Easiest Coffee Cakes

Use a pound cake mix to stir together these breakfast treats in minutes.

Celebrate a leisurely Sunday morning or a day playing hooky with a luscious, uncomplicated coffee cake. You can bake one and still have plenty of time to enjoy the day. So sit, relax, and savor every last crumb of the easiest coffee cakes ever. DONNA FLORIO

APRICOT-ALMOND COFFEE CAKE

MAKES 15 SERVINGS

PREP 25 MIN., BAKE 28 MIN., COOL: 20 MIN.

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

½ cup apricot preserves

1 (16-ounce) package pound cake mix, divided

Pinch of orange food coloring powder (optional)

1 (8-ounce) container sour cream

½ cup milk

2 large eggs

½ teaspoon almond extract

½ cup sliced almonds

Glaze

BEAT cream cheese, apricot preserves, 1 tablespoon cake mix, and, if desired, orange food coloring powder just until blended; set mixture aside.

BEAT sour cream, milk, eggs, almond extract, and remaining cake mix at low speed with an electric mixer 30 seconds or until blended. Increase speed to medium, and beat 3 more minutes.

POUR into a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch pan. Drop cream cheese mixture by rounded teaspoonfuls evenly over batter. Swirl batter gently with a knife. Sprinkle almonds evenly over top.

BAKE at 350° for 25 to 28 minutes or until golden.

COOL on a wire rack 20 minutes. Drizzle Glaze over slightly warm cake or individual pieces.

NOTE: For testing purposes only, we used Candy-n-Cake Powdered Food Color #5531 Orange.

Glaze:

MAKES 1/3 CUP

PREP: 5 MIN.

1 cup powdered sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 to 2 tablespoons milk

STIR together powdered sugar, vanilla, and 1 tablespoon milk until smooth. Add additional milk, if needed.

HEAVEN CAKE

MAKES 15 SERVINGS

PREP: 20 MIN., BAKE: 35 MIN., BROIE: 1 MIN.

1 (16-ounce) package pound cake mix

1 cup whipping cream

2 large eggs

2 cups sliced almonds

½ cup cold butter, cut into 1-inch pieces and softened

1 cup sugar

5 tablespoons flour

6 tablespoons whipping cream

BEAT first 3 ingredients at low speed with an electric mixer 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium, and beat 3 more minutes. Pour into a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch pan.

BAKE at 350° for 25 minutes.

PROCESS almonds and next 4 ingredients in a food processor until almonds are finely chopped and mixture is creamy, stopping to scrape down sides.

REMOVE cake from oven. Drop almond mixture by rounded teaspoonfuls evenly over warm cake.

BAKE 10 more minutes or until almond mixture is bubbly. Remove from oven; spread almond mixture evenly over cake.

BROIL cake 4 inches from heat 1 minute or until top is lightly browned (edges of cake may get dark). Cool on a wire rack. BEATE RUFFIN

ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA

CHOCOLATE CHIP COFFEE CAKE

MAKES 15 SERVINGS

PREP: 25 MIN., BAKE: 25 MIN.

1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels

1 (16-ounce) package pound cake mix, divided

1 (8-ounce) container sour cream

½ cup milk

2 large eggs

Streusel Topping

STIR together chocolate morsels and 1 tablespoon cake mix; set aside.

BEAT sour cream, milk, eggs, and remaining cake mix at low speed with an electric mixer 30 seconds or until blended. Increase speed to medium, and beat 3 more minutes.

SPOON half of batter into a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch pan; sprinkle morsel mixture evenly over batter. Spread remaining batter on top. Sprinkle Streusel Topping evenly over batter.

BAKE at 350° for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

Streusel Topping:

MAKES 1 ½ CUPS

PREP: 10 MIN.

½ cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 cup chopped pecans, toasted

2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine

COMBINE first 3 ingredients; stir in pecans and butter until crumbly.

BANANA-SOUR CREAM COFFEE CAKE: Prepare batter as directed, reducing sour cream to ½ cup and adding 1 cup mashed ripe banana. Sprinkle 1 cup toffee bits evenly over top of batter; sprinkle with Streusel Topping, and bake 30 minutes. Prep: 25 min., Bake: 30 min.

Copyright Southern Progress Corporation Sep 2004
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