I have been on an insane stone fruit kick! Get ready…besides the amazing roasted apricot cake I recently posted, I’ve got cherries, more apricots, and (finally) plums coming. And it starts with this delicious and super easy apricot cherry coffee cake.
The key here is the fresh fruit. If you’re looking for something using dried apricots and cherries, there are tons of recipes out there but this is not the one you’re looking for. I’d wanted to try something a bit different, so found a cherry buckle recipe.
But when I made it, it was just…a coffee cake? I guess the main difference is that buckles have fresh fruit baked in, whereas coffee cake is a pretty broad category of treats.
Either way, I’m obsessed with the cinnamon crumble topping and the pockets of jammy fruit that you hit in each piece.
I do think that fresh (ripe) apricots and dark cherries make the best version of this cake, but you can substitute fresh (or frozen, in a pinch) raspberries or blueberries for the cherries, and probably nectarines and peaches for the apricots if you need to.
If you end up using any frozen fruit, don’t thaw it—just chuck it in frozen (though do cut it up). And don’t use canned or dried fruit!
This is also not the time to go low-fat or liquid. The full-fat sour cream is a major part of why this cherry apricot coffee cake is so moist and delicious! I did sub full-fat plain greek yogurt once, and that’s your best bet if you have to sub.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch deep dish pie dish, an 8-inch or 9-inch springform pan, or an 8-inch square baking pan. I’ve been using an 8-inch springform but it definitely requires a longer baking time.
In the large bowl of your stand mixer with paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), cream the butter and granulated sugar together on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
Pit your cherries and halve or quarter them, and dice your apricots into bite-size chunks.
Add the eggs, sour cream, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Beat on medium-high speed until combined. The mixture may look curdled, and that’s okay, but I like to add a couple tablespoons of flour at this stage to help it come together. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed.
Gently beat in the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, and salt) on low speed, until smooth and just combined—don’t overmix. The batter will be thick (which is good).
With your rubber spatula, carefully fold in the cherries and apricots (again, do not overmix). Spoon and spread into the prepared pan and set aside while you make the crumb topping.
To make the crumb topping, melt the butter in a small bowl and then with a fork, mix the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon into the butter.
Stir until crumbs form, but don’t overmix and turn it into a paste. You want it crumbly!
Sprinkle the crumb mixture and sliced almonds evenly on top of the batter.
Bake for 45 to 60 minutes. Baking times vary, so keep an eye on yours. If you use an 8-inch springform pan (which I did), it will take even longer. The buckle is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and you can’t hear it kind of “sizzling” anymore.
You definitely don’t want it too gooey in the middle. If you find the top of the buckle is browning too quickly in the oven, loosely cover it with aluminum foil.
Remove from the oven and set it on a wire rack. Cool for at least 15 minutes before removing from the pan and slicing. I like to let it cool completely and kind of “set up”.
Cover leftovers tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days (I’ll be honest, I often keep on the counter, covered in tin foil…). This is best the next morning, but not as great after about 2 days, so there’s your sweet spot.
Adapted slightly from Sally’s Baking Addiction
Other snack cake-like treats you’ll love:
- Roasted Apricot Olive Oil Cake with a Hint of Rosemary
- Easy Cranberry Snack Cake (a.k.a. My Platonic Ideal for a Cake)
- Sweet Corn Cake with Tart Lemon Glaze
- Raspberry Skyr Cake with White and Dark Chocolate
- Yogurt & Honey Olive Oil Cake with Fresh Lemon & Thyme
- Plum Pound Cake with Almond Crumble
Pin for later!
Apricot Cherry Coffee Cake (Buckle)
This super easy apricot cherry coffee cake (or buckle) is one of the best ways to use up that late summer stone fruit bounty of fresh dark cherries and fresh apricots. The batter comes together in just a few minutes, and the cinnamon crumble topping is a comforting addition. This is a perfect mid-week snack cake treat!
Ingredients
- CAKE BATTER
- 1/2 cup (113g) of unsalted butter, softened to room temp
- 3/4 cup (150g) of granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temp
- 1/2 cup (120ml) of full-fat sour cream, room temp (see notes)
- 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 teaspoon of almond extract
- 1 1/3 cups (166g) of all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon of salt
- 1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- 3/4 cup of fresh dark cherries (pitted, halved or quartered)
- 3/4 cup of diced fresh ripe apricots (see notes)
- CRUMB TOPPING
- 2 Tablespoons (28g) of unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 cup (31g) of all-purpose flour (I prefer white whole wheat here)
- 1/4 cup (50g) of packed brown sugar (light or dark)
- 1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup (22g) of sliced almonds (optional, though they add nice texture)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch deep dish pie dish, an 8-inch or 9-inch springform pan, or an 8-inch square baking pan.
- Make the batter: In the large bowl of your stand mixer with paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), cream the butter and granulated sugar together on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
- Add the eggs, sour cream, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Beat on medium-high speed until combined. The mixture may look curdled, and that’s okay, but I like to add a couple tablespoons of flour at this stage to help it come together. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Gently beat in the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt) on low speed, until smooth and just combined---don't overmix. The batter will be thick (which is good).
- With your rubber spatula, carefully fold in the cherries and apricots (again, do not overmix).
- Spoon and spread into the prepared pan and set aside while you make the crumb topping.
- Make the crumb topping: Melt the butter in a small bowl and then with a fork, mix the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon into the butter. Stir until crumbs form, but don't overmix and turn it into a paste. You want it crumbly!
- Sprinkle the crumb mixture and sliced almonds evenly on top of batter.
- Bake for 45-60 minutes. Baking times vary, so keep an eye on yours. If you use an 8-inch springform pan (which I did), it will take even longer. The buckle is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and you can't hear it kind of "sizzling" anymore. You definitely don't want it too gooey in the middle. If you find the top of the buckle is browning too quickly in the oven, loosely cover it with aluminum foil.
- Remove from the oven and set it on a wire rack. Cool for at least 15 minutes before removing from the pan and slicing. I like to let it cool completely and kind of "set up".
- Cover leftovers tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days (I'll be honest, I often keep on the counter...). This is best the next morning, but not as great after about 2 days, so there's your sweet spot.
Notes
- The full-fat sour cream is a key element of this cake, so don't recommend subbing out for a liquid. I had to use plain full-fat Greek yogurt one time as it was all I had, and that's the best replacement. Don't sub a liquid.
- Similarly, I am a strong proponent of the almond extract in this cake, it marries beautifully with the stone fruits. But if you don't have it or don't like it, consider adding a teaspoon of lemon zest to the batter to add some depth.
- This recipe is all about fresh stone fruit, and so I strongly recommend using fresh dark cherries and fresh apricots in this recipe. If you have to use frozen cherries, make sure to halve/quarter them but don't thaw! Do not sub dried apricots for fresh, or canned fruit.
- You definitely can substitute fresh (preferably) or frozen raspberries or blueberries for the cherries if you prefer.
- Full transparency, I'm not exact in the amount of fruit I added, I just eyeballed...
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