Duo Challenge Day Coffee Cake

Blueberry Crumble Coffee Cake

This past weekend, I made this coffee cake for a potluck picnic and bbq. I knew I wanted to make something with fruit because it's summer. Originally, I was thinking about grilling pineapple, but finally settled on a blueberry coffee cake because the last coffee cake I made came out so yummy. This blueberry version came out delicious as well...moist and chock full of blueberries. There was almost a 1-1 ratio of blueberries to batter.

Here is my adaptation of the recipe. I used 1.5 the recipe so I could make a 9x13 cake.

Blueberry Crumble Coffee Cake

adapted from Cook's Illustrated

Ingredients:
Streusel
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3 tbs granulated sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
 pinch table salt
6 tbs unsalted butter, cut into pieces, softened

Cake
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/4 tss baking powder
15 tbs unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 large eggs , room temperature
6 cups fresh blueberries, washed

Directions:

1. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, sugars, cinnamon, and salt until well combined. Add butter and mix with hands (squeeze pieces of butter so they break apart) until mixture resembles wet sand and no large butter pieces remain. Set aside.
2. For the cake: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 pan with 2-inch sides with nonstick cooking spray, line bottom with parchment, and spray again with nonstick cooking spray. 
3. Whisk flour and baking powder in small bowl to combine; set aside. 
4. In standing mixer fitted with a paddle, cream butter, sugar, salt, and lemon zest at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes; using a rubber spatula, scrape down bowl. 
5. With mixer running at medium speed, add eggs one at a time; beat until combined, scraping the bowl as necessary. Beat in vanilla until combined, about 30 seconds. 
6. With mixer running on low speed, gradually add flour mixture; beat until flour is combined, but don't over mix. Using a spatula, gently fold in blueberries until evenly distributed.
7. Transfer batter to prepared pan; with rubber spatula spread batter evenly to pan edges and smooth surface. Sprinkle streusel over the batter by squeezing handfuls to form a clump and then breaking the clump and distributing evenly.
8. Bake until deep golden brown and toothpick or wooden skewer inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 45-50 minutes. Cool on wire rack 15 to 20 minutes. Cut into squares and serve. 

Chocolate-Cinnamon Swirl Coffee Cake

After making a coffee cake awhile ago, I realized how easy it is to put one together. This time I used cocoa powder and cinnamon in the swirl, but I felt like the chocolate flavor didn't come through even though I increased the amount of cocoa. Still, the coffee came out moist and with a delicious crumble on top. This is an easy way to impress someone for breakfast or even dessert with a cup of coffee.

I'm Back...with Coffee Cake!

Cinnamon Coffee Cake

I'm not doing a very good job at posting recipes on a regular basis. I am going to try to take more time out to bake something and actually get it on here!

I've been craving sweet breakfast baked goods. Making a decision between cinnamon buns and coffee cake was difficult, but in the end coffee cake won...mostly because I had all the ingredients and it is a lot quicker to make. This coffee cake has a crumb topping with cinnamon and walnuts and I added a layer of cinnamon and sugar in the middle.

Cinnamon-Walnut Coffee Cake
adapted from A Taste of Home

Ingredients:
Cake
1/4 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup milk
Middle Layer
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
Topping
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3 tbsp cold butter
1-1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x9 square pan.
2. In a mixing bowl, cream together shortening and sugar until fluffy.
3. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one. Beat in vanilla.
4. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl.
5. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture alternately with the milk until just combined.
6. In a small bowl mix together the sugar and cinnamon.
7. Transfer half of the batter to a greased 9 in square baking pan.
8. Sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon mixture evenly over the batter.
9. Pour the rest of the batter into the pan and spread it out evenly.
10. In a bowl combine the flour, sugar and cinnamon; cut in butter until mixture resembled coarse crumbs. Stir in nuts. Sprinkle over the top.
11. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Enjoy!