Raspberry-White Chocolate Coffee Cake

When having overnight guests, it is always a little more special to offer a pretty and tasty coffee cake in the morning. This particular recipe comes from Gracehill, which is a B & B found in the Smoky Mountains. I don't know what it is about B & Bs but they most always have such lovely offerings for breakfast. The last one I stayed in was in Niagara-on-the-Lake. The hosts were welcoming, the home beautiful and comfortable and the food.....OMG. If you are going there and want a really nice experience to go along with your stay in beautiful Niagara wine country (as well as home to the Shaw festival), this is it. The Duncan-Quinn House is just a lovely experience. http://www.duncan-quinn.on.ca/ They served warm fresh tea breads made with fresh berries, had an abundance of fresh fruits and fruit salads and the best French Toast I have ever had. We stayed for 2 nights and it was so relaxing. Ah, but again I digress....savoring a wonderful memory.

This coffee cake is not just a pretty face. It is really, really good. I used fresh raspberries and served it while it was still warm. I used the glaze, but sparingly so that I could maintain the integrity of the flavor of the berries. It actually goes together quickly. And you can prepare part of it the night before. Mix your dry ingredients and place in a sealed container. Add the wet ingredients the next morning and into the oven in goes. By the time your guests awake, your home will smell wonderful and this lovely cake will await! Brew some good coffee and dig in!
Raspberry (or blueberry) White Choc Coffee Cake presented by Gracehill - A Bed & Breakfast in the Heart of the Smoky Mountains
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup sugar
2 t baking powder
¼ cup butter, softened
½ cup half and half (may sub milk)
1 egg
2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries (a little tarter) or blueberries
½ cup white chocolate baking chips
Streusel:
½ cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
¼ cup butter
Glaze:
Powder Sugar with enough milk to liquefy.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour an 8 ½ inch spring form pan. Make streusel by combining three ingredients in a food processor until crumbly. Set aside. Beat flour, sugar, baking powder, butter, half and half, and egg until moistened, then one minute on medium speed. Spread half of batter in the bottom of the spring form pan. Then sprinkle on half of streusel and ¼ cup of white chocolate baking chips and raspberry or blueberries. Then layer on rest of batter and on top rest of streusel and white chocolate. Bake 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes and remove from pan. Drizzle on some powder sugar glaze.