Ultimate Coffee Cake

In my family, on your birthday, you get the dinner and cake that you choose. Over the years, the cake concept has been morphed to include pie, coffee cakes, cupcakes, etc. Basically, you get your choice for dinner and dessert.

Every year my mother asks my father what he wants for his birthday dinner and what kind of cake he wants. Every year, he requests Spaghetti and Meatballs for dinner and Coffee Cake for dessert. Every year she says, "No. I am not making that." You see, my mother hates Spaghetti and Meatballs and does not feel that Coffee Cake is appropriate. If my brother or I had made these requests, she would have made them both without even a second thought. My father, however, is not entitled to his choice because my mother hates to cook and feels that he should choose a cake that she would like.

I know, I know. They have been married for 43 years. Somehow they have an understanding. I don't get it, but it works for them.

My father's birthday is coming up and this is the cake he always requests for his birthday cake. So again this year I will override my mother and make it for him anyway.

This cake is a MEAL! It is a huge cake and keeps beautifully. If you don't like pecans, use walnuts. If you don't want the nuts at all (Mr. Smith hates nuts in all foods) leave them out. It has the perfect streusel to cake ratio, in my opinion. Too many recipes are too stingy with the good stuff and this one could never be accused of THAT!

NOTE: The baking time, for me, was not enough, so you may need to tack on some extra baking time for the tester to come out clean.

Just put on your eating clothes and wait for it to call to you from the kitchen. Because it will. And you will have to listen. Just because sometimes when the Sour Cream-Orange Coffee Cake with Chocolate-Pecan Streusel calls, you have to take the call!