Peach Coffee Cake with Streusel Topping

Caleb's parents came to visit us last month to spend time with Madeleine. Right before they left, they bought a bunch of fresh peaches and left some of them with us. As the peaches were ripening on our counter, I brainstormed what I should bake with them. I hadn't baked anything since Madeleine was born, and I was missing it. I finally settled on a new coffee cake recipe with peaches and streusel as the topping. The cake was moist, the peaches were perfectly ripe, and the streusel topping was the perfect finish. 

Peach Coffee Cake with Streusel Topping

for the topping:

1/2 cup salted butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

2/3 cup flour

1 tsp ground cinnamon

for the cake:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2/3 cup milk

2 tsp vanilla extract

3 cups sliced fresh firm, ripe peaches (about 3 large peaches)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9-inch springform pan. (A shiny or light-colored pan will give the best results. If you have a dark pan, wrap the outside of the pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil to get a similar result.) 

To prepare streusel topping, beat butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth and creamy. Gradually add sugar and brown sugar, beating well. Add flour and cinnamon; beat just until blended. Chill.

To prepare cake, beat butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth and creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating only until the yellow yolk disappears after each addition.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl; add to butter mixture in thirds, alternating with half of milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating at low speed just until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla.

Pour batter into prepared tin. Top with sliced peaches. Drop 1-inch pieces of streusel topping over fruit. Bake at 350 for 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes, or until center of cake is set (a wooden pick inserted in center will be covered in moist crumbs, but not wet batter). Cool completely on a wire rack, about 1 1/2 hours. Makes 8 servings.

source: recipe slightly adapted from Southern Living Community Cookbook