Happy New Year!!! I hope you all rang in the new year with your loved ones doing what makes you the absolute happiest! I seriously believe I was the last person on the planet who had not either read the book or watched the movie, The Hunger Games. So before 2012 ended, switching back and forth with an exciting college bowl game, I watched The Hunger Games. With a bottle of Prosecco and freshly popped popcorn, I was gripped to the television. Why had I waited so long? What a movie! Since I'm one of those who can't wait to find out what happens in the following two books, I had to text my daughter, as she was out partying, and ask her to please tell me what happens in the next two books, since she had read the entire trilogy. Although her return text to me, "Mom, really. Now?", the sweetie that she is called anyway and filled me in on all the exciting details. What a creative imagination Suzanne Collins, the author, has!
Hopefully this delicious Cranberry Almond Streusel Coffee Cake makes you hungry! As I write this blog post, I'm longing for a slice with a hot cup of coffee on this below freezing cold morning, but unfortunately, we gobbled it all up over the holidays.
The crumb of this cake was so moist and scrumptious, with the lovely hint of almond, harmonized perfectly with tart fresh cranberries, and topped off with a delicious, chunky streusel...which puts any coffee cake over the top, and adds just the right amount of sweetness.
This coffee cake is absolutely the best served freshly baked from the oven; however, since I was baking ahead, froze it in an airtight container for two weeks prior to serving, which worked out just as nicely.
Here's wishing you all the happiest and healthiest of New Years!
Until next time...mangia! xox
Carol
Cranberry Almond Streusel Coffee Cake
Serves 8 - 12
Ingredients:
for the coffee cake:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter, room temperature (I used unsalted butter and 1/4 teaspoon salt)
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 1/2 cups sour cream
2 cups fresh cranberries, rinsed
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
for the streusel topping:
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) salted butter, room temperature (I used unsalted butter and no salt)
confectioner's sugar for dusting
Create the Cranberry Almond Streusel Coffee Cake:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and baking powder.
Butter a 9" springform pan. (See Carol's notes.)
Cream butter and sugar until light.
Add eggs, one at a time, and stir together well.
Mix in vanilla extract, almond extract, and sour cream.
Add the flour mixture and beat until combined.
In a small bowl toss the cranberries with the 3 tablespoons sugar, and fold into the batter.
Spoon the batter into the prepared cake pan.
In a medium bowl, work together the sugar, flour and butter until crumbly, and sprinkle over the batter.
Bake until golden brown, approximately 50 - 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool in pan on a rack for approximately 30 minutes and remove the springform side.
Dust with confectioner's sugar before serving.
Refrigerate any leftover cake in an airtight container.
Carol's notes:
The original recipe called for a 9" round cake pan; however, this is not large enough if the pan only has 2" sides. I used a 9" springform pan, which has slightly higher sides, so it just made it. If you use a 9" round cake pan, be sure it has 3" sides. Otherwise, it would be best to use an 11" coffee cake pan, 10" angel food pan, or a 10" round cake pan, which will better fit the coffee cake ingredients. Adjust the cooking time accordingly, and carefully remove from the pan after cooling on rack for approximately 30 minutes.
If the edges rise above the sides of the pan and the streusel begins to brown too much before the cake is completely baked, cover the edges with foil.
Recipe adapted from Sweet Paul Blog.
Buon Anno, Carol! I adore this coffee cake, but I can never say no to anything with a streusel. Just wish I had a slice now for a mid-morning treat! :) Have a wonderful weekend!
ReplyDeleteBuon Anno to you too, Laura!!! May it be the best!!! xox
DeleteI think this is the prettiest coffee cake! That last pic is so colorful! A wonderful recipe Carol, and since I haven´t seen or read the hunger games either, I´m going to the bookstore tomorrow!
ReplyDeleteHi Paula! Thanks so much for the sweet comment! I just bought the books for my kindle too! My daughter made me promise to read them if she told me what happened! Can't wait to get into them!
DeleteOoh, this is my kind of cake! Love cranberries and the streusel topping! Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteHi, Anna! Happy New Year to you as well!!! I love seeing you stop by, thank you so much!
DeleteNow that is one delightful coffee cake. Seriously gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteJocelyn, you are the sweetest...thanks so much!!!
DeleteThis coffee cake is seriously so delightful! I just shared it on my facebook page.
ReplyDeleteThank you so very much for sharing, Jocelyn!!! So appreciated!!! xox
DeleteThis sounds so good. I'll have to try it. Hope all is well with you and your great column.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by, Lady JJ! Feeling much better after the antibiotics got into me! It's been a rough winter! :) Thank you!
DeleteIf I could wake up to this amazingness here, I would never be late for work! :)
ReplyDeleteYou crack me up, Chung-Ah! Thanks for the sweet comment, and stopping by!!!
DeleteWow, what a gorgeous coffee cake! The texture looks perfect...and that streusel topping is sublime!!!
ReplyDeleteHi Liz!!! Thanks so much for the compliment, and stopping by! Have a beautiful Sunday!!!
