Bakewell Coffee Cake

5.0
(2)
2 Reviews

The swirl of vibrant cherry preserves and nutty, rich frangipane makes this coffee cake stand out.

By
Cheryl Slocum
Portrait of Cheryl Slocum
Cheryl Slocum
Cheryl Slocum is a James Beard Award-winning food writer, editor, and recipe developer. She has spent over 16 years creating food and entertaining content that resonates with the home cook. She ran the food department and test kitchen at Country Living for 10 years and was on staff as the senior editor at Cooking Light. Cheryl has also worked in a freelance capacity at Martha Stewart Living, Everyday with Rachel Ray and Food Network Magazine. As a contributor, her writing and recipes have appeared in several top publications including O, The Oprah Magazine, Martha Stewart Living, Eating Well, and Essence.
Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines
Published on May 4, 2024
Tested by
Melissa Gray
Melissa Gray
Tested by Melissa Gray
Melissa Gray is a Recipe Developer and Food Stylist for Dotdash Meredith, working on titles such as Food & Wine, Southern Living, Real Simple, and Health. She has been cooking professionally since she was 16 years old but could always be found cooking and baking with her mom even from a young age.
Meet the Food & Wine Test Kitchen
Bakewell Coffee Cake
Photo:

Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
Active Time:
40 mins
Total Time:
2 hrs 20 mins
Yield:
12 servings

This no-fuss breakfast treat features the hallmarks of an English Bakewell tart: buttery pastry, rich frangipane, jam, and toasted flaky almonds. F&W Senior Food Editor Cheryl Slocum dollops almond cream and fruity jam over a vanilla-scented batter and gives them a gentle swirl before topping with sliced almonds and baking to a beautiful golden finish. While coffee cakes are often made in a smaller square or round pans, this one is baked in a 13- x 9-inch baking pan and easily serves a crowd — it's perfect for brunch entertaining. The cake is also fantastic repurposed as a dessert and served warm with ice cream. And the leftovers, sliced and warmed in the oven, are delicious slathered with salted butter.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is frangipane?

    Frangipane is rich, sweet almond cream used in pastries, tarts, and cakes. It is easily made by blending almond flour with eggs, sugar, butter, and a small touch of all-purpose flour. It isn’t a product that can be purchased, but frangipane comes together with just a few minutes of beating with a mixer. The consistency is thick, yet still fluffy and spreadable.

  • What is vanilla bean paste?

    Vanilla bean paste is vanilla extract with vanilla bean seeds that have been suspended in a paste. The bean paste can be used measure-for-measure in place of vanilla extract but has the added benefit of seeing the seeds in your baked good.

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen 

Test the cake in a center spot where there is no swirl of frangipane to best assess doneness — the frangipane will bake to a soft, sticky consistency and will cling to the skewer.

Make ahead

The coffee cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days.

Ingredients

Frangipane

  • 3/4 cup superfine blanched almond flour (such as Bob’s Red Mill) (about 3 ounces)

  • 1/3 cup plus 4 teaspoons granulated sugar

  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

  • 1 large egg

  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Cake

  • 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more for greasing 

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (about 10 5/8 ounces)

  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1 cup granulated sugar

  • 3 large eggs

  • 1 large egg yolk

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract

  • 2/3 cup sour cream

  • 1 cup cherry preserves (such as Bonne Maman)

  • 1/2 cup sliced almonds

  • Powdered sugar (optional)

Directions

  1. Make the frangipane

    Beat almond flour, granulated sugar, and butter in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg, all-purpose flour, and salt; beat until well combined, about 2 minutes. Set aside.

  2. Make the cake

    Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 13- x 9-inch baking pan with butter; line with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on 2 long sides. Grease parchment with butter; set aside.

  3. Whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a medium bowl; set aside. Beat granulated sugar and butter in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed until very light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to medium; add eggs and egg yolk, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. With mixer running on low speed, add flour mixture alternately with sour cream in 3 additions, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating until well incorporated after each addition. (Batter will be very thick.)

  4. Transfer batter to prepared baking pan, and spread in an even layer using an offset spatula. Dollop preserves evenly on top; spread to cover as much of batter surface as possible. Dollop frangipane over preserves using a tablespoon. Drag a skewer through frangipane and preserves, without disturbing the cake batter layer beneath, to create a swirled pattern. Sprinkle evenly with almonds.

  5. Bake in preheated oven until a wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack 20 minutes. Using parchment overhang as handles, remove cake from baking pan; let cool completely on wire rack, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Dust with powdered sugar, if desired.

Originally appeared in Food & Wine magazine, April 2024