Cranberry Pear Coffee Cake

If you like coffee cake, this one is for you! It has become one of our favourites: it is very coffee cake-ish but the cranberries add a little more pizzazz. Moist and oh-so-good, this coffee cake isn’t as heavy as some coffee cake can be and makes a delicious coffee-break treat any time of day!

Serves 12
Ingredients

Topping
1⁄3 c brown sugar or coconut sugar
1 tbsp butter
1⁄4 c walnuts or pecans
2 tbsp whole wheat flour 
1 tbsp ground flax meal
1 tsp cinnamon
Cranberry/Pear Mixture
1 c fresh cranberries, chopped fine
2 c fresh pears (about 2 large), chopped fine
3 tbsp sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
Cake
1⁄2 c brown sugar or coconut sugar
1⁄2 c white sugar
1⁄3 c butter
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
12⁄3 c whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1⁄2 c fruit juice (pineapple, orange or apple)
1⁄2 c Greek yogurt or sour cream
 

Method

1. Make the topping: in a small bowl cream the butter and sugar. Add the remaining ingredients and mix until well combined and crumbly. Set aside.

2. Prepare the fruit mixture: in a food processor or with a knife, chop the raw cranberries. Peel and chop the pear into small pieces. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to coat. Set aside.

3. In a high-sided bowl place butter and sugars. Beat with an electric mixer until well combined.

4. Add 1 egg on top of the butter sugar mixture and beat until the butter mixture is a light and fluffy state. Add the second egg and beat again until light and fluffy.

5. Add vanilla and beat it into the mixture.

6. In a separate bowl sift the flour. Add the baking powder and baking soda and mix to combine.

7. In a separate bowl combine fruit juice and yogurt or sour cream.

8. Add 1⁄3 of the flour mixture and 1⁄3 of the juice/yogurt mixture to the butter mixture; beat until combined. Repeat additions until all the flour and juice/yogurt mixture is incorporated.

9. Fold in the fruit mixture.

10. Using spray oil, spray a 10-inch spring form pan.

11. Spoon batter into pan and sprinkle topping evenly over the top.

12. Bake at 350○F for 50-60 minutes or until a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack.