Fruit Coffee Cake

The urge to bake swept over me tonight. I think it was really because my other option was tackling the linen closet in the kid's bathroom and I'm just not quite up for that. Plus we are low on "sweet" snacks for the kids to take to school tomorrow. I'm pretty routine about what I pack in their lunch. Must be a sweet, a salty/crunchy and a fruit in addition to the main course which could be anything from a sandwich to cereal to soup in a thermos. But I'm low on sweet and I just didn't have the oomph to run the half mile to the grocery store, lazy I know, so baking it was.

An old cookbook was on my counter from C and her friend perusing it yesterday. They are bakers in the making those two. Anyway I opened it up and found a Fruit Coffee Cake. Hmmmm, interesting. It could double as breakfast AND the sweet snack. I like multi-tasking. Looked through, had all the ingredients, it was a go. The beauty of it is that you can use a variety of fruits. I had apples on hand so that is what I used but peaches would be tasty or berries.

It was a breeze to prepare and in the oven it went for 40 minutes.

I probably should have let the topping brown more you think? Impatient. And I didn't want the cake to burn.

The middle layer is where the tasty apples are and they really are tasty.

So you have a layer of cake, a layer of apple goodness, another layer of cake and then the topping. I would change the topping next time. Instead of white sugar I would use brown and add cinnamon. Otherwise this is a keeper and I'll make it again I am sure. Though I guess the real test is tomorrow to see what the kids think.

Here is the recipe if you want to try:

Fruit Coffee Cake

Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook

Ingredients

1-1/2 to 2 cups pitted and sliced apricots or peaches; chopped, peeled apples or pineapple; or blueberries or red raspberries


1/4 cup water


1/4 cup sugar


2 tablespoons cornstarch


1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour


3/4 cup sugar


1/2 teaspoon baking powder


1/4 teaspoon baking soda


1/4 cup butter or margarine


1 beaten egg


1/2 cup buttermilk or sour milk*


1/2 teaspoon vanilla


1/4 cup all-purpose flour


1/4 cup sugar


2 tablespoons butter or margarine


Directions


1. For filling, in a medium saucepan combine fruit and water. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer,* covered, about 5 minutes or until fruit is tender. Combine the 1/4 cup sugar and cornstarch; stir into fruit. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir 2 minutes more; set filling aside.






2. In a medium bowl combine the 1-1/2 cups flour, the 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Cut in 1/4 cup butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture; set aside.






3. In another bowl combine egg, buttermilk, and vanilla. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Using a wooden spoon, stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy). Spread half of the batter into an ungreased 8x8x2-inch baking pan. Spread filling over batter. Drop remaining batter in small mounds over filling.






4. In a small bowl stir together the 1/4 cup flour and 1/4 cup sugar. Cut in the 2 tablespoons butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over coffee cake. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden. Serve warm. Makes 9 servings.

Music to bake by:
Matt Nathanson, Wedding Dress
Goo Goo Dolls, Iris
Michael Buble, Everything
Joshua Radin, Free of Me