Sour Cream Coffee Cake with Brandy-Soaked Cherries

 

Ingredients

 

Makes 16 servings

• Streusel Topping (refer below recipe)

• 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided

• 1 cup dried sweet or sour cherries

• 1/2 cup brandy

• 1 1/2 cups sugar

• 3/4 cup butter

• 3 eggs

• 1 container (16 ounces) sour cream

• 1 tablespoon vanilla

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 2 teaspoons baking soda

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

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Method:

1. Prepare Streusel Topping; set aside. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Grease 10-inch tube pan with removable bottom. Sprinkle 1/4 cup flour into pan, rotating pan to evenly coat bottom and sides of pan. Discard any remaining flour.

3. Bring cherries and brandy to a boil in small saucepan. Cover; remove from heat. Let stand 20 to 30 minutes or until cherries are tender. Drain; discard any remaining brandy.

4. Beat sugar and butter in large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until thoroughly blended.

5. Beat in sour cream and vanilla. Add remaining 3 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Beat with electric mixer at low speed until just blended. Stir in cherries.

6. Spoon 1/2 of batter into prepared tube pan. Sprinkle with 1/2 of Streusel Topping. Repeat with remaining batter and Streusel Topping. Bake 1 hour or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

7. Cool in pan on wire rack 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Serve warm or at room temperature. Garnish as desired.

Streusel Topping: 

1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 tablespoons butter or margarine melted.

 

Combine nuts, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in small bowl. Drizzle mixture with butter and toss with fork until evenly mixed.

Note: To grease and flour cake pans, use a paper towel, waxed paper or your fingers to apply a thin, even layer of shortening. Sprinkle flour into the greased pan; rotate and tilt the pan until sides and bottom have a fine coating. Hold the pan upside down over the sink and tap it gently until any excess flour falls away.