Makes 1,  8 or 9 inch coffee cake

This German coffee cake is rich in flavor, sporting as it does, nuts, dates, raisins and allspice.  It is made even richer by a good dark German beer and a streusel topping.  Served warm with fresh, strong hot coffee this is an excellent way to begin a relaxed Sunday morning.

2 cups sugar

1 cup, (2 sticks, 1/2 pound) butter or margarine

2 tablespoons dark molasses

2 eggs

3 cups all purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

1 cup dark raisins

1 cup pitted and chopped dates

About 2 cups of beer *

About 2 cups of Streusel Topping

Bakers Syrup

Preheat oven to 350°.  Prepare an 8 or 9-inch spring form pan with non stick spray.  Cream the sugar and butter together until the mixture is light and fluffy.  Cream in the molasses and then blend in the eggs, one at a time until well mixed.  Set aside.

Sift all dry ingredients together into a large bowl.  Add the nuts, raisins and dates and toss about to coat all the fruit evenly.  This will keep the sticky fruit from sticking together in clumps in the cake.  Add the butter and sugar mixture and the beer to the dry mixture and mix just enough to moisten all the dry ingredients.  Over mixing will produce a tough textured cake.  Pour the batter into the prepared spring form pan.  Sprinkle the streusel topping over the top.  Bake in the middle of the pre heated oven for about an hour or until a slim bamboo skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.  Sprinkle liberally with warm bakers syrup.  Allow to cool for at least five minutes before slicing. 

* Please, not Bud or Coors.  This calls for a rich, dark German beer. If you can’t find a dark German beer use Guinness, but NOT the new stuff called “draft.”  Make sure you get the original Guinness Stout.