Orange Coffee Cake
Make Breakfast an Event
Dara O’Brien
By Dara O’Brien
Creative Director, Lake Isle Press
I was never a big fan of coffee cake, but I baked one earlier this year to bring on a visit with friends who are coffee cake aficionados. Witnessing their small ritual of gently warming the cake and serving it as part of a leisurely morning meal was almost as enjoyable as the cake itself. I became a convert.
A few weeks ago, I was invited for a weekend visit with another friend. Once again I baked a coffee cake following a recipe from “Jim Fobel’s Old-Fashioned Baking Book” (published by Lake Isle Press). This time I opted for his Orange Coffee Cake. It was easy to make and very tasty—plus, it gave me a chance to try out my new pastry blender (I’d been making do with two forks, which really doesn’t work very well). Thanks to the pastry blender, my crumbs were suitably crumbly.
Before my friend served the cake on the first morning, she warmed it in the oven, and it was perfect. But the next day she skipped that step. I was a bit disappointed, and I thought it was because the cake definitely tastes better when served warm.
But I soon realized that I missed the ritual of slicing the cake and warming the pieces in the oven. It’s an extra step that elevates the meal and makes it a touch more special. It made me think of my dad, who turned his morning meal into an event.
His breakfast, with all of its rituals, was so languorous and detailed that he christened it “Breakslow.” The sacramental observance of Breakslow evolved in response to the stroke that felled him when he turned fifty. He never regained the full use of his right side, so many things were challenging for him. In adapting to his limitations, he became a master in the art of breakfast.
The meal could last for hours, and my mom handled the preparations. It began with juice (orange or tomato), followed by a slice of cantaloupe, which she would section and serve in the rind. The main course might be eggs, oatmeal, or cereal, but whatever it was, certain rules would be observed. When eating cereal, each spoonful must include a banana. When eating eggs and bacon, it was important that a bite of bacon accompany every bite of egg.
The main course would be followed by coffee and a dessert cake, which would be sliced lengthwise down the center, then scored horizontally into bite-sized cubes.
My dad died when I was in my early twenties, long before I started baking, so I never got the chance to make a coffee cake for him. I wish I could have had that experience, because there’s nothing like baking a cake for someone who truly relishes it. And I think he would have liked Jim’s coffee cakes, especially this one, which is light and delicately flavored. The combination of orange and cinnamon is just right for a summer’s morning.
But if I could turn back time and bake this cake for my dad, I wouldn’t call it Orange Coffee Cake. I’d call it something that reflects the joy of savoring it to the fullest. I’d call it Orange Breakslow Cake.
Orange Coffee Cake
Click here for printable recipe.
Makes one 8-inch square cake
INGREDIENTS
Topping
1/2 cup (2 ounces) chopped walnuts or pecans
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Batter
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1 large egg, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
PREPARATION
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400°F. Grease an 8-inch square pan.
In a small bowl, combine the nuts, flour, sugar, butter, orange zest, and cinnamon; with a pastry blender or your fingers, work in the butter until the mixture is crumbly.
Prepare the batter: Melt the butter in a small pan over low heat. In a medium-sized bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, orange zest, and salt. Make a well in the center and add the orange juice, egg, vanilla, and melted butter; stir just until evenly moistened and turn into the prepared pan. Crumble the topping over the batter and bake about 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center emerges clean. Cool on a rack for about 15 minutes, then cut into squares and serve warm.
Orange Coffee Cake Recipe
from “JIM FOBEL’S OLD-FASHIONED BAKING BOOK”
by Jim Fobel, Lake Isle Press, 1996
OTHER RECIPES FROM THIS BOOK
Lemon Layer Cake Recipe
Blueberry Muffins Recipe
Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
Cinnamon Cake Recipe
Mystery Cake of 1932 Recipe
New York CheeseCake Recipe
Grandma’s Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe
Inspired by his grandmother, mother, and aunts, the late Jim Fobel collected the best of their old-fashioned recipes and re-worked them for today’s cooks. He was a protégé of James Beard and frequent contributor to Family Circle, Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, and a noted food writer.
“Charming nostalgia...mouth-watering, the way fruit pies cooling on the porch should be.”
— THE NEW YORK TIMES