Raspberries are grown throughout the United States, both cultivated and wild ones. The roots and crowns of the plant are perennial, but the canes are biennial meaning they proliferate in their first year then produce flowers that turn into fruit in the second growing season. Now is the perfect time to find sweet, ripe raspberries.
If you are fortunate enough to have a place to pick raspberries for yourself, there are a few things to keep in mind. Raspberries will not continue to ripen after picking. Plump, firm, ripe fruits will easily detach from the central core (receptacle or torus) that remains on the plant. The hollow-cored berry is actually about 100 smaller fruits called drupelets. This seasonal coffee cake uses both fresh berries and jam for intense raspberry flavor.
Raspberry Orange Coffee Cake
Raspberry Orange Coffee Cake (adapted from foodnetwork.com) Total Time Required: 2 hours 30 minutes, Prep Time: 30 minutes, Bake Time: 1 hour, Cooling Time: 1 hour, Makes: 8 servings
Ingredients:
Crumb Topping:
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- pinch of fine salt
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
Cake:
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more, for the pan
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2/3 cup raspberry jam
- 1 cup fresh raspberries
Glaze:
- 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
Directions:
In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the flour, brown sugar, orange zest, cinnamon, and salt and mix until combined. Set the mixture aside.
Blend together all the ingredients for the crumb topping.
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Butter an 8-inch square cake pan and set the pan aside.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a small bowl.
Beat together the butter and granulated sugar in the large bowl of an electric mixer on medium-high speed until it is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Cream together the butter and the sugar.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla.
Beat in the eggs, one at a time.
Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the sour cream. Begin and end with the flour mixture, and beat until just incorporated between each addition.
Add in the flour mixture, alternating with the sour cream.
Spoon half of the cake batter into the prepared pan and smooth it out with a spatula. Dollop the jam on top, carefully smoothing it to 1/2-inch from the edges of the pan. Distribute the raspberries on top of the jam. Spoon the remaining cake batter over the raspberries and smooth the top.
Add half the batter to the pan, top with the jam and raspberries, then carefully spread the rest of the batter over the berries.
Sprinkle on the crumb topping.
Top the coffee cake with the crumb topping.
Bake until the cake and topping are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour. Let the coffee cake cool in the pan on a wire rack.
Bake the cake.
When the cake is cool, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and orange juice in a medium bowl until smooth. Drizzle the glaze over the cake.
Add the glaze to the coffee cake.
Let the glaze set (about 30 minutes) before cutting and serving the cake.
So good!!
This fits the bill for breakfast, brunch, a snack, or dessert! ~Linda
Raspberry Orange Coffee Cake (adapted from foodnetwork.com) Total Time Required: 2 hours 30 minutes, Prep Time: 30 minutes, Bake Time: 1 hour, Cooling Time: 1 hour, Makes: 8 servings
Ingredients:
Crumb Topping:
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- pinch of fine salt
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
Cake:
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more, for the pan
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2/3 cup raspberry jam
- 1 cup fresh raspberries
Glaze:
- 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
Directions:
In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the flour, brown sugar, orange zest, cinnamon, and salt and mix until combined. Set the mixture aside.
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Butter an 8-inch square cake pan and set the pan aside.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a small bowl.
Beat together the butter and granulated sugar in the large bowl of an electric mixer on medium-high speed until it is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the sour cream. Begin and end with the flour mixture, and beat until just incorporated between each addition.
Spoon half of the cake batter into the prepared pan and smooth it out with a spatula. Dollop the jam on top, carefully smoothing it to 1/2-inch from the edges of the pan. Distribute the raspberries on top of the jam. Spoon the remaining cake batter over the raspberries and smooth the top. Sprinkle on the crumb topping.
Bake until the cake and topping are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour. Let the coffee cake cool in the pan on a wire rack.
When the cake is cool, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and orange juice in a medium bowl until smooth. Drizzle the glaze over the cake and let it set (about 30 minutes) before cutting and serving.