Looking for something delicious to bake this weekend? Claire Tansey shares a recipe perfect for any casual occasion.

Cherry crumble coffee cake

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp cardamom
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 1/2cups fresh cherries, pitted and halved

Crumble:

• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup pecans, chopped
• 1/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 1/2 cups fresh cherries, pitted

Method: 

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly oil or spray an 8 × 8-in. baking pan.

Stir 2 cups flour with baking powder, cardamom and salt in a medium bowl.

Beat 3/4 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup butter in a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium, until fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well and scraping sides of bowl. Beat in lemon zest and vanilla. Reduce speed and beat in one-third of flour mixture, then half of buttermilk. Repeat additions, ending with flour mixture. Stir in 1 1/2 cups cherries. Scrape batter into pan, smoothing top.

Combine 1/3 cup flour with 1/4 cup brown sugar and pecans in a bowl. Add 1/4 cup butter and work in, using your fingers, until crumbly. Sprinkle over evenly batter, then sprinkle with 1/2 cup cherries.

Bake in centre of oven until a tester comes out clean, 50 to 55 min. Cool in pan on rack for 10 min, then turn out onto rack to cool completely. Cake will keep well, at room temperature in a covered container, up to 2 days.

Prep Tip: We tested this cake using dried cherries, and it was great. To substitute dried cherries for fresh, use 3/4 cup in the batter and 1/4 cup on top. Continue with recipe.

Courtesy Claire Tansey
www.chatelaine.com