Fruit Crumble Coffee Cake; with its moist, rich, and buttery crumb, bursting with fresh fruit flavor, and crowned with a rich, crunchy cinnamon streusel that then is topped with a light dusting of powder sugar to finish.

Having a few recipes that are easy to prepare, use ingredients that you always have on hand, that are quick to bake, and tasted really good is important to the home baker.

This recipe for the Fruit Crumble Coffee Cake inspired by Betty Crocker’s New Picture Cookbook is just one of those recipes. This recipe can be pulled together at a moments notice. No need to bring butter, eggs, and milk to room temperature. There is no worry about over beating the batter, and you can use what ever fruit you happen to have on hand fresh or frozen. Now what could be simpler than that?

When I was a kid and want something sweet to eat on a Sunday morning? I turned to my mom’s torn, tattered, and well used cookbook, “Betty Crocker’s New Picture Cookbook.” The original recipe for the Crumble Coffee Cake was made with vegetable shorting and without fruit. It was easy to put together. I could measure the ingredients, mix, and bake the coffee cake within an hour. The smell of cinnamon, brown sugar, and vanilla would fill the house calling everyone into the kitchen for a taste of the coffee cake, warm from the oven.

Over the years I’ve taken the original recipe adjust the amounts and refining it to include better ingredients. Sweet Cream Butter takes the place of the vegetable shortening, Muscovado dark brown sugar replaces ordinary brown sugar in the topping, and the addition of a pound of fruit takes the coffee cake to a whole new level.

The wonderful thing about this recipe is that you can add what ever fruit you desire. Today I’m making the Fruit Crumble Coffee Cake with frozen Montmorency tart cherries, grown right here in Michigan. I’ve also made this coffee cake with peaches, blueberries, raspberries, and apples. You can include citrus zest if you like too!

Serve warm at breakfast or brunch with big cup of coffee or the Fruit Crumble Coffee Cake  can be dressed up with a spoonful of lightly sweeten whipped cream or scoop of ice cream for a decadent dessert.

The recipe below is shown in U.S. measurement and also grams. As for all baking it is best to weight your ingredients to insure you are getting the most accurate amounts each time.

Equipment:

• Measuring Cups & Spoons/Digital Scale
• Mixing Bowls
• Wooden Spoon
• Rubber Spatula
• Non-Stick Spray
• 9″ Parchment Paper Round (cut out your own)
• 9″ x 2″ Cake Pan or 9″ Spring Form Pan

Directions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350°F (177°C) 20 minutes before baking the coffee cake.
2. Spray with Nonstick Spray or Butter and Flour the Springform pan and line with the parchment paper round.

Crumble Topping

• Measured           Grams             Ingredients
• ½ cup                       113 g.             Muscovado Dark Brown Sugar
• 1/3 cup                       36 g.             All Purpose Flour (King Arthur Flour)
• ½ tsp.                       ½ tsp.             Cinnamon (Ground)
• ¼ cup                        54 g.              Butter (unsalted)

1. In a mixing bowl combine the brown sugar, all purpose flour, and cinnamon.  Mix with your fingers to combine the ingredients.  Taking care to break up any large pieces of brown sugar.
2. Add the butter to the sugar mixture and cut together with a fork.  Cut until the mixture just becomes crumbly.  Set aside

Coffee Cake Batter

• Measured           Grams             Ingredients
• 2 cups                      290 g.             All Purpose Flour (King Arthur Flour)
• 2 tsp.                            8 g.             Baking Powder
• ½ tsp.                           6 g.             Sea Salt (finely ground)
• ¾ cup                      163 g.              Granulated Sugar
• ¼ cup                        54 g.              Butter (unsalted)
• 1 ea.                           1 ea.             Egg (large)
• 1 tsp.                         1 tsp.             Vanilla Extract (pure)
• ½ cup                      113 g.              Whole Milk
• 1 lb.                         454 g.              Fruit (Berries or cherries fresh or frozen) or (apples, pears, or peaches dice into 1/4″ pieces)

1. In a small bowl combine the all purpose flour, baking powder, and sea salt.  Stirring with a whisk to combine.
2. In a mixing bowl combine the granulated sugar and butter. Blend with a wooden spoon to combine.
3. Using a rubber spatula scrape the wood spoon clean.
4. Add the egg to the butter/sugar mixture and beat until well combined using the rubber spatula
5. Add the whole milk and vanilla extract and stir to combine. The mixture will curdle and break, this is normal.
6. Add all the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir together with a rubber spatula until blended. Beat the batter until it is light and fluffy.  Do not worry about over mixing.
7. Add the fruit to the batter and fold together with the rubber spatula until the fruit is evenly distributed throughout the batter. Note: Frozen fruit can cause the batter to stiffen, continue to stir to combine well before adding it to the springform pan.
8. Scoop the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top out evenly across the pan.
9. Sprinkle the crumble topping evenly over the top of the batter.
10. Bake the coffee cake in the preheated oven at 350°F (177°C) for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes or until the center of the coffee cake is set.  Check by using a toothpick. Poking the toothpick in the center of the cake, if come out clean with a few crumbs the cake is ready to removed from the oven. If the toothpick has batter on it, continue to bake checking after another 4 minutes. Note: Baking time will increased if frozen fruit is used in the batter.
11. Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack for 10 minute before removing the coffee cake from the springform pan.
12. Once cooled for 10 minutes the cake is ready to be removed from the springform pan.
13. Invert the coffee cake on to a cardboard cake round or plate to remove the parchment paper round.
14. Place on the cardboard cake round on the bottom of the coffee cake and cool for 30 minutes before cutting.
15. Dust with powder sugar just before serving.  Enjoy with coffee.  For an extra special treat.  Serve with a spoonful of lightly sweetened whip cream or ice cream for dessert!
16. Store, covered in plastic wrap or an a domed cake saver for up to 4 days.