Raspberry Walnut Coffee Cake

Much like tea cakes don't actually have tea in them, coffee cakes don't actually have coffee in them. Well, unless it is a coffee coffee cake then it does. Instead, these breakfast or snack cakes are meant to be eaten with coffee or tea or even a big glass of milk (soy milk in my case). Served warm or at room temperature, it's equally delicious. I don't remember where I got this coffee cake recipe, but it is one of my most requested.

While baking the raspberries will slightly disintegrate and become almost like a jam. If I am using frozen berries, I don't drain them since I like the way the berry juices soak into the top of the golden cake especially when combined with that crunchy sweet nutty streusel topping.



Raspberry Walnut Coffee Cake
(makes one 9x13-inch cake)

Cake:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
4 ounces (1 stick/8 tbsp) unsalted butter, softened at room temp
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk, at room temp
10-12 ounces raspberries, fresh or frozen (barely thawed)

Topping:
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 ounces (half stick/4 tbsp) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter and lightly flour a 9x13-inch pan (or line pan with parchment paper).

To make the cake:
Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of a mixer, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape sides of bowl between additions. Beat in vanilla.

Add flour mixture and mix until the flour is just barely incorporated. Add buttermilk and mix until just combined and smooth.

Scrape batter into prepared pan and top with the raspberries.

To make the topping:
Combine sugar, flour and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Add butter and, with a fork or your fingertips, mix until crumbly. Stir in the walnuts and then sprinkle the topping over the raspberries.

Bake at 350F for about 45 minutes or until cake tested comes out clean. Serve warm or at room temperature.