Description
This delightful Cherry Coffee Cake is a perfect balance of sweet, tart cherries nestled in a moist vanilla-infused cake base, topped with a buttery cinnamon crumb topping. Ideal for breakfast or an afternoon treat, it combines fresh bing cherries with a tender crumb for a delicious and comforting homemade dessert.
Ingredients
Crumb Topping
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 5 tablespoons salted butter, melted
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Cake Batter
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 10 tablespoons butter, room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 1/2 lbs fresh bing cherries, stems removed, pitted, and halved or quartered
Instructions
- Prepare the cherries: Remove the stems and pits from the fresh bing cherries and slice them in halves or quarters. Set aside for later use.
- Preheat and prepare the pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter and flour a springform pan, even if it is nonstick, to ensure the cake doesn't stick.
- Make the crumb topping: In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Mix well until cohesive. Place the bowl in the freezer to keep cold until ready to use.
- Mix dry ingredients for the cake: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Mix wet ingredients for the cake: In a smaller bowl, mix the buttermilk with the vanilla extract and set aside.
- Cream butter and sugar: In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the room temperature butter with sugar until the mixture becomes light and fluffy, approximately 2-3 minutes.
- Add eggs: Reduce mixer speed to low, then add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition to incorporate fully.
- Incorporate dry and wet ingredients: Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in three additions, alternating with adding half of the buttermilk mixture between each flour addition. Stir only until just combined to avoid overmixing.
- Assemble the cake: Transfer the batter into the prepared springform pan and smooth the surface with an offset spatula. Evenly layer the prepared cherries on top, gently pressing them slightly into the batter.
- Add crumb topping: Sprinkle the chilled crumb topping evenly over the cherries.
- Bake: Bake the cake in the preheated oven for 70-85 minutes, until the crumb topping turns golden brown and the edges are golden. Insert a toothpick into the center of the cake; it should come out clean to indicate doneness.
Notes
- Using a springform pan helps with easy removal of the delicate coffee cake without cracking.
- Room temperature ingredients, especially eggs and butter, help the batter mix evenly and create a tender crumb.
- For best results, do not overmix the batter once the flour and wet ingredients are combined to keep the cake moist and soft.
- If cherries are out of season, frozen bing cherries can be used but should be thawed and drained thoroughly before adding.
- The crumb topping can be made ahead and kept in the freezer to save prep time on baking day.
