I recently served this delicious Cherry Pecan Streusel Coffee Cake for a brunch we hosted for friends. I was searching the net for a bundt coffee cake which incorporated dried tart cherries, and discovered this recipe on Food 52.
Note: However, the contributor on Food 52 omitted several ingredients from the recipe and it was caught in the comment section. I knew immediately something was wrong, and read further. I have the complete corrected recipe below.
The streusel topping which is layered between the sour cream and butter based batter combines cocoa, brown sugar, pecans, dried cherries, and cinnamon. A winning combination!
Before giving you the recipe here are a few photos from the brunch buffet …
You can’t go wrong serving bagels and smoked salmon for brunch!
I whipped up my own veggie cream cheese (recipe from Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa), and combined fresh minced chives and some minced dried onions with a block of cream cheese to make my own chive cream cheese. Both were a big hit, and so easy to make!
I made a fresh fruit salad… fresh pineapple, oranges, persimmons, kiwi, grapes and berries…so pretty in a glass trifle dish!
added some lavender branches from my pot growing on the deck to some greenery for the centerpiece…
and the Cherry Pecan Coffee Cake along with my homemade Rugelach provided a sweet ending…
We had begun the meal with some mimosas of fresh orange juice and Prosecco to toast the New Year.
With freshly brewed strong coffee to accompany the meal we lingered comfortably for several hours at the table eating and talking and laughing and eating some more!
Here is the recipe for the coffee cake…
Cherry Pecan Streusel Coffee Cake (serves 12)
Steusel topping
1 and ¼ cups coarsely chopped pecans
1 and ¼ cups light brown sugar
4 and ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
4 and ½ teaspoons unsweetened powdered cocoa
6 tablespoons dried cherries
Combine above ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside.
Cake Ingredients
3 cups cake flour
1 and ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 and ½ teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoons salt
¾ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1 and ½ cups sugar
3 large eggs at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
16 ounces sour cream
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Butter a 12-cup Bundt pan.
Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl.
Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and 1 and ½ cups sugar into a large bowl till blended.
Beat in the eggs, one at a time.
Mix in vanilla.
Mix the dry ingredients and sour cream alternately into the butter mixture in about 3 additions beginning and ending with the flour.
Beat the batter on high for 1 minute until well blended.
Pour 1/3 of batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with half of the nut mixture. Spoon 1/3 of batter over. Sprinkle with remaining nut mixture. Spoon remaining batter over.
Bake cake until tester inserted near center comes out clean, about 1 hour.
Cool cake in pan on rack 10 minutes. Use a knife to gently loosen sides of cake from pan. Turn cake out onto rack and cool for at least 1 hour.
When completely cool transfer to a serving platter.
Glaze Ingredients
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon milk
Whisk the powdered sugar and milk in a small bowl until smooth. Drizzle over coffee cake. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.
Note: The cake can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cool completely, wrap well, and store at room temperature. If making it more in advance wrap well and freeze. Unwrap and bring to room temperature before serving.