by Mel Bergen

Created on: August 07, 2008   Last Updated: December 09, 2010

Bisquick has stood at the forefront of American baking mixes for decades. You can use this versatile product as a base for everything from waffles to biscuits to cakes. Bisquick coffee cakes have long been a staple of brunches and afternoon teas.

Four cups of Bisquick baking mix
Three eggs, lightly beaten
One-fourth cup of melted butter
One teaspoon of vanilla
One teaspoon of almond extract

One-half cup of sugar
One twenty-ounce can of pie filling

The beauty of this recipe lies in its simplicity. You mix the ingredients right in the baking pan and use any flavor pie filling that strikes your fancy or happens to be languishing in your pantry.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix the Bisquick with the rest of the above ingredients, except the filling, in a nine-inch by thirteen-inch baking pan until you've created a smooth batter. Be gentle, as beating the mixture too hard will result in flat and chewy coffee cake.

Spread the pie filling over the top and swirl it into the batter. Bake your coffee cake for 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool the pan on a wire rack until just warm, about an hour, so that the glaze will spread but not run off the edges of the cake.

To make the glaze, combine one cup of powdered sugar with one teaspoon vanilla extract and two tablespoons of milk. Beat all ingredients until smooth, then use a large spoon to drizzle the glaze over your Bisquick coffee cake.

If you're feeling decadent, you can make a cinnamon-strudel topping for your cake, instead. To do so, combine the following ingredients:

One-third cup Bisquick
One-third cup packed brown sugar
One-quarter teaspoon ground cinnamon
Two tablespoons of cold butter

Use a fork to combine the ingredients until a crumbly mixture is formed. Sprinkle the topping over the coffee cake batter and bake as noted above.

Bisquick coffee cake comes out crumbly, sweet, and rich every time. Using a baking mix instead of combining your own ingredients ensures that you will get the same results every time. Serve this tasty treat at your next gathering or bring a pan to the office. The rave reviews that you get will convince you to keep using this recipe.

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