October 15, 2012

Cranberry Coffee Cake


Cranberries are not only the most gorgeous deep red color, but they also have a wonderful tart flavor and are one of my favorite tastes of fall. I'm fortunate to live near cranberry country, which means that this time of year there are fresh local cranberries rolling into the market. I decided to treat us all to some coffee cake with the first batch of the season; moist, sweet, tart... the best way to start a day.
 
This cake is heavy on the crumb topping. Each time I make it I worry about the proportions but it always turns out a winner. Be certain to use a small 8x8 baking pan (I once tried a heart shaped version in a slightly larger dish for Valentine's Day and it was a dry mess).
 
Cranberry Coffee Cake: adapted slightly from Big Crumb Coffeecake from Smitten Kitchen (which was adapted from the New York Times!)
 
Crumb Topping:
  • 1/3 c brown sugar
  • 1/3 c sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ginger
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1 stick butter, melted
  • 1 3/4 c flour
Berry Filling:
  • 2 1/2 c (about 8oz) cranberries, rinsed and sorted for stems
  • 1/4 c sugar
  • 1tsp cornstarch
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ginger
Cake:
  • 1/3 c plain firm yogurt, such as Greek (or sour cream)
  • 1 egg plus 1 additional egg yolk
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp almond extract
  • 1 c flour
  • 1/2 c sugar
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 6 tbs softened butter, cut into slices
 Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease an 8x8 baking dish with butter. Mix the berries with the sugar, cornstarch, and spices and set aside.
 
 
For the crumb topping melt the butter and pour into a large bowl. Whisk in the sugars and spices. Add the flour, stirring with a spatula or wooden spoon until well combined. Press the mixture down in the bottom of the bowl and set aside.
 
For the cake batter whisk the egg and yolk in a small bowl. Stir in the yogurt, vanilla, and almond extract. Sift together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the softened butter and one spoonful of the yogurt mixture and beat on medium speed for a few seconds. Increase the speed and beat for another 30 seconds. Add half of the remaining yogurt mixture and beat for another 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula and repeat with the remaining yogurt mixture.
 
Set aside a scant half cup of the batter and scrape the rest into the baking dish. Spread the batter evenly in the dish with a spatula. Pour the cranberries over the batter, making sure to distribute the sugar somewhat evenly if the berries weren't wet enough to absorb it all. Dollop the remaining batter randomly over the top.
 
 
Break up the crumb topping using a spatula and your fingers. Try to leave some pieces large, about 1/2" in size. Spread the topping over the dish and place in the oven for 50-55 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean from the center.
 
Remove and cool before slicing.
 
 
This cake was such a hit that I barely got to enjoy a slice myself. Big Smith kept shaving off sliver after sliver (so sneaky!) and Little Smith was begging for more until the whole thing was polished off.
 

 
I love the surprise of those tart cranberries with the sugary crumb topping, a perfect treat for a slightly indulgent breakfast!

 


9 comments:

  1. I would never have thought of mixing coffee and cranberries! Looks sooooo YUMMY!
    Ronnie xo

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  2. Yummy! Huge coffee cake fan-- & love the tart cranberry too!

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  3. Looks absolutely delicious. Lovely breakfast. :)

    Maybe Little Smith would like an eco-friendly playhouse? ;) Enter to win at
    http://www.womaninreallife.blogspot.ca/2012/10/childrens-playhouse-giveaway.html

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  4. Oh, this is my favorite type of breakfast! Thank you for another great one! (I just pinned it!)

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    1. Hope you enjoy it! You'll think you don't have enough batter but you do. I am very slowly entering the pinning world. I want to love it but can't figure out how to pin from my phone which is how I do almost everything so I haven't quite gotten the bug yet :)

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  5. Well that looks ridiculously good! Man..I love the offerings of this season!

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  6. This looks absolutely delightful! I'd love to have you do a guest post on my blog sometime with a recipe like this.


    Amanda Rose
    http://sewmuchtosay.blogspot.com

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