Guest Author - Katherine Tomlinson
Chocolate for breakfast? Why not? It’s Christmas. But before you begin mainlining the chocolate Santas straight from your stocking, take a few minutes to put on a pot of coffee and mix up one of these incredibly easy, incredibly tasty coffee cakes.
Chocolate Cherry Christmas Coffee Cake
This spicy cake is a chocolicious combo of moist and crumbly with a streusel topping and dried cherries.
The coffee cake is luscious right out of the oven, but you can make it a day ahead and enjoy it the next morning.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare a 13 x 9-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
3 cups flour
2 cups granulated sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter
4 tsp. cocoa powder
3 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans)
1 cup milk
1 cup sour cream
Combine the sugar and flour. Cut in the butter until everything is crumbly.
Set 1 ¼ cups of the mixture aside to use as the streusel topping.
Add the cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg and salt to the remaining mixture. Mix well.
Add the raisins and chopped nuts.
Combine the sour cream and milk and pour into the center of the dry mix. Stir until everything is just moistened and mixed.
Pour into prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.
Cool on a wire rack.
Note: I use dried cherries in this recipe but you could also use dried cranberries (craisins) or raisins. You can also substitute ½ cup chocolate chips for the nuts in the mix, but that’s just gilding the lily!
White Chocolate Cranberry Coffee Cake
This coffee bake is a whole different taste sensation and festive with winter white chocolate and juicy cranberries.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Prep a 9-inch springform baking pan with cooking spray.
2 cups fresh cranberries (can also use frozen)
1 ½ sticks unsalted butter
2 1/1 cups flour
1 1/3 cups light brown sugar (packed)
2 large eggs
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 cup buttermilk
1 6-oz package white chocolate chips
Cream the butter, and 1 cup of the brown sugar. Add the eggs and beat until frothy.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and baking powder. Add the dry ingredients to the butter/sugar/egg mixture alternately with the buttermilk (beginning and ending with the dry ingredients).
Fold in the cranberries and half the package of white chocolate chips (about ½ cup). Pour into prepared pan. Top the batter with the remaining brown sugar and white chocolate chips.
Bake for an hour and a half until firm in the center and a tester comes out clean.
Cool for half an hour on a wire rack before removing to a serving plate. This is another breakfast treat that can either be served warm or at room temperature.
