There are many reasons to live for raspberry season, and this is one of them. The moist tender crumb has that buttery brown sugar sweetness, which finds its complement in the refreshing tart flavor of the raspberries. The recipe comes together quickly and your house will smell wonderful while it’s baking. The raspberry glaze and topping of chopped roasted almonds make it a beautiful treat for brunch or dessert.
INGREDIENTS:
Makes one 9-inch x 5-inch loaf
COFFEE CAKE
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1¼ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
¾ cups almonds, roasted and coarsely chopped; divided
6 oz (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
1¼ cup milk
1 tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup buttermilk
1 cup fresh raspberries (frozen will also work)
GLAZE
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
2 Tbsp milk
2 Tbsp raspberry jam
DIRECTIONS:
COFFEE CAKE
Preheat oven to 325°F
Prepare a 9-inch x 5-inch loaf pan by brushing the interior with oil. Cut a 10-inch x 9-inch piece of parchment paper and press it into the pan to prevent sticking.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add ½ cup almonds and toss with a spoon to combine. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, place the butter and brown sugar. With a paddle attachment, mix on medium-low speed until light in texture and pale in color, about 4 minutes.
In a small bowl, combine the eggs, milk, almond and vanilla extracts; mix well. Add the egg mixture to the creamed butter in 3 additions. Incorporate the liquid before each addition. Lower the bowl, scrape the sides and paddle, and mix again to incorporate everything.
Alternate adding the flour mixture and buttermilk to the mixer bowl, making 3 additions of each. Lower the bowl, scrape the sides and paddle, and mix again to incorporate everything. Add the raspberries and mix on low speed for 30 seconds.
Scoop the mix into the prepared loaf pan and level the top. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. The cake will be golden brown.
Let cool for 1 hour.
GLAZE
Combine the powdered sugar, milk and raspberry jam. Whisk to dissolve all lumps. If the glaze is not pourable, add a dash more milk.
Remove the coffee cake from the pan and place it on a serving plate. Pour the raspberry glaze over the top and garnish the center length of the loaf with the remaining almonds. Enjoy!