Grandma Quantz’s Coffee Cake
This is the coffee cake that I grew up with. My mother’s mother got the recipe from her mother-in-law, my Great Grandmother Quantz. Here it is in my mom’s calligraphy, written in 1991 for a clueless bride.
I told my mom I was going to post this and she sent me a couple of photos taken of Grandma Quantz in the Rosalia, Washington farm house where Aunt Ruth Mary and Uncle Dave have lived throughout my lifetime. I don’t remember her very well, but I do recall thinking she was very dignified.
The kitchen has been remodeled but mom says that this is how she remembers it as a child. Maybe someone in the family can tell me who the man at the sink is, and I would like to know who made the lovely birthday cake in the picture. I’m guessing: Aunt Ruth Mary?
Here’s my rendition of this family hand-me-down recipe.
Start by making what will be the delicious crumble topping out of sugar, butter and cinnamon.
Pull out one cup to actually use as the topping and the rest will be left to go in the batter. 
Odd process, but I just follow the directions. This is family tradition, not efficiency in the works.
I go with the wet ingredients next.
Then added the dry.
Stir into a nice batter.
I always taste some…and think of my mother groaning over the raw eggs…family bonding.
Pour into a 9×13 pan.
Spread it around,
Sprinkle on the reserved topping. The crumbles are the only part of the recipe that I actually remember from childhood.
The cake is fine, but I get pretty focused on those little baked chunks of butter and sugar that drop into its depths! They melt in your mouth like little candies and when I was a kid I used to sneak back into the kitchen and pick them out of the leftover pieces to whatever extent I could without arousing suspicion of rodents afoot.
It’s not the coffee cake I usually make these days, but it’s a yummy way to start the morning, especially when Ric makes me a nice mocha to go with it.
Wishing you many family joys this Holiday Season!
Lisa
The Kitchen Catwalk 