Cranberry-Walnut Pumpkin Coffeecake
Fresh cranberries burst with tangy flavor, but dried cranberries are also excellent in this nut-laced quick coffee bread. The batter goes together in short order for a delicious breakfast or brunch flourish or a welcome sweet snack with coffee later in the day. If you want to freeze the cake, just cut it first; the serving pieces will heat almost instantly in a microwave. Serves 12.
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup white or yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 large eggs
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup sour cream
1 cup pumpkin or winter squash puree, canned or homemade
1 cup fresh or dried cranberries
3 tablespoons demerara or raw sugar
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Butter and flour a 9-inch square baking pan.
Spread the walnuts in a small baking pan and bake until lightly toasted, 8 to 10 minutes.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, oil, sour cream and pumpkin and beat with a large whisk or an electric beater until smooth. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix just until incorporated. Stir in the cranberries and 2/3 cup of the nuts. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Scatter the remaining 1/3 cup nuts on top and sprinkle with the demerara sugar.
Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool in the pan to room temperature, then cut into 12 rectangles. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or wrap tightly and freeze for up to 1 month. |
