Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Combine the 3/4 cup of sugar, flour and butter in a large bowl and blend using a hand mixer until the contents become crumbly.  Remove 1/2 cup of the crumbly mixture, mix in the 1/4 cup sugar and set aside.  Add the baking soda and baking powder to the crumbly mixture remaining in the main bowl.  Whisk together the wet ingredients in a separate bowl.  Pour the wet ingredients into the main mixing bowl and stir until just blended.  Pour the batter into a buttered 9x9 inch cake pan.  Sprinkle the 1/2 cup of reserved crumbles evenly over the top.  Bake for 30 minutes.

Our comments:  Breakfast on Christmas morning has to be good.  No excitable kid wants to slow down to eat on the most exciting morning of the year unless you serve something that ranks up there with all those new toys.  This may not be the best coffee cake ever, but it was good enough to keep Hays seated at the table every Christmas morning while he was growing up.