An Old-Fashioned Kaffee Klatsch

by Ilona Erwin | Recipes, Sharing Meals

Hungarian Coffee Cake for an Old-Fashioned Kaffee Klatsch

Retro ladies coffee party

The next time you need to schedule a meeting with co-workers or friends, why not make it more of a friendly and inviting spread of some coffee and coffee cake? Ambiance can increase the feeling of cooperation and make those invited to the table feel more appreciated.

Perhaps use this theme to make a get-together more welcoming and a bit different from the usual. Make sure you have some retro-style décor and serving utensils.

The Kaffee Klatsch

Coffee klatsch explained

A kaffee klatsch (also spelled kaffeeklatsch and coffee klatch) is an informal social gathering for coffee and conversation.

Remember those early morning get-togethers? We once invited friends and neighbors over for some freshly made coffee and an easy-to-make cake, sharing thoughts and what was going on in our lives.

So, what happened to those?

Basically, I suppose the mass migration into the workforce, followed by the opening of the ubiquitous Starbucks and other coffee shops replaced our humble kitchen tables.

The Plus Side: Easy Recipes, Better Ingredients

Still, some of the recipes for those yummy coffee cakes are still popular today because they are quick and easy. Who wants to bake something complicated when they come home from work or on a weekend packed with long “to-do” lists?

No worries, most of these simple cakes are flavorful and take a short time to whip up. Better to make dessert and breakfast breads at home without the preservatives, etc. Plus, homebaked always tastes better.

You might even be inspired to hold a Saturday kaffe klatsch or two.

Hungarian Baking

There are millions of recipes out there for just such a coffee cake, but my Hungarian grandmother made some that I would like to pass on to you. This one is simple, the people in her Bible study liked it, and it has what we Magyars just love: lots of dairy and nuts.

Hungarians have great reputations for their food, and especially for baked goods. Hungarian recipes often incorporate sour cream and nuts, and this recipe is no exception.

Baking with old fashioned hospitality

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Cook Time

Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Ready in: 1 hour

Yields: 6 servings

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 1/4 pound butter
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 pint sour cream
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp. vanilla

For the topping:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup nuts, chopped
• 1 tsp. cinnamon

Instructions

1. Cream the butter and sugar together.
2. Add the beaten eggs and vanilla.
3. Sift the dry ingredients together and add alternately with sour cream to the butter-sugar-egg mixture (about 3 additions of each).
4. Pour half of the batter into a greased and floured pan. Add half of the topping mixture. Then add the remaining batter on top of that, followed by the rest of the topping.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

Coffee, coffee cake, and friends make a fun get-together in your kitchen or at a park.

What Does Klatsch Mean?

The German word klatsch meant gossip, which was the point of the conversation time, catching up on all the news. Much more fun than gathering around a water cooler.

There is something warm and friendly about sharing a bit of food together—it is an ancient custom that we seem to have lost.

Coffee Breaks

I was curious about whatever had happened to the idea of coffee breaks here in the United States. While I work from home, my grown children have entered the workforce and one thing I notice is how easily their employers constrict or ignore breaks. This even happen happens for those who work remotely at times.

No time for even a cup of coffee!

While no one is sure how the idea originated, it seems to have become a part of the workplace after the Industrial Revolution and before unions were common. I found some interesting trivia.

• “Give yourself a Coffee-Break and Get What Coffee Gives You.“This tagline was created in 1952 as a Pan-American Coffee Bureau ad campaign.
• Stoughton, Wisconsin, claims to be the birthplace of the coffee break.
• One of the first companies to offer coffee breaks in the workday was the Barcolo Manufacturing Company of Buffalo, New York. Their coffee break became known as the “Barcalounger.” They started this custom in 1902.

I believe the term kaffee klatsch coincided with that time. It was a term coined by the Germans, and in common use in the early 20th century. It had several spellings, including coffee klatch and kaffeeklatsch.

They all pretty much described the same cultural social gathering.

I think it would be fun to revive this type of gathering, although would people relax enough? Would anyone take time from their busy schedules to simply get together with friends at their own home with a homebaked coffee cake?

It seems we hardly have time to sit down to dinner with our family members.

Yet, I can’t help but feel that we would benefit from more social interaction that slows us down a bit, that creates a space for physical face-to-face conversations.

I hope you try out this recipe, and moreover, that you present it with a flourish of hospitality. Invite some friends to have coffee … at your house.

coffee klatsch

“The etiquette of the Coffee Klatch consists mainly of being glad you have friends to share your coffee cakes with. On a large tray, place coffee pot, cups, creamer and sugar bowl, enough small plates and small napkins. Light your living room fire and put the tray on a small table near it. Draw as many comfortable chairs as you have guests around the coffee table and then snuggle down for a grand afternoon. ”
Every Week Magazine, 1933

More Hungarian Baking

• Mamas Hungarian Cooking: Lemon Kossuth Cookies
  My mother is 100% Hungarian, and Hungarians love to bake. She often made all kinds of special goodies, but this cookie was one her of favorites. It has a sponge texture and a light lemony taste.
• Hungarian Baking: Apple Filled, Sour Cream Bundt Cake is perfectly suited to serving anytime, including a neighborly Kaffee Klatsch.