Chocolate Cream Pie Murder (Hannah Swensen #24)(50)

“Something smells good!” Lonnie repeated Mike’s earlier comment. “What is it?”

“Apricot Coffee Cake,” Hannah told him. “Pour yourself some coffee and sit down, Lonnie. The eggs and sausage will be ready in less than five minutes and then we’ll eat.”





APRICOT COFFEE CAKE

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F., rack in the middle position.



The Cake:



1 cup salted butter, softened (2 sticks, 8 ounces, ? pound)

1 and ? cup white (granulated) sugar 1 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 and ? teaspoons baking powder 6 large eggs 3 cups all-purpose flour (pack it down in the cup when you measure it)





The Filling:



3 cups chopped apricots (I used canned apricot halves)

? cup white (granulated) sugar ? teaspoon cinnamon

? cup all-purpose flour (pack it down in the cup when you measure it)





The Crumb Topping:



? cup brown sugar (pack it down in the cup when you measure it)

? cup all-purpose flour (pack it down in the cup when you measure it)

? cup softened butter (? stick, 2 ounces, pound)





Hannah’s 1st Note: If you choose to use drained canned fruit, put it in a strainer and save the juice for the kids. Then pat the fruit dry with paper towels before you chop it in pieces.



Grease the inside of a 9-inch by 13-inch rectangular cake pan, or spray it with Pam or another nonstick cooking spray.



To Make the Cake:



Mix the cup of salted, softened butter with the white sugar until it’s light and fluffy.



Mix in the salt, vanilla extract, and baking powder. Mix until everything is thoroughly combined.



Mix in the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition.



Mix in the flour in one-cup increments, mixing thoroughly after each addition.



Give the bowl a final stir by hand and then spoon HALF of the batter in the cake pan and spread it out with a rubber spatula. Leave the rest of the batter in the bowl. You’ll use it later.



To Make the Filling:



In another bowl, mix the chopped apricots with the white sugar.



Sprinkle in the half teaspoon of cinnamon and mix it in.



Sprinkle the flour on top of the fruit and mix it in thoroughly.



Spoon the fruit mixture on top of the batter in your cake pan. Distribute it as evenly as you can.



Drop spoonfuls of the remaining batter on top of the fruit. Spread them carefully with a rubber spatula, but it won’t be enough to cover the apricots completely. That’s okay. This coffee cake will look pretty with the apricots peeking up through the batter.



To Make the Crumb Topping:



Use a fork from your silverware drawer to mix the brown sugar and the flour together.



Mix in the softened salted butter with the fork. Continue to mix until everything is crumbly.



Hannah’s 2nd Note: You can also make the Crumb Topping in a food processor if you use chilled butter. Process the ingredients in an on-and-off motion with the steel blade.



Hannah’s 3rd Note: If you’re using softened butter and the crumb topping becomes smooth and doesn’t crumble, simply stick it in the refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes. Then, when you add it to your coffee cake, it will crumble on top.



Use your impeccably clean fingers to crumble the topping over your coffee cake as evenly as you can.



Bake your Apricot Coffee Cake at 350 degrees F. for 45 to 60 minutes or until the top is golden brown. (Mine took 50 minutes.)



Remove your Apricot Coffee Cake from the oven and set it on a cold stovetop burner or a wire rack. Let it cool until it is just barely warm.



Serve Apricot Coffee Cake by cutting it in squares that are the size of sweet rolls, removing the squares with a metal spatula, and placing them on breakfast plates. Make sure that there is plenty of softened, salted butter for those who want to use it with their square of coffee cake, and a large pot of strong black coffee served with cream and sugar for those who want it. If there are children at the breakfast table, pour tall glasses of icy cold milk to go with their squares of Apricot Coffee Cake.



Hannah’s 4th Note: Some people serve this Apricot Coffee Cake with powdered sugar icing drizzled on the top, but personally, I don’t think it needs icing. Recipe follows just in case you’d like to try it.





POWDERED SUGAR ICING



1 cup powdered (confectioners) sugar ? teaspoon vanilla extract ? teaspoon salt 2 to 4 Tablespoons cream





Mix the powdered sugar with the vanilla extract and the salt. Make sure everything is thoroughly combined.



Mix in the cream gradually and whisk until the icing reaches the desired consistency to drizzle over your warm Apricot Coffee Cake.



Pour the icing into a cup or bowl with a spout and drizzle it over your Apricot Coffee Cake.



Let the icing cool and “set” before you cut squares and serve your coffee cake.