Cherry Crumble Yogurt Coffee Cake

Name: Cherry Crumble Yogurt Coffee Cake
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Cuisine: Bulgarian
Ingredients: ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled; 2 large eggs; 1¼ cups (250 g) granulated sugar; 1 tsp vanilla extract; Zest of 1 lemon; 2–3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice; ⅔ cup Greek yogurt, room temperature; ½ cup homemade buttermilk; ½ tsp salt; 2½ cups (300 g) all-purpose flour; 2 tsp baking powder; ½ tsp baking soda; About 1½–2 cups homemade cherry jam; 2 cups fresh cherries, pitted and halved; 1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour; ⅓ cup light brown sugar; ½ tsp salt; ½ cup steel-cut or old-fashioned oats; Zest of 1 lemon; 1 stick (113 g) unsalted butter, melted

Soft yogurt cake layered with cherry jam, fresh cherries, and a buttery lemon oat crumble.

Serves

Time

1 hr 15 min

Soft, buttery yogurt cake layered with homemade cherry jam, topped with fresh cherries, and finished with a buttery oat crumble. Moist, bursting with cherry flavor, and perfect with a cup of coffee or tea.

Instructions

Prepare

1
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
2
Grease and line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper.
3
Make the crumble: mix the flour, brown sugar, salt, oats, and lemon zest, then stir in the melted butter until clumpy.

Make the Batter

1
Whisk together the eggs, sugar, melted butter, vanilla, lemon zest, lemon juice, Greek yogurt, buttermilk, and salt until smooth.
2
Add the flour, baking powder, and baking soda.
3
Mix just until no dry flour remains — do not overmix.

Assemble & Bake

1
Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan.
2
Spread an even layer of cherry jam over the batter.
3
Carefully spread the remaining batter over the jam.
4
Arrange the halved fresh cherries evenly over the top and sprinkle generously with the crumble.
5
Bake 50–60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the cake (avoiding the cherry layer) comes out clean.
6
Cool before slicing and dust with powdered sugar, if desired.

Toti’s Tips

✓Use room temperature Greek yogurt so it blends smoothly into the batter instead of seizing the melted butter into little clumps.
✓Mix the batter just until the flour disappears, since overmixing develops gluten and makes a coffee cake dense instead of tender.
✓Spread the cherry jam in an even layer between the batter layers so it doesn't pool in one spot and leave a soggy patch while other areas stay dry.
✓Fresh cherries hold their shape better on top than mixed into the batter, which is why they go on last instead of getting folded in.
✓Homemade buttermilk works just as well as store-bought here, since the acid from lemon juice reacts with the baking soda the same way to help the cake rise.
✓Press the crumble down gently before baking so it sticks to the batter instead of scattering loose and burning on top.
✓Check doneness with a toothpick away from the cherry layer, since the jam will always look wet and can give a false reading if you test right through it.