Mixed Review: Manischewitz Passover Coffee Cake
Here's the thing about Manischewitz coffee cake: it tastes just like Little Debbie coffee cake. It has the same buttery bottom layer, the same crumbly cinnamon topping. It is the definition of a foodie's guiltiest indulgence. Guilty because it's a far cry from a sophisticated soufflé or a trendy tiramisu—it comes from a box and requires only two eggs and a splash of water to make. Indulgent because it is, after all, cake.
When deciding which kosher for Passover boxed mix to prepare for this week's Mixed Review, I choose Manischewitz over the alternative, Streit's, for the simple reason that it was 37 years older. (Manischewitz was founded in 1888, Streit's in 1925.) Aside from their age, the two mixes seemed identical: both needed only eggs and water, both came with their own little foil baking pans, and both cost $4.99.
I didn't have high hopes. The picture on the box looked bland at best, and everyone knows that Passover baked goods are notoriously lacking. I've certainly had my fair share of leaden, frosting-less chocolate cakes and dry, powdery macaroons. After a bountiful, filling Seder, I usually opt for nothing more than a big shard of Marcy Goldman's fabulous matzoh crunch.
The Manischewitz box contained two separate packages for the cake and the crumb topping. After emptying the cake mix into a bowl, I opted to beat in the eggs and water with an electric mixer, as opposed to the "600 strokes by hand" the instructions also recommended (in case you're preparing it on Shabbat). Then I poured it into the little pan, sprinkled on the cinnamon sugar, and slid it into the oven.
Surprisingly, my coffee cake rose—a lot. When I took it out of the oven it was puffed and dome-like in the center, almost like a loaf of bread. But after cooling it deflated and flattened out completely, like the surface of a really fudgy pan of brownies. No matter. It smelled like toasted cinnamon and warm butter.
I cut out a big square. The cake was heavier than it looked and very moist. Its consistency was more like that of a serious pound cake than a simple snacking cake. The flavor was sweet, rich, and vaguely artificial, but in a comforting way. It reminded me of Hostess Cupcakes and Twinkies and Entenmann's powdered donuts.
While I certainly wouldn't serve Manischewitz Coffee Cake after a fancy Seder, or at an elegant Passover brunch, it is a great breakfast option. In addition, it will definitely appeal to kids (of all ages) who've grown a little tired of matzoh every morning.
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12 Comments:
I have tried most of the passover mixes, and indeed the coffee cake is the best. The blueberry muffins are also decent, for Passover muffins.
tofuBanditX at 8:11PM on 04/02/09
I have never met a Passover dessert that I have liked! They are always terrible even from a kosher bakery.
Just make a flourless chocolate tart & some homemade coconut macaroons!
Stacey Snacks at 10:22PM on 04/02/09
you're kidding about making a cake on shabbes, right? because even if you do all six hundred strokes by hand, you still can't bake the cake until after havdalah.
cybercita at 11:18PM on 04/02/09
I have a weakness for the Manishewitz Passover Honey Cake. I even made a leftover box from last year in November. (Kosher for Passover and all year round!)
marinelm at 11:22PM on 04/02/09
You can bake on the holiday itself, but not on Shabbat.
Kmelion at 5:14AM on 04/03/09
I don't really understand why they do this. I can live without cake for a week. One week! Really, I'll make it.
The only thing worse than Passover cake is Passover cereal. Ugh.
http://bakingandmistaking.blogspot.com
cool2bars at 10:39AM on 04/03/09
Oh, man, I remember helping my mom make those cakes! I always assuned that the "by hand" was because not many people had the luxury of having a mixer that they kept just for Pesach.
mnrobb at 10:41AM on 04/03/09
Oh, but Deb has some excellent Passover dessert recipes: http://smittenkitchen.com/category/passover/
My fav is her cake, which people literally fight over at my seders:
http://smittenkitchen.com/2007/03/the-best-chocolate-cake-expletive-free/
AnaPowell at 12:52PM on 04/03/09
I have a weakness for this. I'm slightly ashamed of it. Really, any passover dessert in a box.
CanadianFoodieGirl at 1:13PM on 04/03/09
I have to admit I really like this mix. My sister makes it for family get-togethers, and it's deliciously dense and decidedly not low-fat. I think she gets her kicks watching us all eat it (she's a personal trainer and wouldn't think of touching it...the jerk.)
cakespy at 2:35PM on 04/03/09
I thoroughly enjoy the logic behind choosing the Manischewitz brand. And your introduction makes the cake sound MUCH better than I would ever expect a Passover cake to taste.
Hillary
Chew on That
Chew on That at 4:30PM on 04/03/09
I made this for the first time this year, and I added a generous handful of still-frozen raspberries to the batter. It was delicious and made a great Pesach breakfast. However, it took about 15 minutes longer to cook than the box said, and thankfully I didn't have problems with it flattening out. Even more thankfully, now I can go back to my regularly scheduled rotation of normal baked goods!
marinelm at 11:06PM on 04/16/09