Cherry Coffee Cake

One of my favorite things to do on a Saturday morning is to relax and enjoy the news, drink uber strong coffee and make something tasty. I tend to be a coffee cake/muffin/scone kind of girl. And this weekend I was in the mood to bake, which I haven't done in a few weeks! This is a recipe from Martha Stewart and although it calls for fresh cherries, I just used a bag of frozen Albertsons cherries. And it was AMAZING.

I would recommend that you used a tall 8 inch cake pan. The kind with tall, raised, removable sides. Or, use a 9-inch square baking pan. The only downside is waiting an hour for this puppy to bake!

Sour Cherry Coffee Cake (adapted from Martha Stewart Living, July 2009)

For the topping:

• 2 ounces (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for dish
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dish
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the cake:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 2 cups fresh sour cherries, pitted

Preheat oven to 350° F. Butter a 9-inch round baking dish, dust with flour, tap out excess.

In a medium bowl, stir together butter, flour, sugars, salt, and cinnamon. Set topping aside.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and granulated sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Working in alternating batches, add flour mixture and buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour. Beat until just combined. Pour into prepared dish, and smooth with an offset spatula. Dot top with cherries, and sprinkle with crumb topping.

Bake until golden and a tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Let cool before cutting.