An old family recipe brings back memories of people. The aroma and taste of this cake (my Grandmother Yvonne’s recipe that she made often) takes me back to special occasions and Grandma’s house. A tiny little lady–not quite five feet tall and probably never weighing 100 pounds–my grandmother was a wonderful cook. When she was sixteen, she dropped out of school to help support her family, and one of her early jobs was as a cook at the county jail. Those lucky inmates! Her sister made a terrific chocolate cake (which is always called “Auntie’s Chocolate Cake” in our family) that I’ll feature on a later blog. Coffee cake is great with coffee, but I like it anytime. Interestingly, this recipe was “lost” to me for years until my Aunt Carol came over to my house a few years ago for a party and brought me the recipe as a gift. I was thrilled and have made it over and over since then.

I don’t think Grandma Yvonne would mind if I shared her recipe. Here it is:

Mix together and then take out 3/4 cup of crumbs:

2 cups brown sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup softened butter

After taking out the 3/4 cup crumbs, add these ingredients:

1 egg

1 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon baking soda

Pour in pan, sprinkle reserved crumbs on top. Sprinkle cinnamon on top. Bake 25-30 minutes at 375 degrees. I usually use a 9×13 pan, but this time I made two 8-inch rounds and there was a cake to share!