Grandma Anderson's Coffee Cake

For the first time Dad and I are going to Worthington without you. It is bound to seem very strange. I'm sure you will be fine. But we are not used to being there without you. Grandma keeps asking if "you'll be coming after all". We will be staying with Grandpa & Grandma. You and the Tonn's will not be there to entertain us. This could be interesting!

There are some pretty predictable things that most trips to Worthington include. We will talk about baseball. We will be going out to the Stude farm, Curt and Nancy are building a new house. We will go to Indian Lake Baptist for Sunday church. Dad and I will do some walking (or in Dad's case, running) around town. Dad hopes to get back to that little Mexican bakery and I will try in vain to find a Tazo chai latte. We plan to take G&G out for dinner somewhere, Grandma has a new/old place in mind. We will spend a lot of time watching Grandpa work the remote, I'm bringing 2 books and 4 magazines. I'm sure they will have saved a stack of newspapers for Dad to read so he better bring his glasses! There might be some drives in the country or to see some changes in town. But the one thing we can count on is food, food, and more food!

Grandma is big on feeding everyone until they are stuffed, and then feeding them again, and again, and again. Don't get me wrong, she is a very good cook. And, she certainly can feed a crowd! She is just really bad at estimating what a normal stomach can hold in a day. Grandma often is heard to say "There is not enough left to save, someone needs to eat it up"! So, trust me, we will be eating, a lot!

One of Grandma's classic creations is her coffee cake. This moist, lightly spiced cake, which is really more of a dessert, appears at the breakfast table on most of our visits. It is a favorite of Uncle Dwight's, so she always has it on hand when he is in town. It's very comforting to have a big slice of the cinnamon-y pastry when the family is all gathered for Anderson Christmas. It has become a tradition for us overnight guests.

Now, I have never baked it myself but I do have her recipe, so it's time to share it with you. Enjoy a big slice! Or two. Or three. Someone needs to eat it up!

Grandma Anderson's Coffee Cake

1 pkg yellow cake mix

1 pkg instant vanilla pudding

3/4 cup oil

3/4 cup water

4 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

Combine and beat for 8 minutes.

Topping:

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

chopped nuts, if desired

Grease sides and bottom of a 9 X 13 cake pan or angel food pan. Pour in half of the batter and sprinkle with half of the topping. Cover with the remaining batter and sprinkle with the rest of the topping. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.