Almond Streusel Coffee Cake

While going through my Mother's recipes, I found this one for Almond Streusel Coffee Cake, written on a sheet of paper, probably from one of her friends. It sounded really good and I decided to make it as written instead of changing it around any. Sometimes I can get in trouble changing a cake recipe before I have even tried it! I'm glad that I didn't change it because this is a wonderful coffee cake with an orange flavor that isn't overpowering and the cake is light and not too sweet. The streusel is sweet and nutty, but it balances out with the citrus flavor of the cake. It's a keeper for me! Make the streusel first so that you'll have it ready. Next you'll mix the batter in a bowl. The batter will be thick, but easy to spread. Half of the batter is spread in a tube pan and topped by half the streusel; then repeated. It'll look like the picture below. In fact it'll probably look better than my picture! Let's get started; I want another piece of cake!

STREUSEL

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1 cup sliced almonds, or nut of your choice

1/4 cup flour

3 Tbs. melted butter

1 tsp. grated orange zest

In a bowl mix together the brown sugar, nuts and flour. Stir in the butter and zest and set aside.

CAKE

1/2 cup softened butter

1/2 sugar

3 large eggs

1 tsp. orange zest

1/2 tsp. vanilla

2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

2/3 cup orange juice

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a tube pan. In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Add eggs in 1 at a time, beating well. Beat in zest and vanilla. In another bowl mix together flour, baking powder and baking soda. With the mixer on low, beat flour mixture and orange juice alternately into egg mixture. Spoon half of cake batter into prepared tube pan; top with half of streusel mixture. Top this with rest of batter; add batter in dollops and gently smooth over the streusel. Then add the last layer of streusel. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool cake on a wire rack. To remove cake from the pan, I took a thin knife and drug it between the pan and the cake in case it had stuck anywhere. Since I used a angel food cake pan, I also ran my knife between the bottom of the pan and the cake to loosen it. The next time I make this, I may try using a spring form pan, as I was a little worried that I might crack the cake getting it onto the serving plate. But I made it! Slide the cake onto the serving plate and drizzle lightly with the glaze. I actually forgot the glaze and didn't notice it until I posted these pictures! But with, or without the glaze, this is a delicious coffee cake.

GLAZE

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 1/2 tsp. orange juice- mix these two together and drizzle over cooled cake( try not to forget this part!)

Cake's ready to eat! Why don't you drop by for coffee and cake and help calm me down! So, tell me, have you ever forgotten an ingredient in a dish that you served to someone? Was it something that was really missed, or was it like my glaze, just a topping? I'd love to hear about your goofs!