Quick Coffee Cake (Blitzkuchen)

Preheat oven to 375°F. Combine 1/4 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, chopped nuts and cinnamon. Melt sweet butter and mix into dry mixture with your fingertips or a fork until you have crumbs. If mixture is too fine, add more butter. If crumbs are too large, add more flour. Add more sugar or cinnamon to taste. Set aside. Sift 2 cups flour again, together with sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut unsalted butter in small pieces and add to dry ingredients, working in in with a pastry blender or your fingertips until mixture is to consistency of coarse meal. Beat eggs well and mix with milk and vanilla. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour liquid in. Stir together gradually, mixing only enough to moisten flour mixture, but not so much that the whole thing breaks down and becomes liquid. Butter and flour a 9 inch round layer cake pan or an 8 inch square pan. Turn batter into it. Sprinkle crumb topping over cake and bake about 25 minutes. To test, insert straw or toothpick into center of cake. If it comes out clean, cake is done. Serve warm or cold. Cut portions right out of pan.