Coffee cake is typically a buttery, tender cake that falls between a vanilla cake and a pound cake in terms of taste and texture. It is often made with sour cream, and often contains a ribbon of cinnamon sugar filling in the middle. Coffee cake is usually lightly sweet and generally has a streusel topping that is made from a mixture of butter, flour, and sugar. Many coffee cakes incorporate fruit into the batter, and other variations add nuts and additional spices. It is often served plain, or with an icing glaze. There is generally no coffee in the cake recipe itself. Rather, it is meant to be served alongside coffee or tea. American coffee cake (kaffee kuchen in German) traces its roots - and its name - to the traditions of northern Europeans, who gathered to socialize in the afternoon with food and drink in a custom they called kaffe und kuchen (coffee and cake).