I cheated and it was worth it--Danish Cinnamon Coffee Cake

Danish Cinnamon Coffee Cake
The New Antoinette Pope School Cookbook Copyright 1961

1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
3 whole eggs
1 teaspoon almond extract
½ teaspoon vanilla
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 ½ cups cake flour
1 1/3 cups milk

Cream butter well with electric beater. Add sugar, small amount at a time, and beat until blended. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating in each one about 1 minute. After all eggs have been added, beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add salt and flavorings. Next add combined flour and baking powder alternately with milk, and blend until smooth with a spoon.

Place batter in a pan that measures 9x13-inches. Grease pan with 1 tablespoon of unsalted shortening and coat with flour. Cover with Topping, below, and bake at 350 degrees F about 55 minutes. Test with cake tester.

Topping for Danish Cinnamon Coffee Cake

½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons butter, cold and firm
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon sifted cocoa

Serves 12 (or more - this is a big cake).
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Despite all of my worrying, the doctor is quite pleased with my blood sugar numbers. So I cheated! Well, I cheated because I just couldn't stand it anymore. Not necessarily not eating something 'bad' but I had an uncontrollable urge to bake something 'bad' and I can't bake something new without tasting it.

This isn't charting any new territory but this was a fabulously light and fluffy coffee cake. It rose up so high, I could barely get the lid on it to transport it to work where I hope it disappears quickly before I grab another piece. I'm allowing myself just the one. Although I may need to sample another taste, just to see how it is the next day. I have obligations to monitor the quality, after all.

I chose this because I thought it used all ingredients I generally have on hand but I was forgetting that my almond extract is missing (I think it spilled at one point). I was going to just use all vanilla but I'm glad I went out and got the almond extract. It really adds that extra something.

I wanted to make something from one of my older cookbooks so I could join in the Weekend Cookbook Challenge this month, since the theme is Vintage Cookbooks (pre-1980). Carla at Chocolate Moosey is hosting. I'll post a link when she does the round-up.

This cookbook is from 1961 - not my oldest cookbook but certainly vintage. It's a classic and still available used online, although usually for more than the $2 I paid from my cookbook guy at the farmer's market. The recipes hold up to time. It's a very comprehensive cookbook that is probably as useful now as when it was written. It was originally published in the the 40s, I think. This was pre-convenience foods which is why it holds up so well.

Speaking of my cookbook guy, on Friday I made my first trip to see him this year and he was so happy to see me! He said he was worried about me even though I clearly told him I would be MIA for the winter months. He's not all that with it.

I was such a bad girl and I walked out of there with a load of cookbooks. I bought 10 books and a bunch of someone's recipe clippings/cooking pamplets, all for $19. Can't beat that with a stick. I got some good ones too. Unfortunately, they aren't necessarily healthy cookbooks and they certainly don't include calorie and carb counts so I may just have to admire them for now.

Blast From The Past: Creole-Style Pork Tenderloin Patties from July 2007. That recipe was also from this cookbook and I loved it.

Question of the Day: How old is your oldest cookbook? I have no idea which is my oldest. I know I have one from the 1930s.