Cake is Not a Country...But it Should be - Cranberry Pecan Coffee Cake

Cranberry Pecan Coffee Cake

I could never say ‘no’ to you, fat – Homer Simpson

Cake is not a country, but it should be.  And, any cake that incorporates fall’s jewel-colored cranberries, toasted pecans, Vietnamese cinnamon,  freshly grated nutmeg and Madagascar vanilla should be – well, I don’t know what it should be, other than an ethereal and heavenly thing.

Cream cheese and plenty of sweet unsalted butter, plus four eggs make the batter sublimely rich and the crumb ridiculously moist and velvety.

So there you have it – Homer Simpson got it right-(as if you didn’t already know). And,  if you have to do a couple extra minutes in the pool or on the treadmill, trust me, it’s all good and way, way worth it.

Cranberry Coffee Cake

·         8 oz. cream cheese

·         1 ½ cups sugar

·         1 cup sweet unsalted butter (2 sticks)

·         1 ½ tsp. Madagascar vanilla extract

·         4 eggs

·         2 ¼ cups flour, divided

·         1 tsp. baking powder

·         ½ tsp. salt

·         ½ tsp. Vietnamese cinnamon (traditional is fine)

·         ¼ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

·         2 ½ cups fresh or thawed frozen cranberries

·         ½ cup pecan, coarsely chopped

·         ¼  - ½ cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 10-inch tube or large fluted tube pan and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese, sugar, butter and vanilla until well mixed. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. In a small bowl, sift together 2 cups of the flour, the baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add the dry ingredients to the batter, one third at a time, mixing well after each addition. In another small bowl, toss the cranberries and pecans with the remaining flour until well coated. Stir gently into the batter. Pour into the pan and bake at 350F for 55-65 minutes, until the cake is lightly browned. Do not over-bake. Let stand for about 15 minutes before removing from the pan. Sift powdered sugar lightly over the warm cake.

(Adapted from Dena Martin –Penzey’s Spices Recipe Card)