“LET US LEARN TO APPRECIATE THERE WILL BE TIMES WHEN THE TREES WILL BE BARE, AND LOOK FORWARD TO THE TIME WHEN WE MAY PICK THE FRUIT.” Anton Chekhov
No!!! This is NOT fruitcake! It is a delicious cake that really can house any fruit , in any season, from your local farm stand. I don’t really care for ‘coffee cake’. While I appreciate a cold glass of milk with chippers warm from the oven, or a sweet crispy biscotti to dunk in my latte….I don’t really enjoy a baked good that requires a beverage just to get it down! And that has been my experience with most coffee cakes in the past! But not this one! Incredibly moist and luscious. I chose to use peaches this time. But berries or apples….or any other fruit in season would be amazing, too! Do you know what I found interesting about the cinnamon-sugar mix in this recipe? It includes……
…..COCOA POWDER! Just like coffee adds depth to chocolate…..the cocoa just added an extra level of richness! I think this cake is a perfect, standard recipe for a fruity coffee cake. And it’s one that I will use again and again in any season!
FOR THE CAKE:
3 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 sticks (6 oz) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
2 cups sour cream
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
cooking spray
powdered sugar for sprinkling
With your rack in the middle position in your oven, preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a bundt pan with cooking spray.
Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together three times. Set aside.
Using your electric mixer with a paddle attachment or your hand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar. Beat on medium until light and fluffy for about 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Add the sour cream and flour, alternately, in 3 additions. Beat on low speed until all ingredients are blended.
FOR THE FILLING:
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 TBSP ground cinnamon
1 TBSP dutch process cocoa powder
1/4 cup lightly toasted pecans, chopped
12 oz fruit (if using larger fruit like apples or peaches, cut into 1/2 inch pieces)
In a medium bowl, mix together the sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, cocoa powder and pecans.
Scoop about 1 1/2 cups of the cake batter into the bundt pan. Spread evenly with an offset spatula to cover the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of the sugar mixture on top. Dot with 1/3 of your fruit. Scoop 2 cups of batter on top again, spreading evenly. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of sugar mix. And dot with another 1/3 of your fruit. Repeat with 2 more cups of batter, spreading evenly. Sprinkle with the remaining sugar mixture and dot with remaining fruit. If you have any remaining batter, spoon it on top and spread over the fruit.
Bake for 35 minutes. Rotate the pan and bake for an additional 25-30 minutes or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Then invert, remove the pan, and allow the pan to cool completely upside down on the rack.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.
Enjoy!
What a gorgeous cake!
Thanks Maris! : )
Do you have a book of quotes? cause all the quotes you use are so lovely. I get tired of hunting those over the net. This cake looks lovely.
Kankana….you make me smile! I should have a book of quotes by now. But I hunt all over, too! And thanks….it was a good cake! : )
Anne,
This looks great, now if I could just find the button on your site to actually order one I’d be doing just that!
Mike
Mike! Lucky for you…..I will deliver! ;- } xoxo
This sounds lovely! I love any kind of coffee cake but add in those delicious fruits and you have me hooked!
Thanks Cassie! This is a great base cake for any fruit! : )
I just love seeing the peaches peeking through that yummy cake. I must try my hand at a coffee cake. : ) Have a great weekend! : )
Thanks Ramona! This really was my first coffee cake. And I should have cut the peaches a bit smaller. But it was good just the same! I hope you have a great weekend too! : )
PS… I love your bundt pan. : )
P.S…..I just got it for this cake! Thanks!
Wow – beautiful cake…and the pan is stunning!
Thanks Ann! I think I’m going to start collecting bundt pans too! : )
Not a fruitcake, just a cake with fruit!
Looks delicious, love it!
Thanks Vicki! And ANY fruit will work! : )
Peaches and pecans. What a pair. I’m so glad this isn’t your standard Christmas fruit cake because I can’t stand those things. I have peaches though and look forward to seeing how the peaches and chocolate fare together. Many thanks for the recipe.
Thanks Christiane…I’m not a fan of traditional fruitcakes either. And you don’t really taste chocolate with the addition of cocoa…just a richer cinnamon filling! : )
It looks so pretty and tasty. I love the addition of cocoa powder. Yum!
Thanks Susie! And the funny thing about the cocoa powder….it doesn’t make it taste chocolatey, just a bit richer! : )
Ace recipe
I love the idea of mixing the coffee with the fruit and making a cake of yum!
Thanks Carsley! This is a great basic coffee cake that would pair well with any fruit! : )
Oh my…it’s gorgeous!! Peaches were a good choice!
Thanks Sarah! I’m all about the peaches this month! ;- )
This is beautiful. Just lovely.
Thanks Kim….perfect for your trips to the farm market! : )
Gorgeous cake and I can only imagine how my sweet tooth would be satisfied with it. I told my husband this morning that I thought I had enough cake pans to last me from now on. I should have looked at your cake before I made that declaration. Now I want that pan!
What can I say?!?!?!? This looks awesome! What a beautiful bundt and I love the versatility of the recipe! The cocoa is a super interesting addition!