Breakfast Treat's Good All Day

Old-fashioned coffeecakes are sweet, rich and crumbly. Most have a mixture of cinnamon and chopped nuts in the batter or used as a topping. Sour cream is often a key ingredient, too. And just as the name indicates, coffeecakes nicely complement a cup of coffee. But that's not all, folks! Michael Mercado likes his coffeecake served warm alongside a big glass of very cold milk, while Chili Joe Wnuk recommends eating the cake late at night accompanied by a cup of tea. "Sometimes I put the cake in the micro and then top it with vanilla ice cream," Wnuk says.

Guest panelist Dan McAfee thinks coffeecakes are "a great way to dress up a brunch and make it special." Adds Jackie Fox: "A coffeecake is perfect to take to the office or to a bereaved family. It serves a lot of voids and is universally loved." We tasted coffeecakes from six sources. Kim Moore thought they were all "fabulous," while guest panelist Prudence Cole said she was surprised to find so many distinct differences between them.

In a very close contest, the panel gave the highest grades to the sample from Breadsmith. Unlike the other samples, Breadsmith cakes contain buttermilk instead of sour cream.

Judith Harris Solomon is a Metro Detroit freelance writer. If you would like to be a guest panelist or have a suggestion for a product to test, contact her at judyfreelance @aol.com.

Tasting results In a blind tasting, The Detroit News Taste Panel rated the following coffee cakes on taste, texture and appearance on a scale of 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent).

1. Breadsmith Coffee Cake (Breadsmith: Bloomfield Hills, Grosse Pointe Woods and Livonia locations only) Average score: 4.4 Price: $2.70 per 4-inch cake; $7.99 per 9-inch cake Comments: Wonderfully moist and delicious. Very pleasant flavor. Not too sweet or too nutty just right. Gorgeous appearance. Excellent texture and appearance. Generous chunks of walnuts. Too much cinnamon for me.

2. (TIE) Stan's Deli Sour Cream Coffee Cake (Stan's Deli, 32906 Woodward Ave., Royal Oak, 248-549-3663) Average score: 4.3 Price: 2.75 per slice; $14 per 10-inch cake Comments: Exceptional appearance. Very good taste. Great cinnamon flavor. Perfect balance of cinnamon to cake. Great moisture. Just the right amount of sweetness. Good nutty flavor.

2. (TIE) Zingerman's Sour Cream Coffeecake (Zingerman's Bakehouse: 3711 Plaza Drive, Ann Arbor, 734-761-2095) Average score: 4.3 Price: $2.95 per slice; $12.95 per 6-inch cake Comments: Excellent taste. Very satisfying texture. Almost a shortcake texture. Reminds me of a pound cake. Very buttery. Nice sweet flavor. A bit too sweet. Loaded with nuts. A little dry.

4. Papa Joe's Sour Cream Coffee Cake (Papa Joe's Gourmet Market: Birmingham and Rochester Hills) Average score: 4.2 Price: $9.95 per 7-inch cake; $!4.95 per 10-inch cake Comments: Beautiful molded exterior. Delicious flavor and texture. Super moist. Great topping. Good well-rounded flavor. The nuts are an excellent addition. A bit too rich if there is such a thing.

5. Deli Unique Sour Cream Coffee Cake (Deli Unique: West Bloomfield and Bloomfield Hills) Average score: 3.9 Price: $2.79 per slice; $14.95 per 12-inch cake Comments: Good flavor. Good taste. The texture is very close to a pound cake. The flavors are deliciously balanced. Moist but not real moist. Very crumbly. A bit dry.

6. Starbuck's Low Fat Cinnamon Coffee Cake (Starbucks: multiple locations) Average score: 3.8 Price: $1.95 per slice Comments: Good! Nice flavor. Extremely moist and buttery. Good consistency. Strong vanilla taste. Good fresh cinnamon flavor. Very, very sweet tastes a bit fruity. If I had known it was low-fat when I tasted it, I would have rated it higher.

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