Merks Coffee Cake
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup sugar
1 teas. vanilla
3 eggs
2 cups flour
1 teas. baking powder
1 teas. baking soda
1/2 pint sour cream		 6 Tablesp. butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
2 teas. cinnamon
1 cup chopped nuts

Cream shortening, sugar and vanilla thoroughly.  Add eggs, singly, beating well after each addition.  Sift flour, baking powder, soda.  Add to creamed mixture, alternating with sour ceam, blending after each addition.  Spread half of batter in 10" tube pan that has been greased and lined on bottom with waxed paper.  Cream butter, brown sugar and cinnamon together.  add nuts, mix well.  Sprinkle half of nut mixture evenly over batter in pan.  Cover with remaining batter; sprinkle on remaining sugar mixture.

Bake at 350° for about 50 min.