Mixed Berry & Coconut Coffee Cake

When the going gets tough, the tough get baking. That is, around here anyway, & it has been a week. The weather has been particularly cold & dreary these past few days, & add the stress of recent events, I was desperate for some comfort in the form of a tasty treat!

Nothing calms & decompresses me more (except for yoga) than spending a little time in the kitchen. I love baking in the early morning, & I’ll make myself an almond milk latte, put on some music, & get lost in the measuring & mixing. This morning, I wanted to make something sweet & simple. I went looking through my cookbooks & found a coffee cake recipe in Chloe’s Vegan Desserts. Perfect! I love coffee cake, & with a few modifications, I had everything I needed. I decided to sub coconut oil in place of the canola for extra health benefits & flavor, & used my favorite blend of frozen berries - tart cherries, blackberries, & raspberries, for the fruit. I also added coconut flakes to the streusel topping. It’s always a risk to swap out ingredients, especially when baking, but fortunately, this moist & scrumptious coffee cake was absolutely perfect!

MIXED BERRY & COCONUT COFFEE CAKE

Author: Melissa, Honey Bee Vegan (***adapted from Chloe’s Vegan Desserts) Recipe Type: Breakfast, Baked Good

Cuisine: Vegan

Serves: 6-8

INGREDIENTS

Streusel Topping:

• ¼ cup all-purpose flour

• 1 cup roughly chopped pecans

• ¼ cup toasted coconut chips

• ½ cup brown sugar (organic & vegan)

• 1 Tbsp cinnamon

• ½ tsp nutmeg

• 3 Tbsp organic virgin coconut oil, melted

Cake:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• ½ cup raw sugar

• ¼ cup brown sugar

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp baking soda

• ½ tsp kosher salt

• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk

• ½ cup organic virgin coconut oil, melted

• 1 Tbsp organic apple cider vinegar

• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract

• 2 cups organic mixed berries, fresh or frozen.

INSTRUCTIONS

Streusel:

1. In a medium bowl, combine flour, pecans, coconut chips, sugar, cinnamon, & nutmeg. Add coconut oil & toss with two forks until it appears crumbly (crumbs should be the size of small peas).

Cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 8-inch square pan.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugars, baking soda, baking powder, & salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together almond milk, coconut oil, vinegar & vanilla.

3. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture & whisk until just combined (do not over-mix!). Gently fold in the berries.

4. Fill the prepared pan with batter & evenly sprinkle the streusel topping. Bake for 40 minutes uncovered, then cover with foil & bake another 10 minutes. Let cool, slice, & serve.

You will marvel at the sweet aroma that will fill your kitchen while this is cooking. Even hours later, my house smelled of cinnamon sugar, which brought me immense pleasure. This cake really hit the spot, especially with a late afternoon cup of tea.