teenage boy through school and football and was something I continually looked forward to.
Nowadays, I definitely can’t eat an entire pan on my own, but I still love it piping hot with a small glass of milk. It’s an absolute comfort food and I love sharing it with our children. A man once said that breakfast was the “optimistic meal…the day’s ahead of you.” Having this coffee cake, whether for breakfast, or any other time, continues to make me feel warm and loved. I look back fondly on those cool California mornings and the “Optimistic Meal” that began my days.
“Youth eats all the sugared fancy cakes and regards them as its daily bread. But there’ll come a time when you’ll start asking just for a crust.”
Sister Hrncirik's Cinnamon Coffee Cake
Ingredients
- ¼ cup shortening
- ¾ cup white sugar
- 2 ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 egg
- ¾ cup milk
- 1 ½ cups flour
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup flour
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 3 tb softened butter
Instructions
- Combine the shortening and sugar until creamy.
- Add in the baking powder, salt, and egg until well mixed.
- Stir in the milk ¼ cup at a time until well mixed.
- Last, add in the flour and stir until just combined- don’t over mix!
- Pour the cake batter into a greased 8x8 pan.
- Thoroughly combine the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon.
- Next, using your fingers (or a small food processor) mix in the softened butter.
- Sprinkle the streusel topping until you cover the cake batter evenly
- Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Serve piping hot with a glass of milk.
