Strawberry Coffee Cake! One last summer spin!

Wednesday's Pictorial, Poem and a Recipe.

Yes, I know its fall and I should be sharing pumpkin, cranberry and veggie Thanksgiving ideas! But I came across the yummiest berries. Yes, it's fall but, it's California...I wanted to share one last summer poem...strawberries...sweet and divine. Enjoy!

One Last Time

Strawberries
One last summer spin
Sweet and divine
I was so happy to see you one last time

Little roadside stand
From a farm nearby
Strawberries
Enough for one more pie

I thought all day
What should I make
A bowl with just cream
And possibly a cake

I would freeze some for later
A few in a salad, too
Maybe make a jam
Or try something new

I set up to clean
Just a little off the top
But for every one I cut
I popped one in my mouth

By the time I was done
I looked down in awe
I had only half the berries I started with
Just enough for one recipe is what I saw

Strawberries
I love you
Sweet and divine
So happy to eat you fresh, one last time

I decided on a strawberry coffee cake one night. A client wanted something a little different for their meeting. Had some berries that needed to be used and baking into a coffee cake was the perfect place for them. Hope you enjoy!

Strawberry Coffee Cake

Strawberries/Filling
2 Cups Strawberries, Cleaned and Cut in Half
2 TBS Sugar

2 Tablespoons Cornstarch

1 tsp Lemon Zest

Batter
1/2 Cup Butter, softened
1 Cup Sugar
2 Eggs

1 Cup sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Topping
3 TBS Butter, Cold
1/2 Cup all purpose flour
4 TBS Brown Sugar

Prepare a 10" round cake pan. Spray generously with non-stick spray. Preheat oven to 350'.

Cut strawberries in half. Toss with sugar, cornstarch and zest. Set aside.

Mix topping ingredients together with your fingers until crumbly and all butter is mixed. Set aside.

Cream sugar and butter til light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time. Stir in sour cream and vanilla.

Sift flour, baking powder, soda and salt. Fold into wet ingredients till no flour is visible.

Place a little more than half the batter into the prepared pan. Place strawberries on top pf batter. Spread remaining batter over strawberries. Top with crumbly topping.

Bake for 50-60 minutes or until toothpick placed in center of cake comes out clean.

Let cool and then, top with simple, powdered sugar glaze - 1 Cup of powder sugar and 1 TBS milk or cream. Stir together. Add more milk if necessary. Pour over cake.

Enjoy!

It's true that we don't know what we've got until we lose it, but it's also true that we don't know what we've been missing until it arrives.