Nutty Cherry Coffee Cake

Coffee cakes are delightful. 

But for some reason, I never think to make them. Until I do, and then I must make one NOW. 

This thought crept into my head on Friday. But we had a delightful dinner with friends planned - so the cake had to wait. Then I worked Saturday morning and managed to start a knitting project in the afternoon - so the cake was stuck waiting again. 

But Sunday, oh Sunday! After church and a quick trip to the store (to get sour cream for the coffee cake), the cake was in the oven. Lickety split. 

It really takes about 10 minutes to put together.Then it fills your house with a mouthwatering, mind-bending smell for an hour. Then it fills you mouth with amazing deliciousness. 

I really should make coffee cake more often!

Start off with the filling. Dried cherries get blitzed, then add nuts and blitz them too. 

Add sugar and cinnamon. Set aside. 

Now, to the cake part. Cream butter and sugar. 

Add eggs, sour cream, and vanilla. 

*Quick soap box moment* Use Mexican vanilla, people. If you are using that crud that comes in a tiny bottle and costs an arm and a leg - you need to find the closest Mexican grocery and buy this stuff. It's amazing, cheap, and not optional. Just do it. If you want to test me, do a head to head vanilla pudding taste-off using that other crud and Molina. You will never go back. Never. 

Ok, back to the batter. In a sifter combine already sifted flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 

Sift the flour into the other mixture and beat until just combined. 

*I forgot to take a photo of the finished batter before feverishly spooning it into the pan. But, you know what batter looks like. You'll be fine.*

Spray the heck out of a bunt pan. 

Spoon a third the batter in the pan. Layer with half the filling.

Add another third of the batter.

Then the filling.

Then the last third of the batter. Bake for an hour and enjoy your new air freshener. 

Let cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then flip out. 

Enjoy!

Nutty Cherry Coffee Cake
Makes 1 bunt cake

1 c. butter (2 sticks), softened
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 c. sour cream
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 c. flour, sifted
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Filling:
1/2 c. slivered almonds
1/2 c. cashews
1/2 c. pistachios
6 oz. dried cherries
3/4 c. sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make the filling: In the bowl of a food processor, dump the dried cherries. Blitz until cut into chunks. Add nuts and blitz again. Then dump into a bowl and add sugar and cinnamon. Toss to combine. Set aside. 

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs, sour cream, and vanilla. Beat on low/medium speed until combined. In a sifter, combine the sifted flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Sift into the large bowl and beat until just combined.

Spay a bunt pan with baking spray. Spoon a third of the batter into the bunt pan. Top with half the filling. Then another third of the batter, and then the rest of the filling. Spoon on the last of the batter and smooth with the spoon.

Bake for 1 hour, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then flip out onto a cooling rack. Can rest in the fridge and be served cold. Or you can eat it hot, like I do.