Emerald Isle Coffee Cake

My mother, Jenness, loved her her sweets. She especially loved cinnamon. Coffee cakes, cinnamon rolls, cinnamon toast, cinnamon jumbles and cinnamon donuts were all treats she loved to bake. As many of you already know I love cinnamon just as much. Since my mom passed away nearly 12 years ago I find much joy in baking some of her favorite recipes. I had completely forgotten about her Emerald Isle coffee cake until I realized that the Starbucks Reduced Fat Cinnamon Swirl Coffee Cake I have been ordering every other day with green tea was a similar version to hers.

A piece of paper with the recipe typed on it literally fell out of an old cookbook of hers. As soon as I saw it memories came flooding back of my mom’s love of coffee cakes. I had to make it right away. But of course, hers wasn’t allergen free so a little work had to be done to the original version.

After numerous tests and substitutions I had perfected the new and updated Emerald Isle Coffee Cake, now made without dairy, eggs or nuts. My whole family devours this coffee cake now, especially John. It is perfect for a weekend brunch or as a weekday after school snack. Enjoy!

EMERALD ISLE COFFEE CAKE

• ½ c. dairy free margarine
• 1 c. granulated sugar
• 2 T. water
• 2 c. unbleached all purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 c. dairy free sour cream
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• Cinnamon filling (below)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a Bundt pan with dairy free baking spray.

In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment combine margarine and sugar until light and fluffy. Add water, dairy free sour cream and vanilla. Beat well.

In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt with a wire whisk. Add to margarine mixture and beat well. Pour half of batter into prepared pan and sprinkle with half of cinnamon filling. Add remaining batter and top with the rest of the cinnamon filling. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool completely, turn onto a serving plate and dust with confectioner’s sugar.

CINNAMON FILLING

Combine 1/3 c. brown sugar, ¼ c. granulated sugar and 1 tsp. cinnamon. Mix well.

Yield: 1 cake