Cherry Coffee Cake

Want to try a fresh summer-y take on you're regular coffee cake? This stunning cinnamon-sugar cake is studded with vibrant Bing cherries scented with almond and topped with a crispy sugar topping. Its the perfect cake for a summer bbq or when you just want something sweet (always for me!). 

In this dessert, I incorporated a recipe for homemade cherry pie filling by My Baking Addiction and a light cherry coffee cake recipe by CopyKat. The following is a combination of both recipes with a few adaptions. Please check out both websites for more information and other great recipes! 

Ingredients: 

Cherry pie filling: 

5 cups fresh cherries such as Bing, Rainier, etc. 
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/3 cup granulated sugar, more/less to taste
4 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Cinnamon Cake: 

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

6 tablespoons butter, softened

1 cup sugar divided

1/2 cup egg whites

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup skim milk

Splash of water

Directions (cherry pie filling): 

1. Pit cherries using a pitter or a paper clip. I had a bit of trouble with the paper clip option at first, so I would strongly suggest using a pitter if you have one. Pit the cherries over the kitchen sink or line your work station with plenty of paper towels! Wear gloves if you don't want your hands to turn purple!!!!

   2. Stir the cherries, water, lemon juice, sugar, almond extract and cornstarch in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Continue to stir until the mixture thickens and the cherries have boiled down, about 10 minutes. Set aside.  

Cake directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease a 9-inch spring-form pan with cooking spray. 

2.  Mix 1 3/4 cup flour, baking powder, and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon in a small bowl.

3. In separate large bowl, cream 5 T butter and 3/4 cup sugar until smooth using an electric mixer on medium speed.

4. Add the egg whites and vanilla extract.

5. Switch the mixer to low speed and alternate pouring the flour mixture and milk into the wet ingredients. Continue to mix until well combined; avoid over mixing.

6. Spread batter into the spring-form pan, then carefully spoon the cooled cherry pie filling over the batter. Pop in the oven for 35-40 minutes and remove when the cake has risen but is still slightly wet inside. BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE!

7. In the meantime, mix the 1/4 cup flour, 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon powder together until well combined.

8. Add the leftover 1 T butter to the dry ingredients and mix with clean hands until the topping looks like coarse crumbs. Add a splash of water and almond extract to the mixture.

9. When the cake comes out of the oven, evenly sprinkle the topping over the cake. Pop the cake back into the oven for 15-20 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

10. Let cool for about 20 minutes (hang in there!), then lift up the outer ring of the pan. Cut and serve!