Lake Thunderbird All-American Coffeecake

Ingredients

1½ sticks butter

1½ cups of sugar

3 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups cake flour or all-purpose flour

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

½ pint fresh raspberries or ½ cup dried cranberries

½ pint fresh blueberries

½ cup white chocolate baking morsels

Prepare topping (see below) and set aside. Cream butter and sugar in mixer on high until light and fluffy.  Blend in eggs and vanilla until smooth.  Sift dry ingredients together.  With the mixer on low speed, alternate adding the sour cream and the dry ingredients until all is blended.  Grease a 9″ x 13″ pan.  Layer half of the batter in the pan, then place the fruit and baking morsels evenly over the batter. Cover with remaining batter.  Sprinkle prepared filling on top.  Bake in a pre-heated oven at 350° F. for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  May be served warm or cold. 

Topping

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup flour

1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

½ stick cold butter, cut into small pieces

Mix brown sugar, flour and cinnamon in a separate bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or mix with your hands until the texture resembles coarse crumbs.

Notes

Our abbey used to own a small cabin near Lake Thunderbird in Henry, Illinois. It belonged to Abbot Philip’s parents, but they gave it to the monastic community when they could no longer take care of it. For decades I used it as a baker's/writer's haven. I was often at the cabin around Independence Day, so I developed this All-American Coffee Cake recipe to share with the lake staff who had to work the Fourth of July weekend. Sour cream and eggs give it a luscious texture, and raspberries, vanilla baking chips and blueberries make for a red, white and blue breakfast treat.