ANY-FRUIT COFFEE CAKE

If  you don’t have buttermilk, clabbered or soured milk can be substituted. To make sour milk mix 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice with 1/2 cup of milk and let sit for 10 minutes. White vinegar can also be substituted for lemon juice, but I find lemon juice tastes better. 

FRUIT

1 1/2 to 2 cups sliced, peeled apricots or peaches; chopped, peeled apples; chopped pineapple; pitted cherries; blueberries, blackberries or red raspberries

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

CAKE

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) salted butter

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup buttermilk or sour milk *

1/2 teaspoon vanilla 

CRUMB TOPPING

1/4 cup all-purpose flour 

1/4 cup sugar 

2 tablespoons salted butter 

For apricot/peach/apple/pineapple/cherry/blueberry filling – combine prepared fruit and water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer for 5 minutes or until fruit is tender. Combine sugar and cornstarch; stir into fruit. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture is thicken and bubbly, about 3 to 5 minutes. Set filling aside.

For blackberry/red raspberry filling – Combine fruit, water, sugar and cornstarch. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture is thicken and bubbly, about 5 to 7 minutes. Set filling aside.

For cake, pre-heat oven to 350-degrees.

In a medium bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder and baking soda. Cut in butter, until mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Make a well in center of flour mixture; set aside. In another small bowl, mix egg, buttermilk and vanilla; pour into flour mixture. stir with wooden spoon until just moistened – the batter will be slightly lumpy. Spread half the batter into an un-greased 8x8x2-inch square baking pan. Spread fruit filling over batter. Drop remaining batter in small mounds on top of fruit filling. Set aside.

For crumb topping, mix flour and sugar in a small bowl. Cut in butter until mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over coffee cake.

Bake in 350-degree oven for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown. If using a glass pan, I recommend dropping your oven temperature down to 325-degrees.

Serve warm. Store covered tightly with plastic wrap for up to two days.