How to Bake Cherry Coffee Cake

This rich and buttery cherry coffee cake is speckled with delectably sour cherries and topped with a sweet crumbly topping, making it ideal as a brunch treat or an after-dinner dessert.

Regular milk won't give cakes and quickbreads the wonderful, almost addicting tang that buttermilk provides. Buttermilk, a well-known meat tenderizer, works similarly in baking to help keep the cakes fluffy and moist.

How to make buttermilk

All you need to make your own buttermilk is milk, vinegar, fresh lemon juice, or cream of tartar.

A cup of milk and a spoonful of vinegar or lemon juice can be combined to make homemade buttermilk. You can also combine a cup of milk with 1¾ teaspoon of cream of tartar to make buttermilk.

Tips for baking a cherry coffee cake

Remember to flour and butter your pan. Melt some butter in a bowl, then use a pastry brush to coat the entire interior of the pan. After lightly dusting the pan with flour, tap the sides to remove any excess.

Avoid over-mixing your batter. Simply pit your cherries and cut them in half unless you truly enjoy tiny bits of fruit. Before topping with the crumb mixture, don't forget to carefully push the cherries into the batter. By doing this, you can keep them from drying out.

Check your cherry cake for doneness on a frequent basis after an hour so as not to end up with a dry cake.

Ingredients

For the Cake

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

¾ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

1½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

10 tablespoon butter - brought to room temperature

1¼ cups sugar

2 large eggs - brought to room temperature

Fresh cherries

For the Crumb Topping

⅔ cup all-purpose flour

⅔ cup sugar

½ teaspoon cinnamon

5 tablespoons salted butter, melted

½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Procedure

Remove the stems and pits from the cherries before slicing them in half or quarters to prepare them. Place aside.

Set the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and a springform pan with butter and flour.

Make the crumbs for the topping by combining the flour, sugar, cinnamon, butter, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Mix thoroughly then place the bowl in the freezer until when ready for use.

Prepare the cake by mixing the salt, baking soda, baking powder, and flour in a medium bowl. Mix to combine then set aside.

In a separate, smaller bowl, mix together the buttermilk with the vanilla extract and set aside.

Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy in a sizable mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Turn down the speed to low and gradually add the eggs, mixing evenly between each addition.

Begin adding the flour mixture in three separate additions, each separated by the addition of half the buttermilk mixture.

Add the batter to the pan that has been prepared and even out the surface using a spatula. Top the cake in an even layer with the pitted and halved cherries, gently pressing the cherries down just slightly into the cake batter

Add the crumb topping on top of the cake then put it in the preheated oven.

Cook for 70 to 85 minutes. A small golden and browning of the crumble will start to occur. Edges of the cake will be golden and a toothpick inserted into the middle will come out clean.

After taking the cake out of the oven, let it cool for about 15 minutes in the pan before removing the sides and serving.

Conclusion

Fresh cherry coffee cake, baked with a crumble topping made of sugar and butter, is a mouthwatering summery treat ideal for breakfast, lunch, or dessert.