Coffee cake, that is.
At least, that’s what I’d call it. Kuchen is German for cake, and a streusel cake is, y’know, what we tend to have as coffee cake. Advertisements for streusel kuchen started showing up in American papers in the late 1910s and early 1920s.
Compare this recipe to the one from the December 13, 1939 edition of the La Crosse (Wisconsin) Tribune And Leader-Press:
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Holiday Recipe
By Mary Lamb Streusel Kuchen
1-1/2 cups milk, scalded Place hot milk, salt, and 2 Tablespoons sugar in mixing bowl, when lukewarm add crumbled yeast cake and 3 cups flour and beat thoroughly. When sponge is light (1 to 2 hours) add remaining sugar, shortening, and egg yolks. Gradually stir in remaining flour to make a soft dough. Turn out on floured board and knead until smooth and elastic. Place dough in greased bowl and brush with melted shortening. Cover and let rise until double in bulk. Knead and roll into oblong piece 1/2 inch thick and fit it in 2 greased square pans. Cover and let rise in warm place. Then brush with mixture of egg white and water, sprinkle with Streusel Topping: Bake in 375 degrees F. oven 20 or 26 minutes. Another streusel recipe: Mix sugar, flour and cinnamon together, blend in the melted butter and stir in the chopped nuts. Mix well and sprinkle over top of kuchen. |
Here’s a full-size version of the scan:
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From a box sold in Warminster, Pennsylvania.
Quick Streusel Kuchen
3/4 cup instant superfine sugar*
2 cups sifted all purpose flour
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup all purpose cooking oil
2-1/4 teaspoon double acting baking powder
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 teaspoons salt
Sift dry ingredients together. Combine remaining ingredients. Stir liquid; blend into dry ingredients, working quickly.
Turn into greased 9-inch pan (square).
* Granulated sugar can be used, but don’t give a fine grain to cake.
Topping
Combine:
1/3 cup light brown sugar
3 Tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Blend in 2 Tablespoons soft butter. Spoon over batter.
Bake at 400 deg., 25 to 30 minutes.
I make topping first so it’s ready to put right on top.
This is so lovely! I’ve been looking for my grandmother’s recipe for coffee cake for a while now and I think this is the closest I’ve seen anything come to her’s. She was Pennsylvania Dutch, and all the “coffee cake” recipes I’ve been seeing just haven’t been right. Thank you so much for finding this gem! I’m excited to try it out and see how close it comes to what I remember of her original.