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Make-Ahead Cherry-Pistachio Coffee Cake

Source of Recipe


Cook's Country magazine



List of Ingredients



• -- Streusel --
  
• 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
  
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
  
• 1½ Tbsp ground cinnamon
  
• 8 Tbsp (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces
  
• ½ cup chopped unsalted pistachios
  
• .
  
• -- Cake --
  
• 3½ cups all-purpose flour
  
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  
• 1 cup granulated sugar
  
• 2 tsp baking powder
  
• 1 tsp baking soda
  
• 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
  
• ½ tsp salt
  
• 12 Tbsp (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  
• 3 large eggs
  
• 1¾ cups sour cream
  
• ¾ cup dried chopped cherries
  






Instructions



1. For the streusel:
   Pulse sugars, flour, cinnamon and butter in food processor until mixture resembles coarse meal. Divide streusel in half. Stir pistachios into one half and reserve separately.
   
   
2. For the cake:
   Grease two 9-inch cake pans. With electric mixer on medium-low speed, mix flour, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in large bowl. Beat in butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, until mixture is crumbly with pea-sized pieces, 1 to 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, until combined. Add sour cream in three additions, scraping down bowl as necessary. Increase speed to medium-high until batter is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add dried cherries to batter. Divide half of batter between prepared pans. Sprinkle streusel without nuts evenly over each pan. Divide remaining batter evenly between pans and top with nutty streusel. Wrap pans with plastic wrap and freeze for up to 1 month.
   
   
3. When ready to serve:
   Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat to 350° F. Unwrap cakes and bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few dry crumbs attached, about 55 minutes. Cool at least 15 minutes. Serve.
   
   Serves 12
   
   






Final Comments


This recipe produces two small coffee cakes, which can be baked on different days, if desired (unbaked cakes can be frozen for up to 1 month). We omit the nuts from the streusel used inside the coffee cake, because the nuts give off steam when baked, which can make the cake soggy. If you don't have two 9-inch round pans, use two 8-inch square pans instead.