Pear and Poppy Seed Coffee Cake

Summer is already halfway over and I have not posted a single recipe! That makes me even more excited to share this super easy Pear and Poppy Seed Coffee Cake. Whether you’re planning a family picnic, BBQ with friends or just craving some cake (who needs an occasion anyway, right?), this coffee cake might be what you’re looking for. Fluffy cake with a pear and poppy seed filling, topped with buttery crumbles. If you can, enjoy it while it’s still warm…  maybe with some vanilla ice cream?

If you haven’t already, try Challenge Butter for your baking adventures. Challenge Butter is 100% real cream butter with nothing artificial so you taste only the rich and natural sweet cream. Challenge Butter and Cream Cheese are both made the old fashioned way, from the freshest milk and cream from happy cows at local dairies. Challenge is the only dairy product company that controls the whole process from milking the cows, to transporting milk, to making the butter and or cream cheese, to packaging.

Challenge is dedicated to putting all-natural high quality products on the table, even if that means less money in our pocket. Healthier and better tasting dairy products come from fresh, hormone-free milk, without any unnatural additives. Challenge was also the first brand to make dairy products without growth hormones.

Pear and Poppy Seed Coffee Cake

 

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Prep time

40 mins

Cook time

60 mins

Total time

1 hour 40 mins

 

Author: Melina Thompson

Serves: 16

INGREDIENTS

• FOR THE CAKE BATTER
• 2½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted Challenge butter, softened
• 1¼ cups granulated sugar
• 1¼ teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1¼ cups sour cream
• FOR THE PEAR FILLING
• 5 bosc pears
• 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
• ¼ cup almond flour
• 1 cup sugar
• FOR THE CRUMBLE TOPPING
• ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
• ⅔ cup packed light-brown sugar
• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted Challenge butter, softened

INSTRUCTIONS

1. MAKE PEAR FILLING
2. Wash and cube the pears and place in a pot.
3. Add sugar and bring to a boil.
4. Once the pears are starting to become soft (about 15 minutes), take off the stove and drain the juice.
5. Add the poppy seeds and almond flour.
6. MAKE CRUMBLE TOPPING
7. Whisk flour and brown sugar in a medium bowl.
8. Using your fingers, work in butter until mixture forms coarse crumbs ranging in size from small peas to marbles.
9. Set aside.
10. MAKE CAKE
11. Preheat oven to 350°F.
12. Grease a 9-inch cake pan or a 10-inch tube pan with a removable bottom.
13. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl.
14. Put butter, sugar, and zest into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.
15. Reduce speed to medium. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
16. Mix in vanilla and reduce speed to low.
17. Mix in half the reserved flour mixture, then the sour cream. Add remaining flour mixture; mix until just combined.
18. Spoon half the batter into prepared pan. Pour the pear filling over the batter and top with remaining batter. Using a small offset spatula, smooth top. Sprinkle with the topping.
19. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 65 to 70 minutes.
20. Let cool slightly on a wire rack, then run a knife around edges of the pan.
21. remove the cake from the pan and let cool completely.

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