Dry cranberry pecan coffee cake

Serves 12

Crumble

  • 3 tbsp minced fresh ginger

  • 150 g brown sugar, lightly packed

  • 85 g unbleached white flour

  • 115 g unsalted butter, melted

  • 1 ½ cups chopped pecans, lightly toasted

Cake

  • ½ cup orange juice

  • 1 ½ cups dried cranberries

  • 2 ¾ cups unbleached white flour

  • 1 ½ tsp baking soda

  • 1 ½ tsp baking powder

  • 1 tsp salt

  • 1 ½ cups sugar

  • 1 ¼ stick (10 tbsp) unsalted butter, softened

  • 3 eggs

  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

  • 1 tsp grated lemon rind

  • 2 tsp ground ginger

  • 1 cup buttermilk or plain yogurt

  • 1 cup whole, low-fat or nonfat sour cream

Preparation

In a bowl, combine the ingredients for the crumble. Set the bowl aside.

Preheat the oven to 375°. Butter and flour a 9-by-13 inch pan. In a small saucepan, bring the orange juice to a simmer. Stir in the cranberries and cover the pan. Let the cranberries simmer for about 3 minutes, then remove the pan from the heat, and let the mixture cool.

In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt for the cake.

In a large bowl or in an electric mixer, blend the sugar with the butter until the mixture is light and fluffy . Beat in the eggs, one by one, and the vanilla, lemon rind, and ginger. Blend in the buttermilk or yogurt , then fold in half the flour mixture. Stir in the sour cream. Stain the cranberries, and add them to the batter, Then fold in the remaining flour mixture, being careful not to overmix.

Spoon the batter into the casserole pan. Sprinkle the crumble evenly over the batter. Bake the cake for 60 to 70 minutes, or until a knife inserted the centre comes out clean.

Let the cake cool for 10 minutes before cutting it. This coffeecake keeps well, wrapped and refrigerated, for up to 4 days. Well wrapped, it freezes well, too.

Variation

Use 2 cups fresh cranberries instead of the dried cranberries, and omit the orange juice and step 3