This is it – your new go-to coffee cake recipe, and trust me on this: your cast iron skillet will be so thrilled to be pulled out from the dark recesses of your pots and pans cabinet.

Last week at staff meeting, I wanted to have a yummy treat to celebrate Blue
Willow’s 15th anniversary (be sure to congratulate Valerie when you come in
this week!), and what better way than from the Homesick Texan cookbook -
especially since Homesick Texan, Lisa Fain came to Blue Willow when she was
younger – back when it was still Musabelle’s. And did I mention that she’s
coming to Blue Willow on Wednesday, October 26th at 7:00 pm?

Sweet Pecans

The great possibility that you already have all the ingredients on hand is
one reason why this recipe for Pecan Coffee Cake needs to be in your
repertoire – and also that it is just such the very perfection of all we
crave: pecans, butter, cinnamon, brown sugar – what’s not to love?  Even
better is that Lisa talks about how Maurice Sendak’s, In the Night Kitchen
was her mother’s inspiration for naming it Mickey Cake.  Tell me that that
little story doesn’t make a bookseller’s heart sigh.

Mixing The Batter

So let’s get started.  There are three easy-to-assemble layers: for the bottom layer, melt a half a stick of unsalted butter, then take the skillet off the heat and mix together the pecans, cinnamon, and brown sugar and sprinkle this over the pecans.  Next mix up the batter: flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, an egg, milk, oil and vanilla is all it takes.  Pour this mixture over the pecans.

Layers of deliciousness

Now for the last layer: mix together the other half of that stick of butter, a bit of flour, some more brown sugar and cinnamon.  Sprinkle this over the batter, pop it in the oven for 20 minutes and be ready to have everyone at your door, fork in hand, ready to eat the biggest slice you’re willing to share.

Empty Plates

I have to confess that I got so distracted by enjoying my own slice of
heavenly goodness at staff meeting, that I completely forgot to take a
picture of everyone else – now all that’s left are the empty plates and a
few crumbs.

One happy customer wondered if there was a bit of cayenne in the recipe,
which there is not, but it got us to wondering if there are subtle hints of
everything scrumptious that have ever been made in the skillet baked right
into the cake. Doesn’t that put a little smile on your face thinking of all
those years of cooking, all that love, all those memories being infused into
every delicious bite? — Martha