What’s better than coffee cake? How about mini coffee cakes? These beauties are a cross between a muffin and a cupcake and are a perfect complement to any brunch or breakfast menu.
These cakes get a serious upgrade from the usual coffee cake, thanks to a pretty cranberry filling, a crackling sugar topping and delicious vanilla sugar that goes into the cake, the filling and the topping!
Mini Cranberry Coffee Cakes:
- 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar, divided
- 1 vanilla bean
- 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
- 9 tablespoons (1 stick + 1 tablespoon) unsalted butter, divided and at room temperature
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 2 cups + 1 tablespoon flour, divided
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees; line a 12-cup muffin tin with liners.
Split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and – using the back of the knife – scrape the seeds into the bowl of a food processor. Add the sugar and pulse till the seeds are well distributed. Transfer to a bowl.
Return 1/2 cup of the sugar to the processor and add the cranberries. Pulse until the cranberries are finely chopped.
In a mixer bowl combine 1 cup of the sugar with 1 stick (8 tablespoons) of the butter. Beat till light and fluffy. Add the eggs and beat again. With the mixer on low speed slowly pour in the milk – a bit at a time – till well combined. Add 2 cups of the flour, the baking powder and salt and beat till smooth and well blended.
Pour half the batter evenly among the muffin liners, using the back of a spoon to smooth and level. Top with the cranberry mixture, followed by the remaining batter. Clean and dry the processor and add the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar, tablespoon of butter and tablespoon of flour. Pulse till uniform crumbs form and sprinkle on top of each cake.
Bake until a tester tests clean and the tops are golden brown, between 25 and 35 minutes. Let cool in pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove from pans and cool completely on the wire rack.
