What's Baking: Apple-Cinnamon Coffee Cake

If you are not eating leftover pumpkin, apple, or pecan pie this morning for breakfast (full disclosure: I am considering doing the same), consider giving this recipe for apple-cinnamon coffee cake a try. This easy coffee cake offers plenty of flavor without a lot of calories and fat -- the perfect antithesis to yesterday's Thanksgiving feast.

I have a tendency to lower the sugar in most recipes I try. In the case of this coffee cake, I balked at the one cup of granulated sugar the original recipe called for and simply halved the amount. I don't think the flavor suffers at all; to my palate the coffee cake is still plenty sweet, especially since it has a cinnamon-sugar streusel topping.

Apple-Cinnamon Coffee Cake (printer-friendly version)
makes 12 servings

For the cake:
1 1/2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
3/4 cup organic skim milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup diced peeled Granny Smith apple (small dice - the apple pieces should be about pea size)

For the streusel topping:
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 tablespoons whole-wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut into small cubes

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, sift together the whole-wheat pastry flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and sea salt. In a medium bowl, stir together the skim milk, melted butter, vanilla, and egg. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Fold in the diced apple. Spoon the batter into the prepped baking dish.
3. In a small bowl, stir together the sugars, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Cut in the cubed butter with the use of a pastry blender or two forks until the mixture resembles pea-sized crumbles. Carefully spoon the streusel evenly over top the batter.
4. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack before serving.

 (adapted from this Cooking Light recipe)

What's Baking: Ground Cherry Coffee Cake

I first discovered ground cherries last year (kind of in the same way that Columbus "discovered" America...except without any of the associated genocide, enslavement, or syphilis...but I digress). Last year I made a ground cherry pie, so this time around I wanted to do something different with these sweet yellow fruits. Of course, my recipe interests lie firmly in the carb-friendly camp, so once I found a recipe on The Kitchn for ground cherry coffee cake, I knew I didn't have to search any further.

This coffee cake comes together rather quickly and if you don't happen to have ground cherries on hand (which, let's face it, is quite likely the case), you can easily substitute in your favorite berry or other chopped fruit. The cake portion of this coffee cake is particularly delicious and tastes rather sinfully more like a yellow cake than your typical coffee cake. I think a large amount of butter has a lot to do with providing a richer flavor -- and you won't find me complaining about that one bit. Just add a cup or two of coffee on the side, and you've got a brunch-worthy breakfast cake that's perfectly sized for sharing.

Ground Cherry Coffee Cake (printer-friendly version)
makes one 9" coffee cake

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons coarse sea salt
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed and softened
1 1/4 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt mixed with 1/4 cup filtered water
1 large egg
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups ground cherries, husks removed
1 cup chopped pecan pieces
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Butter and lightly flour a 9" springform cake pan. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Use a pastry blender or two knives to cut in the butter cubes until the mixture resembles shaggy peas. Remove 1 cup of the flour-butter mixture, place it in a separate bowl, and set aside (this will be used for the crumble topping).
3. Whisk the baking powder and baking soda into the main flour mixture. Stir in the yogurt-water mixture, egg, and vanilla.
4. Spoon the batter into the prepped cake pan. Scatter the top evenly with the ground cherries.
5. Add the chopped pecans, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg to the reserved flour-butter mixture and stir to combine. Sprinkle the crumble topping evenly over the ground cherries; it will be thick.
6. Bake in the oven for 60-75 minutes, or until a skewer or toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes before serving. Carefully insert a knife around the edge of the pan before releasing the cake from the springform pan.

 (lightly adapted from this recipe from The Kitchn)

What's Baking: Blueberry Nutmeg Cake

When I began my bake-fest on Sunday morning, my actual intent was to make this blueberry nutmeg cake, which Sheri posted last week, as an accompaniment to our breakfast. However, upon closer inspection of the recipe, I realized that it required at least a two-hour period of "mellowing" time -- and given my immediate need for a sweet complement to our savory breakfast, that just wouldn't work. So I ended up making a batch of chocolate glazed donuts instead.

However, since I already had all the ingredients on hand, including a large quart of blueberries that had already been sitting in the fridge for a week, I decided to go ahead and bake up this cake later in the afternoon. I figured D's coworkers could reap the rewards of my baking extravaganza. (After taking out one slice in the morning for me to taste, of course. Plus -- doesn't already having one slice out of the cake make it seem more inviting? No one wants to make that first cut.)

Given the cake's name, it should come as no surprise that it has a clear nutmeg-y flavor, which, let's face it, I'm kind of all about given my penchant to top my chai lattes with a healthy shake of nutmeg. I added in a little cinnamon, too, as I just can't help myself when it comes to blueberry cakes.

Interestingly, my cake turned out completely different than how I think it was supposed to look (hmmm, that couldn't be because I messed with the recipe a little bit, could it?) -- but I kind of like that there is a separate layer of blueberries that sits on top of the cake layer. It definitely has a different look than your typical blueberry coffee cake, but remains quite tasty nonetheless.

