Cranberry Coffeecake

And honestly, this is how I go about cooking and baking. And this is how a cranberry coffeecake found its way into my oven. And eventually into my stomach, along with an ample amount of coffee.

Cranberry Coffeecake

Ingredients

½ vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1¾ cups sugar, divided
2 cups fresh or thawed frozen cranberries
2 cups All Purpose Flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs
½ cup whole milk
Topping
⅓ Cup Flaked Coconut, unsweetened
1 Tablespoon All-Purpose Flour
1 Tablespoon Unsalted Butter, room temperature

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. Grease a 9 inch round cake pan with butter and line bottom with parchment paper. Grease parchment.
3. Make vanilla sugar: With the tip of a paring knife, scrape out the seeds from the vanilla bean and place in a food
   processor with 1+3/4 Cup of sugar. Pulse to combine. Transfer to another bowl – you will need the food processor again.
4. Place cranberries and ½ Cup of vanilla sugar in food processor and pulse until chopped but NOT pureed.
5. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt – set aside.
6. In a large mixing bowl, cream together 1 stick of butter and 1 cup of vanilla sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down side and bottom of bowl.
7. With mixer on low, add flour mixture and milk alternately in batches, beginning and ending with flour. Beat until just combined.
8. Pour ½ of batter into bottom of prepare pan – the batter will be very thick, so spread it out with a butter knife.
9. Spoon cranberries over the batter, leaving a ½ inch border around edge. Spread the remaining batter over cranberries.
   (With the batter being so thick, the best way to do this is by dolloping spoonfuls of batter all over cranberry filling and very carefully with a buttered knife, gradually spreading the batter over the filling)
10. Prepare crumble topping : In a small bowl, combine remaining ¼ cup of vanilla sugar, flaked coconut, tablespoon of butter, and tablespoon of flour. Crumble with fingers or fork until pebble like.
11. Spread evenly over top of cake.
12. Place in preheated oven and bake for 45-50 minutes until toothpick comes out clean (don’t test into cranberry filling).
13. Let cool in pan for about 30 minutes before removing from pan and let cool completely on a wire rack before serving.
14. Serve with coffee and good conversation.