Prizewinner

Surely Grandma Piggyback wins the prize, posthumously, for most prolific contributor to The Irreverent Family Cookbook's original recipe collection. Further, she's right in there with the dysfunctional spirit of the thing—she wasn't my father's mother for nothing—and was definitely the most memorable cook, with all the right sensory trappings, of my growing up.

Sometimes I think I feel her on Halloween night, when the veil is thin between this world and the next. (Next time I'm at the bookstore, I swear I'm going to write down the page number of Grandma P.'s spitting-image Diane Arbus photo I described early on.) In the meantime, I'm offering up a final IFC recipe of hers, a very down-to-earth coffee cake.

GRANDMA P.'S COFFEE CAKE

"Excellent cake—topping even better."

—my mother, Grandma P.'s daughter-in-law

1 cup Presto flour, or any cake flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
scant 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
2 eggs beaten, then add heavy cream to measure 1 cup

Topping:
5 Tablespoons brown sugar
2 Tablespoons softened butter
1 Tablespoon heavy cream
Chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare topping: Beat together butter, cream, and sugar until smooth. Add nuts and stir until well blended. Set aside.

For the cake, mix together dry ingredients in a bowl.

Add egg mixture, with vanilla, and beat until smooth.

Pour into well-greased 8-inch square pan. Bake 30 minutes. (Check after 20 minutes.)

Pull cake out of the oven and immediately spread with topping.

Place under broiler until melted and browned.

Cool before cutting in squares and serving.