Coffee Cake: A Delightful Use for Leftover Ingredients

It was a cloudy, cool autumn afternoon when I reviewed my weekly menu and audited my fridge. I noticed that I had coffee cream set to expire in the next couple of days. I knew I wasn't going to finish it in time, so I needed a recipe to use up this ingredient. As I went through the cupboards, I rediscovered another forgotten ingredient—pomegranate molasses. I'd used it once in a Persian recipe with chicken breast and walnuts but sadly hadn't found a use for it since.

After scanning the internet, I found the perfect recipe for a delightful coffee cake using milk and molasses. I decided to substitute cream and pomegranate molasses instead. The cake featured a wonderful brown sugar layer that would be a lovely addition at coffee time.

Preparation

It was time to prepare this cake, so I turned on the oven to 350°F and greased a loaf pan with butter, ensuring I covered the bottom and sides to prevent sticking.

It had been a while since I'd made a coffee cake. I combined the dry ingredients—flour, salt, and baking powder—in a bowl. Then I creamed the butter with the white sugar and added the eggs one at a time. The mixture became pale beige and fluffy. I added a couple of tablespoons of pomegranate molasses, vanilla, and cream to the liquid mixture. It turned a darker shade of beige with a sweet and sour aroma.

I combined the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients until I achieved a smooth batter. Next, I prepared the brown sugar crumble by massaging brown sugar with pats of butter, cinnamon, and flour. The result was a wonderful crumble that was buttery and sugary with the warm aroma of cinnamon.

Baking

I poured half of the cake batter into the loaf pan and sprinkled the brown sugar crumble in an even layer. Then I poured the rest of the batter on top and popped the loaf pan into the oven for about forty minutes.

The kitchen filled with the scents of vanilla cake, cinnamon, and a hint of sourness from the molasses. I waited until the cake had a golden colour before testing it for doneness. When I placed a metal skewer in the cake, it wasn't quite dry—likely due to the brown sugar layer—so I let the loaf bake for another ten minutes to be sure.

I removed the cake from the oven and let it cool for about five minutes before attempting to remove it from the loaf pan. I took a butter knife to ensure the sides of the cake weren't stuck to the pan, then flipped the loaf pan onto a wooden cutting board. Success! The cake emerged in one piece with a golden-brown crust and had risen beautifully.

The Tasting

I cut the end of the loaf, and the cake revealed a lovely brown sugar layer. The next day, I visited my mom, and we tasted the coffee cake together. It was a dense spiced cake with hints of vanilla and cinnamon and a slight tinge of sourness. It paired wonderfully with the brown sugar layer at the centre.

We sipped our tea and reminisced about family moments while we enjoyed our afternoon treat. It was cozy and warm compared to the cloudiness outside—the perfect afternoon treat made with leftover ingredients.