Coffee Cake—Morning, Noon, or Night

It’s a cool morning, and you wander into the kitchen enticed by the aroma of rich brewed coffee. There on the counter sits a pan of coffee cake, still warm from the oven. Someone has already cut a small hunk out of the corner (so you’re not the first person up after all!). You pick up the knife, kindly left nearby, and slide it through the maple glaze and streusel topping into the pleasantly dense cake. As you lift the piece to your mouth, you breathe in cinnamon and warm fruit and feel the soft crumb texture. Soon the kitchen will be filled with your near and dear, but for now, you have this karmic moment to bond with coffee cake, perhaps the best way to ease into a weekend.

We invited two of Vermont’s beloved bakeries to share their favorite coffee cake recipes with us, and they delivered a pair of beauties that could anchor a holiday brunch or weekend get-together. King Arthur Flour, the United States’ first flour company, founded in 1790, moved from Boston to Norwich, Vermont, in 1984. Their flagship Bakery and Baking Education Center opened in 2000, and this venerable institution was heralded as the nation’s top Employee-Owned Company of the Year in 2016.

Jodi Whalen and Phil Merrick opened August First Bakery appropriately enough on August 1, 2009, in downtown Burlington. Happily filling a bright, renovated garage, August First remains blissfully “cell phone free,” so bring a newspaper, or better yet, focus on the deeply flavorful, from-scratch baked goods, soups, sandwiches and salads.

And remember, these coffee cakes contain just enough healthy ingredients, so feel free to indulge in that second piece…. No one’s watching.