This past Sunday I hosted a little impromptu brunch for my family, inspired by my need to make this coffee cake.

I had spied the recipe on one of my favorite recipe blogs a couple days before and I was eager to give it a go. Most coffee cake recipes result in a cake that is much too dry for my tastes. This recipe balances the sweet gooey fruit perfectly between the cake layers.

You can change up the fruit in this recipe to suit your tastes. The original recipe called for cherries but I subbed blueberries without a problem, it would be equally great with blackberries, apples, or peaches. If you give it a try let me know what you think.

Blueberry Coffee Cake  (Adapted slightly from Jennifermurch.com)

For the Cake:

1 Cup Softened Butter

1 and ¾ Cup Granulated Sugar

4 Eggs

1 tsp. Almond Extract

3 Cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

1 tsp. Cinnamon

1 and ½ tsp. Baking Powder

½ tsp. Salt

¼ Cup Milk

In the bowl of an electric mixer cream butter and sugar. Add in eggs and vanilla. Stir dry ingredients together and add to mixture alternately with milk. Mix just until combined.

Spread one half of the mixture in a large 10×15 baking pan. Spread fruit mixture on top. Drop spoonfuls of the remaining cake batter on top of the fruit. Spread ever so slightly, you will still have areas of fruit peeking thru.

For the Fruit Filling:

4 Cups Blueberries

½ Cup Granulated Sugar

3 Tbsp. Cornstarch

¼ Cup Water

Put blueberries in a small saucepan. Mix together the sugar and cornstarch, add in water and stir well. Pour mixture over blueberries, stir. Cook on medium heat, stirring often, until the mixture is thick and bubbly. If it looks to thick or begins to stick just add a bit more water.

Bake coffee cake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes. 

For the Glaze:

2 Cups Powdered Sugar

Juice from 2 Lemons

Whisk together well until thick but pourable. Add more powdered sugar or lemon juice as needed. Pour over baked and slightly cooled cake.