Old Los Angeles High School Coffeecake (1959)

By: Rose Dosti, L.A. Times, Culinary SOS, in response to, "If I were dying, I would want the coffeecake served in the junior and senior high schools in Los Angeles as my last meal. Do you, by chance, have the recipe?" Rose responded, "Our sentiments exactly. Here's the recipe as provided by the Los Angeles Unified School District archives. As a matter of record, the sour cream coffee cake has been served in city school cafeteria's since 1959."

Ingredients

Cake

• 1 1/2 cups cake flour
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup sour cream

Topping

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup butter

Instructions

1. Mix together flour, sugar, salt and nuts.
2. Add butter in small pieces. Rub in with fingers until mixture is crumbly. Be careful not to over-mix.
3. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
4. All ingredients should be at room temperature.
5. In a bowl mix together flours, baking soda and baking powder.
6. In another bowl cream together butter with sugar until fluffy and light.
7. Add egg and vanilla extract and mix well.
8. Add half of dry ingredients, mixing just until flour is blended.
9. Blend in sour cream, then remaining dry ingredients.
10. Spread half of batter into a greased and floured* 10 inch tube pan.
11. Sprinkle with half of Topping and spread with remaining batter, then with remaining Topping.
12. Bake for 45 minutes.
13. Remove from oven and let sit to cool slightly.
14. Remove from pan onto serving platter and cool completely.

Notes

* For best results, use our Pan Release!

Attribution

Los Angeles Times food section