Whole Grain Coffeecake with Oat Streusel

I love to bake on the weekends - especially when I am up before everyone else in the house and I can greet them with breakfast.  This coffeecake is moist and rich, but made with nourishing buckwheat and sprouted wheat flours.  The slightly nutty-tasting flours are a wonderful match to cinnamon, and the oatmeal streusel topping is crumbly and scrumptious.  Eat as much as you can with a cup of coffee in peace before the sleepy-eyed hoard descends upon your kitchen.

Serves a hungry household with house guests or a gaggle of grumpy, hungry office-mates. (Meaning, about 18 generous pieces.)

For the Streusel Topping:

1 cup granulated cane sugar

1/2 cup oat flour

1/2 cup rolled oats

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

pinch fine kosher salt

For the Filling:

1 cup dark brown sugar

2 tablespoons cinnamon

For the cake:

3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 teaspoon fine salt

1 1/2 cups cane sugar

1/3 cup light brown sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 large eggs

2 cups whole buttermilk

2 cups sprouted wheat flour

scant 2 cups buckwheat flour

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. Lightly grease a 9" x 13" cake pan.

3. Topping:  In a small bowl, mix together all of the streusel topping ingredients.  Set aside.

4.  Filling:  In another bowl, toss together the filling ingredients until well combined.  Set aside.

5.  Cake:  In a large bowl, beat together the butter, salt, brown sugar, cane sugar, baking powder, and vanilla until smooth.  Beat in the eggs one at a time.

6.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the buckwheat and sprouted wheat flours.  

7.  Add the flour mixture to the butter/eggs mixture alternatively with the buttermilk and mix well until all ingredients are combined and you have a smooth batter.  (Be careful not to overbeat - you don't want bubbles!)

8.  Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan and use a spatula to spread evenly across the bottom of the pan.  Sprinkle the filling evenly across the batter.  Pour the rest of the batter evenly across the filling and spread to cover evenly.  Sprinkle the topping all over the top of the batter.

9.  Place cake on the center rack of the pre-heated oven and back for 55-60 minutes, until the cake is a nice medium brown and a toothpick or butterknife to the center comes out clean.  Serve warm with coffee or a glass of cold milk.