Coffee Cakes

It's sometimes true that good things come in small packages. This little (seven by seven inches) book is crammed with easy recipes that produce delicious results. The cakes utilize baking powder and baking soda instead of yeast, which makes them quick to put together. Novices will have no problem following the well-organized recipes; the more experienced will also find enough to intrigue them, from classic sour cream coffee cake to low-fat banana tea bread. Hadda, a New York City writer, provides a brief but thorough introduction to both techniques and ingredients. Her chapters cover crumb, loaf, fresh fruit, special occasion and ``slicing'' cakes, and her ingredients are commonplace; beyond a few baking pans, no special equipment is called for. The recipes are drawn from many sources, and Hadda includes variations on some of them. She supplies helpful notes on substituting ingredients and creating variations on your own. A chapter on accompanying spreads and butters is also included. So Coffee Cakes may be just what's needed when you want something special for breakfast without squandering time on it. (Jan.)