Cinnamon Peach Coffee Cake Recipe

Cake for breakfast. Need we say more? Coffee cake is a sweet baked treat that's designed to pair well with a bracingly hot cup of strong coffee. For those who prefer a taste of something sweet in the morning, this cinnamony, buttery cake always hits the spot. Famously versatile, coffee cake can be adapted to a variety of occasions with simple additions or substitutions. In this recipe, we add sweet and tart peach jam, which bakes into the cake and leaves gooey pockets of fruit flavor. It's a unique twist on the classic recipe that doesn't require much extra effort. With the addition of a simple jar of jam, you can add a level of fruity complexity to a standard coffee cake recipe to create an easy and delicious baked good that's ready in no time at all.

"The flavor of this cake reminds me of a buttery slice of toast with jam, one of my favorite breakfasts," says recipe developer Taylor Murray. "The warmth of cinnamon is a natural partner to tart and sweet peach." This recipe makes a large tray of cake, so it's perfect if you need a dish to bring to a summer brunch gathering.

The base cake recipe for our coffee cake uses sour cream to add moisture and a tart tang that goes well with sweet peach jam. In addition to sour cream, we need eggs, unsalted butter, vanilla, and a mix of white sugar and brown sugar. The dry ingredients are a fairly standard mix of all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and a small bit of salt. Into the top of the batter, we will be swirling peach jam that cooks into the cake in gooey pockets. Finally, a cinnamon streusel is baked on top, made of butter, flour, brown sugar, and ground cinnamon.

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Prepare a 9x13-inch baking pan by coating with nonstick spray.

In a large bowl, whisk together 3 cups of flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, 1 cup granulated sugar, and ½ cup brown sugar until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl after each addition, and mix until fully incorporated.

Add the sour cream and vanilla.

Follow with the flour mixture, stopping when just combined.

Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan, spreading to smooth the top.

Spoon large dollops of peach jam over the surface of the batter.

Use a toothpick or a knife to swirl the jam, leaving some large pockets in places.

In a small bowl, combine the crumble ingredients, working with your fingers until a crumbly texture forms.

Sprinkle the crumble over the surface of the cake.

Transfer the pan to the oven and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.

Remove the coffee cake from the oven and let it cool before slicing and serving.

If you want to use your creativity and branch out when it comes to the peaches in this recipe, there are a few ways you can go about this. Peach jam is essentially peaches that have been cooked down with sugar until all the water has evaporated. For this reason, fresh peaches may or may not work in this recipe, depending on how much water they have in them. If they are very juicy and ripe, they will probably work. Simply cut them up and toss with flour. Press them into the top of the cake before adding the streusel and bake as the recipe directs. Out-of-season peaches that are hard or crunchy will have too much water and could end up making your cake soggy and should be avoided. You could always turn fresh peaches into peach butter and use that if you have a bumper crop to get through.

Frozen or canned peaches will likely need a similar treatment, or would at least benefit from being simmered for about 15 minutes on the stove to remove any excess moisture before they're added to the batter. Thaw your frozen peaches and evaluate the moisture content from there. For canned peaches, make sure to drain them completely before adding to the top of the cake. You should not need any extra sugar for canned peaches as these are typically very sweet already.

If peaches aren't exactly your favorite fruit, you could swap the peach jam for tangier apricot preserves or even blackberry jam, or really any kind of jam you prefer. For the fall, a spiced apple butter or smooth pumpkin butter would be a cozy and warming treat that goes well with the cinnamon in the streusel topping. In the spring, berries come into season and our palates crave tart and tangy berry flavors. Strawberry jam, blueberry jam, or a combination of mixed berries would all be great swaps for the more summery peach jam. All of these fruits work well with cinnamon, though you could choose to branch out in terms of flavorings if you feel creative. Pair spring berries with lemon or orange zest instead of cinnamon for a citrusy tang, or add some nutmeg to the cinnamon for your fall fruit swaps.

In summer, you will have your choice of all kinds of fresh fruits that are suddenly available at the market. "When I can't find any great seasonal jam to make for this recipe, I bust out my guava jam that I order from Hawai'i," says Murray. "The final cake reminds me of guava and cream cheese pastries you can get at Cuban bakeries." Tropical flavors like guava would pair well with the addition of shredded dried coconut or perhaps chopped macadamia nuts in the streusel instead of cinnamon.