Raspberry Coffee Cake—it’s what’s for breakfast this weekend.
It can also be what’s for mid-morning snack, second breakfast, afternoon snack, or dessert. It’s also totally okay to sub a big hunk of it for one meal.* But only on the weekend because vegetables are important. Or something.
*Not a nutritionist, just a coffee cake enthusiast who believes in cake for lunch every once in a while, okay? Okay.
Raspberry Coffee Cake is a summertime spin on the Apple Cider Coffee Cake I made last fall. I’m looking forward to making the apple version again in a few months, but I am all about fresh seasonal berries right now. When I wrote my berry round-up a couple of weeks ago, I was shocked to see how few raspberry recipes I have in my archives, so I went and made a cake that showcases them in all their sweet, tangy glory!
This cake is super moist and delicious. In addition to the 1 1/2 cups of ripe red raspberries, the batter is made with sour cream, whole milk, butter, and a touch of brown sugar—basically, if you can think of an ingredient that makes cake amazing, it’s probably in this recipe.
I know coffee cake crumb qualifies more as an “element” than it does as an ingredient, but this cake has two layers of it and they definitely up the amazingness quotient. While the middle layer sort of melts into the middle of the cake, the stuff on top gets super caramelized and crispy while baking. YUM.
And speaking of baking, because it’s so moist, this cake needs to bake for a while. Like 75-minutes-a-while. The wait will seem eternal, but it will be absolutely worth it because cinnamon-scented cake bursting with raspberries and topped with crunchy crumbs is basically always worth it.
Another great thing? You don’t have to cool this cake completely before you slice into it. I mean, if you want to move it to a serving plate, you’ll want to wait for it to cool, but if it’s just you and family/friends who are family sitting around drinking cold brew and eating Raspberry Coffee Cake on a Saturday afternoon, slice that sucker up anytime you please.
Raspberry Coffee Cake
makes 1 9-inch round cake
Crumb:
1 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of Kosher or sea salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes
Cake Batter:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon Kosher or sea salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 large egg, room temperature
1/2 cup full-fat sour cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2/3 cup whole milk
1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries (about 8 ounces)
Garnish:
1-2 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar (optional)
Make the crumb. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, light brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Pour in vanilla. Add butter. Use your hands (or a pastry blender) to work butter into dry ingredients until a clumpy but hom*ogenous mixture forms. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan with butter. Line with parchment. Grease parchment with butter. Set aside.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat butter until fluffy. Mix in egg and sour cream; mixture may be a bit lumpy. Mix in half the dry ingredients followed by half the milk. Add remaining dry ingredients, followed by remaining milk. Use a silicone spatula (or wooden spoon) to fold in raspberries.
Pour half the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly. Top with half the crumb. Drop spoonfuls of the remaining batter over the crumb and gently spread to cover. Scatter remaining crumb over the top. Tap full pan a few times on the countertop to release any large air bubbles. Bake cake for 65-75, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let cool 20 minutes in the pan on a rack. Run a thin, flexible knife around the edge of the pan before releasing the springform. Cake may be served warm or room temperature. If you’d like, let the cake cool completely, invert it and remove the parchment before placing on a serving platter. Sift confectioner’s sugar over the top. Serve.
Leftover cake will keep well at room temperature for up to two days, or in the refrigerator for up to five.