DeleteO.M.G. I love this. I LOVE cranberry almond!!!
ReplyDeleteHi Aimee! Thanks so much for stopping by, and taking the time to leave a sweet comment!!!
DeleteWhat a beautiful cake! Really tempting and surely divine.
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Rosa
Happy Sunday, Rosa! Thank you so much for stopping by a cup of mascarpone!!!
DeleteWhat a stunning and delicious looking coffee cake...wow!
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year Carol!
Thank you so very much, Alisha! Happiest of New Years to you as well!!!
DeleteFresh cranberries are one of my favorite things to bake with and they're available for such a short time. Plus you had me at streusel ;)
ReplyDeleteI so agree, Marina...I adore fresh cranberries too! Thanks for stopping by, and Happy New Year!!!
DeleteHappy New Year to you too Carol:-)
ReplyDeleteThe fresh cranberries in your coffee cake look just beautiful and the streusel topping is just over the top gorgeous!
I love making coffee cakes and even better I love eating coffee cakes;-)
Good morning, Patty! Thanks so much for the lovely comment, and stopping by!! PS: Can I have some of those dates from Palm Springs, please? :)
DeleteCarol, dear! This coffee cake is a killer...I am drooling like a baby. It looks so moist and delicious that I'll have to make it soon!!! Thanks for sharing your amazing creations.
ReplyDeleteDenise, you are so sweet! Thank you so much for your kind comment and stopping by!!!
DeleteI cooked a little with fresh cranberries over the holidays (love 'em dried) so I'm on the hunt for more recipes and found yours! Looks just wonderful. (And Hunger Games is addicting, huh?)
ReplyDeleteSo happy you found me, Rosemary!!! Yes, Hunger Games is very addicting! I NEED to find the time to sit in a cozy chair for an entire day and read book two! :)
Deletewhat a scrumptious, moist cake. I am so glad to come across your beautiful blog :) looking forward to read more.
ReplyDeleteHi Dixya! I'm so glad you did too!! Thanks so much for stopping by and taking the time to leave a sweet comment!!
DeleteHi Carol,
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting my blog, thought I would pop over to yours and check it out. And I have to say its wonderful, your pictures are truly stunning.
Thank you, and nice to meet you, Sophia! It was my pleasure - I am in love with your gorgeous Guinness Chocolate Cake and photos! Thanks for stopping by acom!!!
DeleteWhat a beautiful cake, I love how the dusting of powdered sugar just makes it look winter-y. I just bought some cranberries since they were on sale due to the holidays being over.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Suzanne! Thanks for visiting. My grocery store still has cranberries too...it's amazing how long they stayed around this season. Lucky for us! Have a great day!
DeleteBeautiful cake, Carol! I'm loving cranberries right now & a I love the streusel topping! I hope you had a lovely holiday and wishing you a happy & healthy new year!!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Meghan! So happy you stopped by for a visit! I had a wonderful holiday, thank you! I was with both my children, and my grandchildren...can't get much better! :) Wishing you a very happy new year, as well!!!
DeleteThat is the most beautiful cranberry cake! The streusel topping and the bright cranberries. I wish I had a piece right now.
ReplyDeleteHi Laura! Thank you so very much!!! I wish I had a slice to give you! :)
DeleteI just found you through Brown Eyed Baker. This cranberry streusel cake looks wonderful! I will try it next week. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteHappy Saturday morning, Debbie! So happy you found me, and came by to visit! Thank you so much!!!
DeleteToo bad fresh cranberries have been out of our stores for a few weeks now. Couldn't even get any to freeze this year. May give it a test drive with blueberries soon.
ReplyDeleteHi Robby! Thanks for stopping by! The area of the country I live in lucked out this year, we had cranberries way longer than usual. I think blueberries sound wonderful, or maybe even the frozen cranberries that the grocery stores offer. I've never used either, but definitely think it would be worth a try! You'll have to let me know how blueberries work out, if you use them! Have a great weekend!
Deletei love streusel to my coffee cake, they make them extra delicious! Yours looks amazing and I wish I had a slice right now!
ReplyDeleteP.S. I still haven't seen the hunger games, you were clearly not the last one
Hi Roxana! Happy New Year! Thanks for stopping by and leaving your sweet comment. You MUST watch the Hunger Games! If you have HBO, I think it's playing all month. xox
DeleteMade the cake , but it looks like it is not cooked inside even though it is all brown on outside...I did everything by the recipe..
ReplyDeleteGood morning Anonymous! With the sour cream, it will look extremely moist, like my photos. As long as your toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, it's completely baked! Enjoy!
DeleteJust made this tonight - delicious!
ReplyDeleteHi Katja! Thank you so much for stopping by to let me know! I'm so happy you enjoyed it!!!
DeleteCarol, what a gorgeous coffee cake! It looks like such a solid "crumb" and I love a hint of almond. Nothing better than a chunky streusel, either!
