Sugar Cookie Coffee Cake

I didn’t try my first coffee cake until a few years ago, when I finally read the ingredient list closely enough to discover that most coffee cakes don’t actually contain coffee. Don’t get me wrong, I adore coffee; the stronger, the better. But I really prefer only my coffee to be coffee flavored.

I’ve loved coffee cakes since then – especially with chocolate and/or nuts. But this is, hands down, my favorite coffee cake of all time. I don’t even remember where I found the basis for this recipe, but lo and behold, this cake smells and tastes like really good, buttery sugar cookies.

Sugar cookies have been a major craving for me lately, but there was a game on tonight, and this is simple enough to whip together during halftime. A girl’s gotta have priorities.

Sugar Cookie Coffee Cake
Serves 12-16

2/3 c. butter, softened (that’s 10 2/3 Tbsp. for the mathematically challenged, like myself)
6 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 c. flour
1 1/3 c. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ c. milk
2 eggs

Topping
½ c. brown sugar
6 Tbsp. flour
2 Tbsp. butter

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray cooking spray on bottom of a 9x13 pan.

2. Using a mixer, beat butter and cream cheese until creamy. Add remaining ingredients. Beat on low until ingredients are well blended. Then beat on medium for 2 minutes until batter is thick and fluffy.

3. Spread into pan.

4. For topping, mix flour and brown sugar, and cut in butter. Sprinkle topping evenly over cake.

5. Bake 30-35 minutes or until lightly brown. Meanwhile, lick the bowl. This is imperative. It’s like eating whipped sugar cookie dough.

6. Let cool slightly, and then serve.

Holy cannoli, that's good cake.