by Fabio Arangio
Coffee Cake: a cake not with coffee but that accompanies coffee
This summer, after many years away, I returned to New York. From there, I traveled along the East Coast - East Coast, as Americans call it - all the way to Boston. These are places where unforgettable memories take root. On the trip to Boston – which had many stops in hotels and apartments along the way – New York friends gave me a Coffee Cake to take with me.
Thus, while looking for topics for our "Coffee magazine," this cake came back to my mind.
Coffee Cake: the cake that accompanies coffee
Sometimes coffee accompanies a cake, other times it's the cake that accompanies coffee. Not to copy its flavor or steal the spotlight, but to make that moment longer, more convivial, more shared. In other words, to be together. It is from this idea that the Coffee Cake was born, a cake not made with coffee as its name might suggest, but a cake meant to be enjoyed alongside coffee.
In the Italian tradition, and especially in the espresso tradition, the coffee moment is quick and essential. A few seconds at the counter, a cup in hand, a gesture repeated every day. Already at the end of the 19th century, at the "Caffè de' Ritti" inaugurated by Cavalier Manaresi, coffee was drunk standing up, without distractions, letting only aroma and intensity speak.
In the Anglo-Saxon world, coffee changes in form, timing, and context, adapting to different lifestyles and moments. Sometimes coffee is a personal moment that happens while doing a thousand other things; other times, it's a moment to pause and take time. It is in this slower space that the Coffee Cake was born, a simple and "companionable" cake, meant to stay next to the cup and accompany the pleasure of sharing a moment with someone else at the table.
The history of Coffee Cake
As we have already mentioned, despite its name, the American Coffee Cake was not born as a coffee-flavored cake, but as a cake to accompany coffee. Its origins date back to European communities that emigrated to the United States between the 19th and 20th centuries, particularly German and Scandinavian, who brought with them the habit of serving simple cakes during coffee breaks. Over time, this tradition evolved: the cake became softer, often enriched with crumble, spices, or nuts.
In the United States, coffee cake is today a classic for breakfast or brunch: it is baked in a pan, cut into squares, and served.
How to prepare Coffee Cake
Okay, enough talking, now let's see how to prepare our Coffee Cake!
What to get: the ingredients
For Coffee Cake you need simple but quality ingredients.
The following quantities are for a medium-sized pan of approximately 20 × 30 cm.
For the batter:
- 250 g All-purpose flour (type 00)
- 150 g Granulated sugar
- Soft 120 gbutter
- 2 Medium Eggs (at room temperature)
- 120 ml Whole milk
- 10 g Baking powder
- A pinch of salt
For the crumble (optional but recommended):
- 80 g Flour
- 80 g Brown sugar
- 60 g Cold butter
- 1 Teaspoon Cinnamon (optional, but always appreciated in North America)
- 40–60 g Chopped pecans (optional, alternatively chopped almonds)
Preparing the batter
And here is the step-by-step preparation:
- Start by creaming the soft butter with sugar until a light and fluffy cream is obtained.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing carefully.
- Separately, mix flour, baking powder, and salt, which will be gradually incorporated into the batter, alternating with the milk.
Preparing the crumble
For the crumble, simply work the ingredients quickly with your fingertips until a sandy consistency is achieved.
Combining batter and crumble
Pour the batter into a pan, level it, and cover it with the crumble before baking.
Chopped pecans or almonds can be added on top of the crumble to achieve a crunchier and more aromatic result.
Baking
- Temperature: 180°C
- Oven: static, preheated (not fan-forced)
Baking is a crucial step to achieve a coffee cake that is soft inside and lightly golden on top.
Preheat the oven to about 180°C in static mode to ensure even rising and prevent the cake from drying out too quickly.
The cake should be placed in the center of the oven, away from both the upper and lower heating elements. This way, the heat surrounds the batter evenly, promoting uniform rise without cracks or overcooked spots.
Baking time varies depending on thickness but is generally around 40–50 minutes. It is advisable not to open the oven during the first 25–30 minutes to avoid compromising the structure of the cake.
How to know when the Coffee Cake is ready?
Towards the end of baking, you can do the classic toothpick test: it should come out dry, with at most a few moist crumbs.
Once removed from the oven, the coffee cake should rest in the pan for about 10–15 minutes, then be transferred to a rack to cool. This step helps stabilize the crumb and keeps the cake soft, ready to serve alongside a good espresso.
Points to watch during preparation
Pay attention to the temperature of the ingredients: cold butter and eggs compromise the structure of the batter.
For the crumble, do not press it down, simply distribute it so that it remains crumbly after baking.
How to serve Coffee Cake
Coffee Cake is served at room temperature, cut into slices or squares. The ideal pairing – and the source of its name – is, naturally, a cup of coffee, which in America, where I enjoyed it this summer, is a cup of American coffee or drip coffee.
How to store it
It keeps for 2–3 days under a glass dome or in an airtight container, away from heat sources. It can be slightly warmed before serving to revive the aromas of butter and coffee, but not excessively, so as not to dry out the batter.
The importance of "companion" cakes like Coffee Cake in the high-tech world
Even if we would like to deny it, we are all now caught up in the world of smartphones and "being together" at a distance. When I teach digital skills to adults, they often tell me it's only a problem for young people and that they are immune. But when I ask them how they communicate with others, for example, whether they made a call or sent a WhatsApp message this morning, there is almost always a moment of hesitation.
There is the answer we would like to give – that nothing has changed – and the real one – that almost no one is immune to the influence of technology. The digital world has mainly influenced the way we communicate and, inevitably, the way we are together, often at a distance and not in person.
When I remember my youth, there were no mobile phones; at most, a landline to say: "See you at the bar in ten minutes!"
Sharing a cup of coffee and a cake to take time is perhaps much more than a coffee break: it is a pause in a world that, while bringing us closer, sometimes pushes us apart.
