Coffeecakes That Come to Your Door

Coffeecake -- it's the perfect breakfast splurge, light dessert or nighttime indulgence, or afternoon treat for unexpected guests.

But it's hard to find a good one.

Many of the neighborhood bakeries that used to be reliable sources are gone, and supermarket coffeecakes might not appeal to you. If you don't want to make one yourself, mail-order coffeecakes, available from catalogues and online, are an attractive alternative.

A good coffeecake should be moist and have an appealing aroma and taste. Ideally, it should have a little crunch on top and a texture that's somewhere between cake and bread. It also doesn't hurt if the cake looks appealing.

Recently, we invited Stratford University pastry chef James Sinopoli, pastry chef Valerie Hill and Quartermaine Coffee Roasters President Roger Scheumann to taste and compare six catalogue coffeecakes (also available online). They met at the Majestic Cafe in Old Town Alexandria, where Hill prepares the desserts. We asked Scheumann to suggest appropriate coffee matches as well.

Prices do not include shipping and handling. Each of the cakes provides 10 to 12 servings, except the one from Zingerman's, which serves four to six.

The clear winner:

CINNAMON STREUSEL COFFEECAKE, the Baker's Catalogue (King Arthur Flour), $24.95; call 800-827-6836.

This cake was shipped without fancy wrappings -- just professional baker's paper. At first the judges were put off by its plain appearance, but upon closer inspection, they liked its traditional look and the quality of its streusel topping. They liked the aroma, too, praising the spiciness that came from the nutmeg and brown sugar in the topping. "I can tell they used good ingredients, not imitation anything," Hill said. Scheumann praised "its nice well-balanced flavor." Sinopoli liked its moisture content, spices and "caramelly swirls." He also noted that its nuts weren't burned -- a problem with some coffeecakes.

The judges' ratings on a 1 to 10 scale: Hill and Scheumann gave it a clear 9; Sinopoli, an 8 (because of the paper wrapping) or 9.

Coffee match: A nice medium-bodied variety with a refined flavor, such as an Ethiopian coffee. The coffeecake is so good you don't need a dark roast to cut through it.

The runners-up: