Family Time Takes Effort: Buttermilk Coffee Cake!
One of the things I love about my son coming home from college is that he is so appreciative of my cooking. It helps to have a “plan” of some yummy “favorite” recipes to cook while he’s home, but I love trying new recipes, too. Like when I made Carrie Vitt’s Buttermilk Coffee Cake while we were on vacation last week. Carrie has this blog and a brand new book, Deliciously Organic, which I’ve loved cooking through.
I’m wondering if you’ve experienced what I have found to be true. Intentional family time takes effort to make it happen, and then it doesn’t always happen the way I think it should. I’ve had to learn to be more flexible, for sure. And my husband and I have had to “work” to make it happen. It involves planning, to make sure everyone has the days off of work, and communicating, so the kids are free and don’t have other plans, and then we set a time or announce a date ahead of time.
It takes E-F-F-O-R-T.
How to plan family time (especially with teens or grown kids):
1. SET THE DATE: Announce the time and date that you are having a family dinner or get-a-way.2. PRIORITIZE: Let the family know that you’d like everyone together.
3. PLAN AHEAD: If your kids are in college, get the dates for when they’ll be home and plan ahead. Make sure all schedules are cleared.
4. PREPARE: If heading out of town, think ahead to family favorite recipes and prepare as much as possible before you go, so you can ENJOY and not be stuck in the kitchen.
5. DELEGATE: Share the load for dishes and help in the kitchen. It’s helpful to include all family members in some way, either by cooking or dishes.
6. THE TABLE: Sit at the table together for as many meals that you can. Be prepared for spirited, fun conversation and laughter and love. Encourage it and revel in it.
Now back to the recipe. I made Carrie’s sweet yet healthy Coffee Cake and my family said it was the best they’ve ever had. They devoured it so quickly, my youngest didn’t even get a bite!
Food prep TIP if traveling: Pre-measure the dry ingredients and place in Ziploc bags. It will cut the prep time in 1/2. Anything to save time so you can enjoy the family more!
Buttermilk Coffee Cake
Serves 6-8Ingredients:
8 Tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups Sucanat or whole cane sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 cup sour cream
2 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. sea salt
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cold
1 Tbsp. maple syrup
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 cup walnuts or pecansInstructions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 and adjust rack to medium position. Butter an 8×8-inch baking dish.2. Cream 8 T. butter and 3/4 cup whole cane sugar in the bowl of a standing mixer for 3 minutes. With mixer on low, add eggs and vanilla, blending well. Add sour cream and blend well. Remove bowl from mixer.
3. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside.
4. Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until combined. Pour batter into the baking dish.
5. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the 3 tablespoons of butter, remaining 1/2 cup whole cane sugar, maple syrup, and cinnamon. Pulse until combined, about 5-6 pulses. Add nuts and pulse about 6 more times until nuts are roughly chopped.
6. Crumble topping on top of batter. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden on top.
What has your experience been with getting the family together for meals or get-a-ways?
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
really wanting to make this recipe….can you please clarify the amount of sucanat and sour cream? Something doesn’t seem right. Also, where is the buttermilk????
I’m wanting to make this recipe, but have the same questions as the previous poster. How much sugar? How much sour cream? How much buttermilk? Your answers would be helpful to me!
Recipe questions –
“1 14/” cups sugar?
“2/4” cup sour cream?
Is there no buttermilk in this Buttermilk Coffee Cake?
Thank you for clarifying; it looks delicious.
YUM… that looks good. Thanks for the recipe. Homemade is always best. I was just eating the coffee cake that I made out of a box.
Family Time… is definitely harder to come by as the kids get older. Mine are staying at home while going to College and I have two in High School… so between their jobs and sports it is hard to find time. I also have found it best to look at everyones schedule and then plan a date ahead of time so everyone knows.
Hi Sandy,
Our family made the switch to whole wheat flour several years so I agree with the comments regarding whole flour in recipes! I used to use Bob’s Red Mill whole wheat pastry flour for all of my baking but never had success with pizza dough or bread – it was flat and dense. Then, I met Bob (yes, he does exist) of Bob’s Red Mill at a store opening and I asked him about it. He told me to use his regular whole wheat flour…the pastry flour doesn’t have enough gluten. Of course, he was 100% correct. Now I only buy the whole wheat flour (25 lb bag) and I’ve had much success with my recipes. I’m too practical to have more than one type of flour around my house!
When don’t family get together-s involve food? That coffee cake looks delicious!
This is EXACTLY what my husband and I were discussing yesterday on the way home from church. He’s been working so many weekends – we haven’t had real face-time as a family in (what feels like) forever.
So we set aside the rest of the day. We planned to make dinner together as a family (tacos). We shopped for what we needed. We delegated jobs that the boys could do themselves (open and heat a can of chili beans, setting the table, filling the drinks). And we sat together, made our tacos together, and we enjoyed some real face time.
It wasn’t perfect. Taco filling was all over the dining room floor. There was still a lot of bickering over who got to do what. But we were together, and we made a point to be together. That’s what was important.
Yay!! I hadn’t seen your post when I replied on twitter… I’m a dork… but now I am a happy dork and I can’t wait to try this recipe!!!
It most definitely takes effort for family time, especially with four children all going different directions! We have one set night a week for a sit-down family meal. There are NO excuses for missing because it is always the same. It is purposefully scheduled a little later in the evening, so everyone can wrap up their day. My hubby and I cook together, our girls set the table, and my son helps pour drinks, and the clean-up is a family effort. We have been doing this for since the summer and I have loved the time together!
This recipe looks yummy, so it may just make it to the menu later this week!
OOOOO yummy! I love Coffee Cake, so I’ll try this one…question though, did you mean 2/4 cup sour cream or is it supposed to be 1/4, or 1/2?
My mom had a sour cream coffee cake that she always made and I loved it because it was so moist and filled with yummy ingredients.
Yesterday was the first Sunday that we all were at church together and could go home afterwards for a “real” hot meal (NO SOCCER…YAY!!!) so I took advantage of this and invited my in-laws up for dinner…we downed a crock pot of chili and a dozen corn muffins and just visited and played cards. I also told my oldest that she could just hang out at home all day/evening because she had been gone friday night and all day/evening Saturday with friends and I missed seeing her.
Most times we go with the flow, but there are definite times we have to be intentional when it comes to being together….
It definitely takes effort to have family time, doesn’t it? Especially as the kids get older and everyone has their own plans and schedules!!! My girls are here on Spring Break (my oldest is even spending a couple of days here, so glad her husband shares her with us!). SO HAPPY to have them home!!!
Yummy! We use whole wheat pastry flour and it makes things so yummy!!
We went to only eating whole grain foods last summer, so I’m glad to see a recipe with whole wheat flour! Thanks! :)
I made banana nut bread and zuchinni bread last night using a combo of whole wheat flour and unbleached, unenriched white…yummy!!