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WW Recipe of the Day: Grandma’s Low Calorie Coffee Crumb Cake
I made this luscious quick and easy old-fashioned coffee crumb cake recipe for breakfast this morning. I can’t even begin to describe how wonderful it smelled while baking or how delicious it tasted warm from the oven.
I’m usually not so industrious or decadent first thing in the morning. But every now and then it’s fun to indulge. And having guests was the perfect excuse!
This coffee crumb cake recipe is a favorite. It’s easy to make, quick to bake, and so satisfying served warm with coffee, fresh berries, and yogurt. One friend commented that he hadn’t had homemade coffee cake for decades.
Simple homemade coffee crumb cake may be old-fashioned, but I think it’s worth bringing back, don’t you?
Recipe Notes
This recipe calls for cinnamon for both the cake and crumb.
I opted to use Penzey’s baking spice (a blend of cinnamon, mace, anise, and cardamom) instead.
I also used half white-wheat flour and half all-purpose, but feel free to use one hundred percent all-purpose if you prefer.
I think it would be tasty with half-oat flour (affiliate link) too.
How Many Calories and WW Points in Old-Fashioned Coffee Crumb Cake?
According to my calculations, each serving has 205 calories.
To see your WW Points for this recipe, track it in the WW App!
(You must be logged into WW on a smartphone or tablet.)
11 SmartPoints (Green plan)
11 SmartPoints (Blue plan)
11 SmartPoints (Purple plan)
6 PointsPlus (Old plan)
Not bad for such a tasty indulgence and less than half the fat and calories of Starbuck’s Cinnamon Coffee Cake which will set you back 380 calories, 15g fat and 16 WW Points!
Please note, this is an old-fashioned recipe that might not appeal to modern tastebuds. Check out the comments before deciding whether or not to make it!!!
Recipe Variations
I got these fun variation ideas from my old Betty Crocker (1978) cookbook…
Nutty Coffee Cake
Add 1/2 to 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans to the streusel crumb topping.
Blueberry Coffee Cake
Fold 1 to 2 cups blueberries into the batter.
Orange Coffee Cake
Substitute 1/2 cup orange juice for 1/2 cup of the ilk. Beat in 2 to 3 tablespoons grated orange peel.
Raisin Spice Coffee Cake
Beat in 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice and 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg and stir in 1/2 cup raisins.
Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake
Stir in 1 cup mini chocolate chips.
Peanut Butter and Jelly Coffee Cake
Substitute crunchy peanut butter for the margarine. After sprinkling with the remaining crumb topping, drop 1/4 cup grape jelly by teaspoonfuls onto the top.
Watch Stephanie Jaworski of JoyOfBaking.com make her own version of coffee cake:
Additional Thoughts About This Recipe
As a recipe geek, I’ve done a little more research into this recipe, mostly because of the comments received.
As I mentioned above, I loved this cake. So did everyone I served it to. But tastes are different. I don’t like really sweets that are too sweet!
I was more concerned about why this recipe seemed to work fine for me and some commenters, but was deemed a terrible fail for others.
Baking, of course, requires much more precision than cooking and can be tricky for many. Like most anything in life, baking takes practice to master and some of our greatest lessons come from our mistakes. It’s certainly been the case for me.
I have double checked the ingredient amounts and they are correct.
In fact, my digging helped me uncover that Bittman’s recipe, was very similar to the recipe for Streusel Coffee Cake in my old Betty Crocker cookbook (affiliate link), circa 1978.
He played with the sugar ratios between crumb and cake left out the nuts in the streusel 🙂 He also called upon an older approach to mixing the cake batter.
I have adjusted this back to what Betty suggested in 1978 – put everything in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer (affiliate link) for 2 minutes, which is much easier than what Bittman suggested.
This is definitely an old fashioned recipe that might not work for younger tastes.
If you like this quick and easy recipe for Grandma’s Coffee Crumb Cake, be sure to check out some of my other Weight Watchers friendly recipes including Simple Blueberry Crumb Cake, Slow Cooker Apple Cake, Easy Crock Pot Pumpkin Crumb Cake, Slow Cooker Cranberry Apple Cake and Mom’s Quick Lunch Box Cake
If you’ve made this Old-Fashioned Coffee Cake, please give the recipe a star rating below and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. And stay in touch on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.
Grandma’s Coffee Crumb Cake Recipe
Ingredients
For the Crumb Topping:
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
For the Coffee Cake:
- 1 cup white wheat flour (King Arthur)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 5 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1 egg
- 1 cup milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F degrees. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan (affiliate link).
- In a small bowl (affiliate link), blend the streusel crumb topping ingredients together, working the butter into the flour until well incorporated, and set aside.
- In large bowl with an electric mixer (affiliate link) on low speed, beat all flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, butter, egg and milk for 30 seconds.
- Increase the speed to medium and continue to beat, scraping down the sides of the bowl if necessary, until well blended.
- Spread half the batter into the prepared pan and spread half the crumb topping over it. Cover with the remaining batter and then the rest of the topping.
- Bake for about 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool on a wire rack for 15-20 minutes before serving.
Notes
(Must be logged into WW on a smartphone or tablet.) 11 SmartPoints (Green plan) 11 SmartPoints (Blue plan) 11 SmartPoints (Purple plan) 6 PointsPlus (Old plan) I got these fun variation ideas from my old Betty Crocker (1978) cookbook… Nutty Coffee Cake – Add 1/2 to 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans to the streusel crumb topping. Blueberry Coffee Cake – Fold 1 to 2 cups blueberries into the batter. Orange Coffee Cake – Substitute 1/2 cup orange juice for 1/2 cup of the ilk. Beat in 2 to 3 tablespoons grated orange peel. Raisin Spice Coffee Cake – Beat in 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice and 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg and stir in 1/2 cup raisins. Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake – Stir in 1 cup mini chocolate chips. Peanut Butter and Jelly Coffee Cake – Substitute crunchy peanut butter for the margarine. After sprinkling with the remaining crumb topping, drop 1/4 cup grape jelly by teaspoonfuls onto the top.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Source: adapted from How to Cook Everything: The Basics, by Mark Bittman and Betty Crocker circa 1978.
Hi just wondering why it’s call coffee crumb cake but no coffee goes into it. Where and how much coffee could be added please, as this would appeal of it tasted a little of coffee.
Hi Karen, thanks for the question. Here in the states, “coffee cakes” refer to sweet cakes that are often eaten for breakfast or with coffee. It doesn’t mean they actually contain the flavor of coffee. Sorry for the confusion.