Blueberry Nutmeg Cake (printer-friendly version)
makes 8 servings

For the berries:
2 cups fresh blueberries, rinsed and dried
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon granulated sugar

For the cake:
1 cup all-purpose unbleached flour

1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

For the topping:

1/2 tablespoon turbinado sugar
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease a 9" springform pan with cooking spray. Line the bottom of the pan with a round of parchment paper. Set aside.
3. In a small bowl, combine the blueberries with the lemon juice and tablespoon of granulated sugar. Toss to coat. Set aside.
4. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
4. With the use of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and 1/4 cup of granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
5. Add in the eggs one at a time, beating to incorporate after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl as needed.
6. At low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Do not overmix.
7. Spoon the batter into the prepared cake pan. Use a spatula to even out the top.
8. Spread the blueberries (and any juices) evenly over top the batter.
9. In a small bowl, stir together the turbinado sugar, dark brown sugar, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the blueberries.
10. Bake in the oven for 50-60 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
11. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes.
12. Release the cake from the pan and allow it to cool completely on the wire rack.
13. Use a thin spatula to carefully remove the bottom of the pan (and parchment paper). Shift the cake onto a flat plate.
14. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and allow to sit out at room temperature for at least two hours, or ideally overnight.

(adapted from this recipe)

What's Baking: Wildberry Coffee Cake

Apparently Saturday marked National Coffee Cake Day (who knew?!), and Whole Foods tweeted out a link to a delicious-sounding coffee cake recipe. On Sunday, after determining that I had all the ingredients on hand, I set to making the cake to have with our breakfast. I opted to use a mixed berry blend with raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries rather than just blueberries, since that's what I had in my freezer. Other than that, I didn't stray too far from the original recipe. The resulting coffee cake was moist and full of sweet berry flavor.

Wildberry Coffee Cake (printer-friendly version)
makes 12 servings

2 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour, divided
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups frozen, thawed and drained berries, divided into one-cup portions (alternately, use fresh berries)
1/3 cup sliced almonds


1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease a 9" round cake pan with cooking spray and set aside.
3. Combine the two tablespoons of flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and cardamom. Use a fork to incorporate the chunks of butter. The resulting streusel should have pebble-sized clumps. Set aside.
4. In a medium bowl, sift together the remaining flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside
5. In a separate bowl, whisk together the yogurt, vanilla extract, and eggs until just combined.
6. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir to combine.
7. Gently fold in half the berries.
8. Spoon the batter into the prepared cake pan. Cover with the streusel. Add the remaining berries over top the streusel.
9. Sprinkle the sliced almonds over top the berries.
10. Bake in the oven 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
11. Let cool on a wire rack until ready to eat.

 (adapted from this Whole Foods recipe)

What's Baking: Spiced Buttermilk Coffee Cake

Another weekend, another coffee cake. The weather over the weekend cooled significantly from the soaring temperatures we had during the week, so I threw my plans to make a pitcher of sangria out the window and baked up a warm coffee cake instead. The perfect accompaniment to a lazy morning and a hot cup of coffee!

Spiced Buttermilk Coffee Cake (printer-friendly version)
makes eight servings

1 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
zest from one lemon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the topping:
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsalted butter (cold)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup candied ginger chips, chopped
1/4 cup pecans, chopped

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves in a medium-sized bowl. Stir together with a fork.
3. Cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in the egg, buttermilk, and lemon zest.
4. Slowly add in the flour mixture to the wet ingredients.
5. Spoon the batter into a greased 8"x8" glass baking dish.
6. Make the crumb topping by combining together the sugars and flour. Use a pastry blender to cut in the butter. Stir in the cinnamon, nutmeg, and candied ginger. Stir in the chopped pecans
7. Spoon the crumb mixture evenly over top of the batter.
8. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
9. Cool on a wire rack for a few minutes before serving.

What's Baking: Cinnamon Buttermilk Coffee Cake

We finally woke up to a few inches of snow on Saturday morning. I was almost convinced we were never going to see the white stuff this winter! For some reason, the presence of snow made me crave a slice of coffee cake, so I quickly set to putting one together. Simple as ever, with a few new ingredients -- this time I opted to replace most of the milk I usually use with buttermilk. I also added a generous amount of chopped pecans to the topping. D said this coffee cake was the best he's ever had -- so I have a feeling my substitutions were a brilliant idea!

Cinnamon Buttermilk Coffee Cake (printer-friendly version)
makes eight servings

1 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 egg
2/3 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/3 cup skim milk
zest from one lemon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the topping:
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsalted butter (cold)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 cup chopped pecans

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium-sized bowl. Stir together with a fork.
3. Cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in the egg, buttermilk, and skim milk.
4. Slowly add in the flour mixture to the wet ingredients.
5. Stir in the lemon zest and ground cinnamon.
6. Spoon the batter into a greased 8"x8" glass baking dish.
7. Make the crumb topping by combining together the sugars and flour. Use a pastry blender to cut in the butter. Stir in the cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Stir in the chopped pecans
8. Spoon the crumb mixture evenly over top of the batter.
9. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
10. Cool on a wire rack for a few minutes before serving.