Coffee Cake with seasonal fruit

 

Any seasonal fruit can be used in this simple coffee cake.  Blackberries were used in the cake in the photo above.  My favorite version is with peaches and blueberries.  Although I haven't tried it, I think this cake would be perfectly good without any fruit at all, but the fruit adds a bit of moisture to an otherwise dry cake.

The dough is incredibly sticky.  Use a bowl with curved sides, if possible, and a spatula to get all the dough transferred into the springform pan.  Slightly press the fruit into the dough.  The cake will rise around it as it bakes. 

note:  when I set the oven to "convection bake," it slightly overbaked the bake.  Use the regular bake setting.

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter (room temperature)
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
zest from one fresh lemon
1-1/4 cup self rising flour
2 peaches & handful of blueberries (or other fruit)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Generously butter a 9-inch springform pan.

Using an electric mixer, beat ½ cup of butter in a large bowl until fluffy.  Add ¾ cup sugar and beat until blended.  Beat in eggs, one at a time, then the lemon juice and the lemon peel.  Beat in flour until smooth.  Spread batter evenly in buttered pan.

Arrange peaches in circles and lightly press in blueberries between the peaches.  Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of sugar over the cake and bake until cake is golden, about 40 minutes.

Optional:  Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

note: photo at top taken 1-23-10 during a visit by Diane, Troy, Rachel and Kevin.  This cake was made with peaches and blueberries.