One of the first cakes I ever made was a coffee cake.  A few girlfriends and I were getting together to watch the much-anticipated season premiere of Beverly Hills 90210, and I decided we needed cake!  I’m still pissed that Brenda and Dylan broke up, but the cake was delicious and made everything ok. Coffee cake is perfect for beginners because it’s pretty foolproof and forgiving. What’s great about this recipe is that it’s very versatile — you can use almost any combination of fruit and nuts you like.  I love the combination of peaches and almonds, but pecans would also be great in this streusel topping.  You can also replace the peaches with apples, cherries or mixed berries.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup sour cream or plain Greek yoghurt
• 1/2 cup canned sliced peaches, well-drained

Streusel topping:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds

Glaze:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2-4 tbsp milk

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350F and grease a 9 inch tube pan with non-stick spray.
2. In a bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Set aside.
3. Make the streusel: In a small bowl, mix together the flour, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon and almonds.  Using a pastry cutter — or your fingertips — cut in the butter until the mixture resembles large, coarse crumbs.  Set aside.
4. Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy.
5. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until fully incorporated.
6. Next, add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the sour cream.  Mix until just combined.
7. Spoon half the batter into the prepared pan.
8. Arrange the peach slices on top of the batter.
9. Spoon the remaining batter on top of the peach slices in an even layer, making sure the peaches are entirely covered.
10. Sprinkle the streusel over the top of the batter.
11. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in centre of cake comes out clean.
12. Allow cake to cool completely before removing from pan and drizzling with glaze.
13. For the glaze: whisk together the powdered sugar and the milk.  Drizzle over the cooled coffee cake.