When I was at school, my favorite snack was a cinnamon cake called Cowboy Bread. (I have no idea why.) I never forgot how tasty it was. So, once the internet became a thing, I googled it to find the recipe. Of course, nothing is ever that easy. I found multiple recipes for Cowboy Bread, with slight variations. One of them was an actual bread. Sadly, none of them matched my memory of this scrumptious cake. I finally ended up creating my own version.
NOTE: Both chilled ingredients (the buttermilk and egg) should be at room temperature. I used to ignore this instruction in recipes, but it really makes a difference in baked good! You’ll get a better rise from your cake.
COWBOY BREAD:
- 323g (2.5 cups) AP flour
- 209g (1 cup) packed brown sugar (I prefer light)
- 105g (1/2 cup + 1 T) granulated sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 3/4 tsp nutmeg
- 2 tsp cinnamon + 1/4 tsp, DIVIDED
- 3/4 tsp cardamom
- 162g (3/4 cup) vegetable oil
- 250g (1 cup) buttermilk, room temperature
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
PREHEAT OVEN TO 350°F (180°F)
Into a large mixing bowl, put the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt, nutmeg, 2 tsp cinnamon, 3/4 tsp cardamom, and vegetable oil. Mix by hand – it will become crumbly. (I like to use a pastry cutter.)
Remove 89g (1/2 cup) of flour mixture and place into a small bowl. Add in the remaining 1/4 tsp cinnamon and gently stir. Set aside – this will become the topping.
Beat the egg with a fork in a small bowl
Into the large mixing bowl with the flour (not the small bowl set aside with the topping) add the egg, buttermilk, baking soda, and baking powder. Mix by hand just until the flour is incorporated. (Don’t over mix or the cake will be tougher)
Pour batter into a greased and floured 9″ x 13″ (7.5cm x 36cm ) metal pan. Tilt the pan around to even the batter level.
Sprinkle the topping on top of batter as evenly as you can.
Bake in 350°F (180°C) oven, rack in the middle position, for 25- 30 minutes. (Mine takes 25 minutes.) It’s a little difficult to tell doneness when there’s a topping. Look for browning around the edges. Also, you can carefully bring the cake near your ear and listen for a bubble popping sound. If you hear that, put it back in the oven another minute or so and check again.
When done, remove from oven. Cool completely before slicing.
My introduction to Morovian Sugar Cake was a little bittersweet.
Add in 84g (6 T) butter and eggs. Process to blend.
With machine running, pour in the proofed yeast water. 
Add 400g (3½ cups) to processor and blend. Add flour 25g (¼ cup) at a time, processing after each, until dough starts pulling away from sides of the work bowl. Stop adding flour, and run machine another 30 seconds to knead the dough. Empty dough onto a floured surface and knead a few times to bring together. 
After dough has risen, create pockets with your fingertip, the handle of a wooden spoon, or something else that’s about 1/2″ diameter.
Sprinkle the sugar topping over the entire cake. Drizzle the remaining 84g (6 T) melted butter over all. 
Bake at 350º F for about 20 minutes, until golden brown. 
Cool at least 5 minutes before serving.
My mother used to love to buy lady’s club cookbooks. You know the ones – they’re made up of the members favorite recipes. Once I left home, she would buy them for me, too. This was years before the internet. Back then, we had to rely on cookbooks, magazines, and recipes passed on from friends and family.
Using a pastry brush, paint flour/butter thoroughly on bundt pan – getting into all the crevices. 
In an electric mixer, cream together 1/2 cup butter and granulated sugar for 3 minutes (don’t cut this time short).
Beat in eggs and vanilla. 
In a separate bowl, combine the 2 cups of flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
On low speed of mixer, beat in 1/2 of sour cream (don’t worry about being exact). 
Beat in 1/2 of flour mixture, then beat in remaining sour cream, followed by remaining flour. Stir in chocolate chips. (The picture below shows vanilla being added now – I forgot to add it earlier with the eggs.)
In a separate bowl, combine brown sugar, powdered sugar, walnuts, and cinnamon. 
Spoon half of batter on bottom of bundt pan, gently spreading it out evenly. I find it easiest to scoop the batter into the bundt pan using a 3 T ice cream scoop, then gently spread the batter evenly around. 
Sprinkle on half of brown sugar mixture, then spoon on remaining batter, spreading it evenly. Finally, sprinkle on remaining brown sugar mixture. 
Bake at 350º F for 45-60 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean (it’s okay for there to be chocolate from the chips).
When done, remove from oven and let cake sit in pan for 20 minutes before removing to a wire rack to completely cool. 
Sprinkle on powdered sugar, if desired.
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