This coffee cake recipe is a guest favorite at Whispering Pines Bed and Breakfast.
Often our coffee cake is the tasty pastry part of our gourmet breakfast and is typically paired with a savory egg dish to balance out the meal. It is also a popular selection for our luncheons as a sweet ending.
Coffee Cake
This is a delicious, and relatively healthy, coffee cake and a staple at Whispering Pines Bed and Breakfast. This versatile recipe can be used any time of year making use of what is abundant from the garden or orchard. We use rhubarb in the Spring, zucchini in the Summer and apples in the Fall and through Winter.
Ingredients
Cake batter:
- 1/2 cup shortening or apple sauce (we use apple sauce!)
- 1 1/2 cups brown sugar packed
- 1 egg
- 2 cups flour 1 cup wheat & 1 cup white
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
- 1 cup sour cream or yogurt (we use yogurt!)
- 2 cups fresh seasonal fruit zucchini, rhubarb, or apples—peeled, cored and diced
Topping:
- 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
- 1/2 cup walnuts finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
- In a mixing bowl, cream either shortening or apple sauce (your choice, we use apple sauce) and brown sugar. Beat in the egg.
- In separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, nutmeg and salt. Add 1/2 of the flour mix to the creamed mixture, mix until well combined. Then alternate with sour cream or yogurt, mixing after each.
- Fold in seasonal fruit (rhubarb, apples, zucchini, i.e.). Pour into a greased 9 x 13 baking dish.
- Combine the topping ingredients; sprinkle over batter evenly.
- Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on wire racks.
Notes
Freezes well!
We like the flavor and crunch of the walnuts. Feel free to substitute pecans or your favorite nut for the walnuts, or leave off if preferred.