Tuesday Cuppa Tea, December Musings, Pumpkin Streusel Coffeecake

Hello and welcome to Tuesday Cuppa Tea. 

December is beginning to look and smell like Christmas around here!

My Welcome sign I painted years ago is up by the door and it is definitely looking like Christmas!

My Christmas postcard for December 11th...

And Christmas proper is certainly waiting in the wings!

And Happy Hanukkah to my Jewish friends, which starts 
Tuesday, Dec. 12th...

So let's have tea!

We had a tea time in the sunroom in a brief flash of sun between fogs...and we had my year round favorite green tea Candy Cane Lane by Celestial Seasonings. I buy a case at this time of year and use it all year. We try to have a cup of green tea a day, and this is delicious!  

Will share more holiday teas next week...

I am having it with the classic and ever popular Christmas Tree pattern teacup from Spode, England....always good sellers this time of year in my webstore Antiques And Teacups.

Christmas Tree was developed by Spode...then Copeland Spode...in 1938, and has been a best seller since then.  

It is still being made, but no longer in England. It is just so homey!

I paired it today with some macarons from our favorite organic bakery, and the folded ribbon pinecone I made years ago that I love.  They are so easy, and so versatile.

As it ihas been a bit of a strange December so far, with my husband not being well...but recuperating now...woohoo! I have had some times needing just a sit and a read and a cup of tea, and the illustrations in the Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady are always so lovely....

Besides her drawings and diary of everyday occurrences she shares poetry, mottoes and some humorous observations as well. 

The Christmas wreath is on the door...December is definitely here!

Pumpkin is still around here...And this week I made a Pumpkin Streusel Coffeecake...

I found the recipe on the King Arthur Flour website...

Pumpkin Streusel Coffeecake

AT A GLANCE

PREP

20 mins. to 30 mins.

BAKE

40 mins. to 45 mins.

TOTAL

60 mins. to 1 hrs 15 mins.

YIELD

about 12 servings

Topping

• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• pinch of salt
• 2/3 cup King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans, optional
• 4 tablespoons melted butter

Filling

• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder, optional

Cake

• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup pumpkin purée (canned pumpkin)
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, or 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon plus 1/4 teaspoon each ground ginger and nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 8" square pan or 9" round pan.
2. To make the topping: Whisk together the sugar, salt, flour, spice, and nuts. Add the melted butter, stirring just until well combined. Set the topping aside.
3. To make the filling: Mix together the brown sugar, spice, and cocoa powder. Note that the cocoa powder is used strictly for color, not flavor; leave it out if you like. Set it aside.
4. To make the cake: Beat together the oil, eggs, sugar, pumpkin, spices, salt, and baking powder until smooth.
5. Add the flour, stirring just until smooth.
6. Pour/spread half the batter into the prepared pan, spreading it all the way to the edges. If you have a scale, half the batter is about 13 1/2 ounces.
7. Sprinkle the filling evenly atop the batter.
8. Spread the remaining batter atop the filling. Use a table knife to gently swirl the filling into the batter, as though you were making a marble cake. Don't combine filling and batter thoroughly; just swirl the filling through the batter.
9. Sprinkle the topping over the batter in the pan.
10. Bake the cake until it's light brown on top, and a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40 to 45 minutes.
11. Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool for 20 minutes before cutting and serving. Serve the cake right from the pan.

Tips from our bakers

• For a less sweet streusel, reduce the amount of granulated sugar in the topping to 1/3 cup.

We enjoyed it, and it certainly didn't last long!

Thanks so much for joining me for tea!  I will be joining:

 Tea Cup Tuesday 
 Bernideen’s Teatime, Cottage and Garden
Home Sweet Home

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