ReplyDeleteI also loved the movie The Hunger Games, and then I read it, and then Catching Fire, and now Mockingjay. My son gave me a Kindle Fire for Christmas, and as soon as I was done with each book I immediately ordered the next! You're right, Suzanne Collins is an excellent writer, and Jennifer Lawrence is an amazing actress. The movie provides great visuals for the book, but the book has so much more. Wonderful books...
Hi Jeannie! Thanks so much for stopping by! I don't feel as bad now watching the movie before reading the books. Kelly told me I had to read the books, since although the movie was awesome, you miss out on a lot of the details. What a nice gift you received for Christmas! I have the 2nd generation, very old, Kindle...but still love it! Have a great rest of the week! xox
DeleteI've made this recipe 2 times now but not with cranberries since they are gone from my grocery stores. The first time I used frozen blueberries and omitted the almond extract and added some grated orange peel. Today I use frozen sweet cherries which I quartered and left in the almond extract. I dusted the frozen fruits in about 1 Tab. of flour instead of sugar. Both combinations turned out excellent! I used the 9" spring form pan with the 3" sides but my coffee cake rose slightly above the rim and then the streusel broke off around the edge when I released it from the pan. I'm going to try a 10" spring form or tube pan next. It seems like it will be a very versatile coffee cake recipe as soon as I get the pan issues figured out. Thanks!!!
ReplyDeleteHi Patty! Thank you for stopping by to tell me about your baking adventures with this recipe! I love the flavor combinations you've used...they sound wonderful! The larger pan won't hurt a thing...the cake a bit smaller in height...but again, won't hurt anything! It sounds like you know exactly what you're doing, but just remember to cook for a shorter time with a bigger pan. I'm so happy you're enjoying the recipe! Happy Valentine's Day!!!
DeleteOh dear, this is the tastiest, softest, most delicious-looking cake ever! I so need to make this, thanks so much for the recipe and the lovely pictures xxx
ReplyDeleteHi Chitty! Thank you so much for your kind comment! So appreciate it! Enjoy!!!
DeleteOh wow, I am a sucker for cranberry baked goods! I just pinned this. :)
ReplyDeleteCount me in as another Hunger Games fan! I actually named 3 of my kitties after Hunger Games characters. :)
LOL, Kelly! Love that you named your kittens after the HG characters! Now that you mentioned it, it makes me want to watch it again! Thanks so much for your kind comment on the coffee cake. It's such a wonderful recipe!
DeleteCan dried Cranberries be used?
ReplyDeleteHi Anon! They probably could, but not with the same results and taste you would receive from fresh or frozen cranberries. If you want to give it a try, I would love for you to let me know how it turned out! Blueberries are another option; although I haven't used blueberries, a couple followers have said they received great results with blueberries. Enjoy!!! Thanks for stopping by!
DeleteI made this tonight for tomorrows Mothers's Day brunch with our Mom's. The house smells amazing and I can't wait to eat it! I don't own a springform so I used my Pampered Chef deep dish baker. It looks fantastic; fingers crossed that it comes out clean.
ReplyDeleteI called 7 stores before I could find frozen cranberries. I'm glad I didn't go driving around, cause I would have given up after three stores and found a new recipe! So for future readers...definately call your local stores instead of wasting gas. I ended up getting them at Whole Foods.
Thanks for the recipe!
Hello Anon! Happy Mother's Day! Thanks for stopping by and leaving your lovely comment about the cranberry almond streusel coffee cake! I'm glad you found them at Whole Foods, that's good to know, since most have a WF near them! Wegman's usually carries them also for those in the north east - from Virginia north. When cranberry season hits this year, I am going to freeze some fresh bags for during the year! Enjoy the cake at your brunch!
DeleteHi Carol, just reporting back in that it was definately a hit. My mom called tonight and said that I didn't send her home with enough! Thanks again! Becca
ReplyDeleteLove it, Becca!!! So happy it was a success!! Thanks so much for stopping back by to let me know! Carol
DeleteIf I'd like to cut this recipe in half and use whole wheat bread how would it change?
ReplyDeleteAny suggestions?
This recipe looks so yummy!
Hi Valerie! Cutting the recipe in half should work just fine! Be sure to adjust the pan size and cooking times accordingly. I have never made this with whole wheat flour, so can't attest to how it would change the recipe, but if you want to try it - I would use half ap flour and half ww flour on your first trial. Thanks so much for your question, and for stopping by! Enjoy this delicious coffee cake!!
DeleteI made this cake yesterday - followed recipe exactly. I looked awesome - just like your pictures, but both my husband and I found the cake to be very bland. We don't like really tart flavors, so I added more sugar to both the streusel and the cranberries - still way too tart for us. I think it would be good with a Chantilly cream or whipped cream, but I make cakes to put in my husband's lunch so that wouldn't work here. It did look beautiful, though!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by to comment, Anon! So happy to hear it looked beautiful…that's alway a good thing! :) I had a good friend use blueberries for the same reason…she found cranberries too tart. Maybe you could try that next time…or top with a glaze for extra sweetness!!
DeleteCarol, I just made your coffee cake ant it is beautiful and tastes wonderful. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful, Debbie!! Thank you so much for stopping by to let me know!!!
Delete