Nothing goes bad quite like a strawberry. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve purchased berries and, after a couple of days in the fridge, they start looking green around the gills. Or they look just fine on top, but then I dig halfway down and find it’s all a sham, because the middle berries are fuzzier than 5 o’clock shadow at a quarter past 8. So when I have strawberries, they must be handled quickly, or else it’s like throwing money in the trash. But aside from freezing them for sauces or smoothies, what’s a gal to do? A gal makes coffee cake.
Served warm, the moist cake and juicy strawberries will make a worthy companion to your morning coffee, or a little bit of satisfaction for your sweet tooth in the evening. This would honestly work with any berries you have on hand, just make sure you have enough fruit to cover the top of the cake completely – you don’t want to miss out on any berry goodness. Just whip up the batter, layer your berries on top (yes, even the ugly ones), pile on the topping, and you’re done. Add some chopped nuts if it suits you. It’s fast, easy, and so good that people will think you went to a lot of trouble, even if it only took a few minutes. Don’t forget to sprinkle a little flour in your hair so you look like you actually tried.
Strawberry Coffee Cake
Cake
1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Finely grated lemon zest, a little over 1/2 tsp
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
2 tablespoons melted butter
About 2 cups of strawberries, sliced
Streusel Topping
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup butter
Directions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees, and grease and flour an 8×8 baking pan.
- Prepared the cake batter: combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, zest, and salt. Make a well in the middle, and add the milk, egg, vanilla, and butter. Beat until fully combined, and spoon the batter into your prepared baking pan.
- Layer the sliced strawberries evenly over the batter.
- For the streusel, combine the flour and sugar, and rub in the butter with your fingers until crumbly. Okay, you can use a fork or pastry cutter if you must. Sprinkle the topping over the berries, and bake for 30 to 35 minutes.
- Allow to cool slightly before cutting, but can be served warm.
Feeding Darragh 