Sourdough Coffee Cake

Here is another recipe using my sourdough starter. I have somehow managed to not kill it yet, as shocking as that is. This is a delicious recipe, but sourdough takes a little extra effort. Nonetheless, here it is and if you happen to have some sourdough and are looking for recipes that are a little different, I would definitely suggest this one.

Although this is a more complicated recipe for a coffee cake (given that you have to deal with the starter), it is actually a really easy recipe for sourdough.  Once you have the starter, you don't need to let it rise.  Just mix all the ingredients together.  You use a little baking soda to speed up the process.  It is a great way to use leftover starter when you feed it, rather than just discarding it.

I have to admit, the best part of coffee cake (any coffee cake) is the streusel topping.  Like the muffin tops on Seinfeld I think if you could figure out a way to make a cake that was entirely streusel topping you would be rich.  I prefer to have nuts in mine so I modified the recipe a bit and I added oats instead of flour to make it a bit thicker.  But really, with butter, sugar and cinnamon you can't go wrong.

Sourdough Coffee Cake

CAKE
1 cup fed sourdough starter (see note)
1/3 cup oil
1 egg
1 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 tsp cloves
TOPPING
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup oats
1/2 tsp cinnamon
NOTE: Empty all of your starter into a bowl and mix with flour and water with 1 part starter, 1 part flour and 1 part water. Loosely cover and let sit until it is bubbly about an hour (maybe more). Take 1 cup to use in the cake. Clean out your starter container and put the rest of the fed starter in it for next time.
1. Place starter in a large bowl.  Add all remaining ingredients for the cake and stir until blended.
2. Butter an 8-inch round cake pan (or an 8 or 9-inch square pan).  Pour batter into pan.
3. Mix all topping ingredients in a small bowl until they form crumbs.  Sprinkle crumbs over top of cake.
4. Cook in a 375°F oven for about 35 minutes.

Adapted from About.com

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