And you thought coffee was addictive . . .

. . . wait until you try this coffee cake! I wanted to use up some buttermilk that was going to expire, so I came up with this moist and fluffy morning treat. We cannot stop eating it - morning, noon, and night! The buttermilk adds just the lightest touch of tangy flavor to the delicate cake, and the toasty spiced nuts that make up the topping are just delicious.

Buttermilk Coffee Cake
Inspired by a recipe from AllRecipes.com

For the cake:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 egg lightly beaten
1 1/4 cup buttermilk

For the topping:
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons butter, chilled

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan and set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix flour, sugar, oil, salt, and baking soda until there are no lumps. Remove 1/2 cup of this mixture and set it aside.

To the remaining flour mixture, add the egg and buttermilk, stirring until JUST combined - it's okay if it's a bit lumpy. Spread your batter evenly in the prepared pan.

In a small bowl, combine the 1/2 cup of the flour mixture that you set aside with the nuts, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg, mixing well. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the batter. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Sprinkle the top lightly with powdered sugar, if desired. Serve for breakfast with a fresh cup of hot coffee!