When we vacation and our temporary home has a kitchen, be it large or small, one of the ingredients you'll always find in my hastily assembled pantry is a bag pancake mix. I find the mix to be remarkably versatile, and while I do use it to make pancakes and waffles,  it is also the secret ingredient in my fried chicken, pork chops and several of the cakes and pastries I make for my family. I found this recipe on a site called Confessions of an Over-Worked Mom, and it immediately caught my eye. I'm always looking for easy recipes that can be tackled by beginning cooks, and, as I read through the ingredient list, I knew this  would be perfect for my grandsons to try. I gave the cake a test run and I'm  happy to report that this effortless coffeecake, which, by the way, requires no special equipment to make, is much tastier than you might expect. It is no match for your finest scratch effort, but it is sufficient to the day and I think you'll enjoy it with your morning coffee or tea. It is a perfect cake for young cooks to try, so pass them a mixing bowl and wooden spoon, and wait for a warm piece of their cake to jump start your day. Here's how it is made.

Streusel-Topped Blueberry Coffeecake

Ingredients:

Cake
2-1/2 cups buttermilk pancake mix

1 cup water

3/4 cup frozen blueberries (firm fresh berries can also be used)

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

Topping
1/4 cup buttermilk pancake mix

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons butter

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease an 8 x 8-inch pan.

2) To make the cake: Combine 2-1/2 cups of buttermilk pancake mix, water, sugar, maple syrup, egg, vanilla and frozen blueberries in a large bowl and mix until dry ingredients are moistened. Spoon batter into prepared pan.

3) To make the topping: Combine 1/4 cup buttermilk pancake mix, brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Cut in butter with until crumbly. Sprinkle topping evenly over cake.

4) Bake 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean and top is golden brown. Yield: 8 to 10 servings.

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