Shoofly Coffee Cake

(10 servings)

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 and 1/3 cups sour cream
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup butter - softened
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup light molasses
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (pecans are great too if you prefer)
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a separate medium bowl, mix together the butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla and molasses until you get a consistency of wet sand. It works best if you get down and dirty and mix with your fingers.

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir. Add sour cream and beat until smooth.

In a separate small bowl, mix brown sugar with walnuts and cinnamon.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare a 10 inch coffee cake pan with a thin coating of cooking spray and a light sprinkling of flour. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the nut mixture in the pan.

Spread half of the batter over the nut mixture, followed by another 1/3 of the nut mixture, the remaining batter and the last 1/3 of the nut mixture.

Bake for 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.

Let cool slightly before serving or slicing. This is really great served warm with butter. Stores well in the refrigerator for a week and warms up nicely in the microwave oven.

BONUS... BONUS... BONUS...

Shoo-Fly Pie Recipe
(makes two 9-inch pies)

2 prepared unbaked store-bought pie crusts

For The syrup:
1 cup molasses
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup hot water
3 eggs

For the crumb topping:
2 and 1/2 cups flour
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup shortening

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients for the syrup and set aside.

Cut crumb ingredients together with clean fingers until well blended and the consistency of coarse sand.

Pour half of the syrup into one of the pie crusts. Top with half of the crumbs. Repeat with second pie crust.

Place both pies on a cookie sheet in the center of the oven and cook for 12 minutes. Reduce heat to 325 degrees and continue cooking for 1 hour.


Shoofly is a term you hear a lot in Amish country. Shoofly pie is an open pie filled with a mixture of sweet crumbs and molasses. Includes a bonus recipe for famous Shoofly Pie.


Mr Breakfast would like to thank Mr Breakfast for this recipe.

Recipe number 1302. Submitted 7/13/2004.