Cooking Lesson #239: Cherry Coffee Cake With Crumb Topping

… from the California Kitchen

How you doin’? Here is a quick, easy and delicious coffee cake that doesn’t even require an electric mixer. It’s a recipe you can make in different flavors by simply using different pie filling flavors. It is a very simple, tender, moist coffee cake made in a 7×11-inch baking pan.
 
While this cake is All-American, the first coffee cakes are thought to have originated in Germany. These were more like sweet breads than sweet cakes. According to the book Listening to America, by Stuart Berg Flexner, it wasn't until 1879 that the term “coffee cake” became a common term.
 
Your family will enjoy this cake for breakfast (brunch), lunch or dinner. You can reheat it in an oven at 350⁰F with just a tablespoon of butter on the top. A spritz of whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream turns this from a coffee cake to an outstanding dessert. Delicious Cherry Coffee Cake with Crumb Topping is a recipe you will go back to time and time again.
 
Prep time:  10 to 15 minutes
Bake time:  35 to 45 minutes
Yield:  8 to 10 servings
 
 
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup crushed pecans, optional
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 can cherry pie filling or flavor of your choice
 
Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 325⁰F.
2. Coat a 7x11-inch baking pan with butter.
3. Place the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt and melted butter in a large mixing bowl; stir together with a fork until crumbly. If you have large clumps get your hands in there and break them apart. Your fingers are your best kitchen tool.
4. Take 3/4 cup of the crumb mixture out of the bowl and put them in a smaller bowl with the brown sugar, almond extract and the crushed nuts if using; set aside for the crumb topping.
5. In another small bowl, whisk the slightly beaten eggs, milk and vanilla together.
   
6. Add milk mixture to the large bowl of crumb mixture and stir until incorporated. There will be small lumps in the batter… that’s okay.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared 7x11-inch baking pan.
8. Spread the cherry pie filling over the cake.
9. Sprinkle the reserved crumb topping over the pie filling.
10. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes. Start checking cake at 35 minutes.
11. Remove the cake from oven and place on a cooling rack.

ChefSecret:  Here’s an interesting upscaling alternative… spread a half cup of whipped cream cheese over the batter before spooning on the cherries.

Covid-19 Quip of the Day:  I was just thinking… one nice thing about egotists, they don't talk about other people.
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