The Retro Coffee Cake I’m Making Over and Over (There’s Nothing Like It)

There’s really no sugar-coating the fact that working as a substitute teacher is tough. I speak from experience, having served as a sub in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) for a number of years in the early 2000s. Back in the day, the phone would ring as early as 5:30 a.m. to notify me of the assignment and location for the day. I’d have to leap out of bed and rush to get ready to try and beat the notorious LA traffic. Oftentimes, that meant skipping breakfast and my morning coffee. 

Bleary-eyed from the early wake-up call and looking for some energy to get through the day, I would sometimes swing by the teacher’s cafeteria to grab the 50-cent cup of coffee. I hesitate to even use that word because it was essentially sad, brown water with a hint of caffeine. The dining options in the school cafeteria certainly left much to be desired. 

However, one particular morning, my eye spotted something that stood out from the rest of the pre-packaged options and looked homemade. It was a decadent square of coffee cake, adorned with a streusel topping and a light dusting of powdered sugar. I couldn’t help but give it a try. 

Sitting at my desk, I peeled away the plastic wrap, and the aroma of nutmeg immediately filled the windowless classroom. The coffeecake had a delightfully tender crumb, and I couldn’t wait to bite into the generous crumbles of cinnamon streusel. How could something this incredible come from the same cafeteria as the sad, brown water I was washing it all down with?

As it turns out, the LAUSD old fashioned coffee cake is legendary within the district. In fact, it has served students and staff since 1954. Countless alumni have fond memories of this cafeteria staple, and it remains on the menu to this day. At some point, the recipe started making the rounds online, and I was delighted to rediscover it. I had to give it a try to see if it tasted as good as I remembered.

How I Make the Famous LAUSD Old Fashioned Coffee Cake

To make the recipe, you combine all-purpose flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt, ground nutmeg, and oil. The original 1954 version uses outdated terms like bakers’ flour and salad oil, but all-purpose flour and vegetable or canola oil work great.

This combination forms pea-sized crumbs that go on to do double-duty. About 1/2 a cup is set aside and tossed with ground cinnamon to form the topping. The only part of the recipe I tweaked a little bit was the amount of crumbles I set aside for the topping—I made that a very generous, heaping 1/2 cup. I like a plentiful streusel, so I wanted a good amount to sprinkle all over the batter. 

The remainder is mixed with baking soda, baking powder, an egg, and buttermilk to create the batter. It goes into a 9x13-inch cake pan and the cinnamon topping is sprinkled on top. The whole thing is baked at 350°F for about 30 minutes. 

Why I Can’t Stop Thinking About This Coffee Cake

For me, what makes this recipe special is the nutmeg. It is such an incredible ingredient and yet so many recipes only call for such a small amount. Here it is a full teaspoon. It is that strong nutmeg flavor that immediately took me back and made me realize this recipe is the real deal. 

Taking a bite of this coffee cake after all these years immediately took me back to my early 20s, sitting in a humble classroom, savoring the last few minutes of quiet before the morning bell rang. I am happy those substitute teaching days are behind me now, but I am so glad to have tracked down this recipe. However, nowadays, I am excited to enjoy the classic LAUSD coffee cake with a bold, flavorful cup of coffee instead.