Orange Streusel Coffee Cake

This recipe comes from my grandmother. She died when I was a baby, but my mother tells me stories about her amazing cooking. She had to feed 12 children and learned to be very frugal. One simple orange transforms this coffee cake into something quite simple, but incredibly irresistible.

My mother made this for us in the winter when oranges where in season. She still makes it for us at Sunday brunch a few times a year. It is a timeless family favorite that I am excited to share with you.

Orange Streusel Coffee Cake

Streusel

1/2 Cup sugar

1/4 Cup flour

2 Tablespoons butter (I prefer unsalted.)

Cake

2 Cups flour (I use white whole wheat.)

1 teaspoon table salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 Cup sugar

1 Tablespoon orange zest from one large orange

1 egg, beaten

1/2 Cup milk

1/2 Cup orange juice (This can be from the zested orange. If you are a little short of 1/2 cup, you can use extra milk to make 1/2 cup.)

1/3 Cup oil (I use olive oil or vegetable oil.)

Cooking Spray

Streusel

Mix the flour, sugar and butter with a fork (or your hands) until well combined. You will have a combination of large chunks and sandy bits. Set aside and place on top of cake batter before baking.

Cake

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix the dry ingredients for the cake, (including the orange zest) in a large bowl. Mix the wet ingredients in a measuring cup. Add the wet ingredients to the bowl of dry ingredients and mix until just combined. The batter will be thick. Spread in an 8 x 8 or 9 x 9 square pan that is lined with parchment paper and sprayed with cooking spray. Sprinkle with streusel and bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center has a few dry crumbs.