Pomegranate Molasses Coffee Cake Loaf
Coffee cake is one of the many foods that reminds me of my grandma. I love the soft cake, sweet ribbons of cinnamon sugar and the icing coated top of my grandma’s coffee cake. When she lived with me she would make them regularly, even storing big slices in the freezer so I could pull them out and microwave them for 30 seconds for an after school snack. Although I’m reminded of my grandma because she was the one to bake the coffee cakes, I’m more reminded of the morning ritual that would occur.
As the first two people awake every morning my grandma and I would get to share some alone time. It was different than the alone time we would spend in the car on the way home from field hockey practice and different than the alone time we would spend during our weekly mall trips. The business of the day had not yet begun; the house was quiet and the mood in the kitchen was serene. Now when I go down to visit my grandma we usually get a little alone time, but it’s not that the same as those early kitchen mornings we used to have. The minute I tasted this pomegranate molasses coffee cake loaf I knew my grandma would approve.
Baking this coffee cake loaf could not be easier, but even if it required expert skill and extreme brain power I would still implore you to bake it because it is just that amazing. The cake is moist and perfectly spiced. And the crumble, yes please. I love my grandma’s icing, but I must confess that this crumble takes the cake. Literally. I could eat a plate of just the crumble topping.
I will have to bring my grandma a loaf the next time I visit, but in the meantime I will enjoy it myself and squirrel away big slices in the freezer for midmorning snacks.
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup sugar
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 3 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons butter, softened
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9x5” loaf pan with parchment paper, lightly coat with cooking spray and set aside.
- Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a large mixing bowl.
- Whisk the eggs, buttermilk, oil, molasses and vanilla extract in a small bowl.
- Carefully stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Mix in the melted butter until just combined.
- In a medium bowl combine the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt. Using a fork of pastry blender cut in the butter until well combined.
- Pour half the batter into the prepared loaf pan then top with half the crumble mixture. Pour in the rest of the batter then top with the rest of the crumble mixture. Bake for 55 minutes or until the top is golden.
- Remove the loaf from the oven then let cool in the pan for half an hour. Remove the loaf from the pan and let cool on a cooling rack for another hour.
*Although the cake won't cut as well while it's still warm it's worth to cut a messy slice just to taste this baby while it's warm!
Recipe from How Sweet It Is.