Do you have a favorite food that has been in the family since you can remember? Just the thought of it stirs up happy memories? Aunt Lydia’s coffee cake was my mother-in-laws signature dessert. Hazel served it at every backyard barbecue, and get-together, which in her family, happened frequently.Grateful Prayer Thankful Heart is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. We will only recommend products we use, love or think are informative and helpful.
Long ago
Hazel and her seven siblings were raised in a farmhouse at the top of the hill by Elsie and Ed.
From Top left: Irene, Hazel, Elsie, Ted, twins Walter and Warren, Ernie and Fred.
Hazel and Jack in front of the house she and her siblings grew up in.
Importance of Family
Hazel would be at her Amana Microwave (she was one of the first to own a microwave oven) cooking the bacon for her doctored Campbell Soup beans.
Many years later, after Hazel passed away, Aunt Irene (Hazel’s sister) sent me a letter. She knew I would love to have a copy of Hazel’s special Aunt Lydia’s coffee cake recipe and hand wrote it out for me.
Aunt Lydia’s Coffee Cake Recipe
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 1 pkg. instant vanilla pudding mix
- 3/4 cup water
- 3/4 cup salad oil
- 4 eggs at room temperature
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1 tsp. butter flavoring (optional)TOPPING INGREDIENTS:
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 tsps. cinnamon
- 1 cup chopped pecans (optional)GLAZEmix 1 cup powdered sugar, 1/4 tsp vanilla and 1/2 tsp butter flavor
and a little cream to desired consistency
DIRECTIONS:In large bowl, place cake mix, pudding mix, water and oil. Stir to blend. (I use a mixer)
Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla and butter flavoring if using. (I do not use the butter flavoring)In separate bowl, mix brown sugar, cinnamon and chopped nuts. Grease and sprinkle on Bundt pan or a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Place 1/4 cup pecan mixture on the bottom of pan. Alternate batter with pecan mixture ending with batter.
Bake 1 hour (check after 45-50 minutes). Remove from oven and invert onto a cake plate immediately.Drizzle glaze over top of slightly warm cake.
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Beautiful family. And your story is as sweet as aunt Lydia's Coffee Cake!
Your mother-in-law Hazel sounds like she was a great woman and a good cook too! 🙂
What a gorgeous coffee cake. Family recipes really are wonderful! Can't wait to hear the story about the two sets of twins!
Thanks for sharing such a lovely history and such a cherished recipe. Can't wait to mix this up for my family.
Oh, what a great story. It makes a recipe so much sweeter.
I'd love for you to share this recipe on my weekly link-up, Sweet Tooth Friday. I hope to see you there. https://alli-n-son.com/2011/05/05/homemade-coffee-creamer/https://alli-n-son.com/2011/05/05/homemade-coffee-creamer/
What a neat post, and wow, stunning looking coffee cake. I love all the old photos, and love reading all about your family. Have a great weekend.
🙂
ButterYum
Remembering Mom! Luv, John
I loved the story…….the cake looks wonderful:) Happy Mother's Day:)
Hazel and Jack look so sweet and happy in that picture. They must have made a lovely couple. The cake looks and sounds delicious and I want to try it. No pecans in my house! I will have to wait until a visit to the store. Hope your day is a beautiful one!
Family recipes are the best.
I love the photo of Hazel and Jack. They look so happy.
Dear Lorraine,
I was named after my Aunt Lorraine ! When I was a little girl we lived in Glendora, NJ, which is in Camden County. My family is from Philadelphia (I lived in Philly for a while too). I am a born again Christian, where do you go to church? Well, I will follow your blog now!
Love, Lorraine !!
Ohhh this sounds wonderful and ingredients I have in my pantry and icebox regularly !Mahalo a nui loa
I really enjoyed the pictures and the stories, and the coffee cake looks so good! Family recipes are such treasures, aren't they! 🙂
What a beautiful post…they look so nice! And your cake sounds yummy.
Isn't that the sweetest photo at the top of all the kids…so lovely! and that cake, I'd truly like a piece of that; it looks delicious. I have been craving sweets all day long and luckily one of my students brought me two chocolate chip peanut butter cookies today 🙂 Perfect!
Your Aunt's cake looks fabulous, especially with the glaze! Love this one!
I love coffee cake and that one looks delicious.
What a wonderful family story.
Wonderful! I love that you have a handwritten copy of the recipe. That's priceless!
What a great story! Can't wait to hear about the little boy who became your sil!
The cake looks delicious!
I recently found a recipe similar to this one. Mine didn't call for the pudding though. I swear I could have taken a fork and eaten half of it, it was so good.
I so enjoy the recipes you post on your blog.
The coffee cake looks delicious. Think I might just have to try it for Saturday breafast. Enjoyed the photos. Thanks for sharing the recipe
What a lovely story and great pictures. I find it interesting that this special cake uses boxed cake mixes, but I guess it is 'of it's time'.
Such a sweet tribute to Hazel and thank you for sharing the recipe!
How precious that you have Hazel's recipe. I really enjoyed the family history and old photos. I think I can make this recipe – it sounds wonderful. Thank you.