My Nectarine Almond Coffee Cake is a moist, brown butter cake baked in a single layer under juicy nectarines and crunchy slivered almonds. Its almond glaze is optional but adds the perfect touch of sweetness to one of the tastiest breakfast recipes you’ll ever find. This is a great back-to-school dish for those with busy schedules, but it also makes a fantastic addition to a lazy brunch menu.
*This recipe is an update from one published in July 2018. It has new images, metric measurements, and an updated article.*
What is a Coffee Cake?
Coffee cake, from the Austrian German kaffeekuchen, is a sweet quickbread baked in a loaf or cake pan. Coffee cakes are often simply topped. Fruits, streusels, or crumb toppings are as “decorated” as they get. Coffee cakes rarely have frosting or icing, as many dessert cakes do.
Coffee breaks in Europe often feature coffee cakes of some kind, which is where they get their names. Despite what some may think, coffee cakes are not always flavored with coffee. They can be simple, quickbreads like this nectarine almond version or more labor-intensive doughs. In the States, coffee cake is often served for breakfast or as an afternoon treat for guests. I often serve it for breakfast on our busy days.
What Do I Need to Make this Nectarine Almond Coffee Cake?
You need fresh, ripe nectarines, brown sugar, all-purpose flour, kosher salt, baking powder, ground ginger, eggs, unsalted butter, lemon juice, almond extract, slivered almonds, and sour cream to make this recipe.
First, prep a 9x13x3-inch baking dish by spraying it with baking spray or greasing it with butter and lightly dusting it with all-purpose flour. Set the dish aside while you prep the fruit for baking.
Can I Replace the Nectarine in This Recipe with Another Fruit?
Nectarines, like peaches, are stone fruits. The riper the fruit, the easier it is to remove the pit from it. Buy nectarines with “freestone” on the label to make removing the pit easier. Mericrest, Fantasia, May Grand, and Red Sunset are all freestone nectarine varieties. It doesn’t matter if you use yellow or white-fleshed nectarines in this recipe, though. Since they both taste the same, you can use whichever you prefer.
First, cut the nectarine around its hemisphere. Next, use your thumbs to separate the two halves of the fruit. One side will come away from the pit, leaving it in the other half. Pull the pit from the fruit and plant it or discard it. Finally, slice the nectarine halves into 1/8-inch thick slices. You don’t want to leave the slices too thick because they won’t allow the cake beneath to cook properly.
You can replace the nectarines in this coffee cake recipe with peaches or apricots. Just use the same quantity in weight and prep them the same way.
How Do You Make a Moist Coffee Cake?
Toss the nectarines in the lemon juice and 3 tablespoons of the sugar. Allow the fruit to macerate in this mixture while you prepare the batter.
The key to making a moist coffee cake is to use brown sugar. Brown sugar contains sugar, which is an invert sugar that retains moisture. The way you mix the coffee cake batter also contributes to moisture retention.
Can I Make This a Gluten-Free Nectarine Almond Coffee Cake?
Start by sifting the dry ingredients once or twice. Sifting the dry ingredients in a coffee cake aerates them, meaning the cake bakes lighter and not as dense.
Replace the all-purpose flour in this recipe with a 1-to-1 flour to make this nectarine almond coffee cake gluten-free.
Use a whisk to whip the melted butter, brown sugar, almond extract, and salt together. Add the eggs to the bowl once the mixture looks like wet sand. Continue whipping rapidly until the mixture resembles thick peanut butter.
You can mix all this with an electric mixer set to medium if you want to.
How Do I Avoid a Tough Coffee Cake?
Sift half of the dry ingredients into the bowl. Use a rubber spatula to fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture just until the flour is no longer visible. Next, add the sour cream to the mixing bowl and fold it in until it is just incorporated. Sift in the last half of the dry ingredients and fold just until no longer visible.
Overmixing the batter after adding the dry ingredients develops gluten, which is what makes coffee cakes tough.
Scrape the batter into the prepared baking dish and use the spatula to smooth out the surface.
Can I Omit or Replace the Almond in This Recipe?
Next, scrape the nectarine mixture onto the coffee cake batter. You can make it look pretty or not. Just make sure the nectarines are in an even layer so everything bakes simultaneously. Finally, sprinkle the slivered almonds over the surface of the fruit.
You can replace the slivered almonds in this recipe with chopped pecans, walnuts, or hazelnuts. You can even omit the nuts altogether.
How Long Do I Bake the Nectarine Almond Coffee Cake?
Bake the coffee cake in a 350°F (177°C) oven for 55 minutes to 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Avoid overbaking the cake, as this will contribute to toughness and a dried-out interior.
Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool for 15 minutes once it’s done baking.
What Do I Need to Make the Almond Glaze?
Prepare the almond glaze while waiting for the coffee cake to cool down. To make the almond glaze, you’ll need powdered sugar, almond extract, unsalted butter, and whole milk.
First, melt the butter in a microwave-safe bowl for 10-15 seconds. Pour the butter after it’s melted into the powdered sugar along with the almond extract. Finally, thin the glaze with the whole milk until it reaches your preferred consistency. I like my glaze thick like glue, but you can thin yours out as desired.
You can also prepare this glaze up to a week ahead and store it in the fridge until you’re ready to use it. Just hit it with a little heat in the microwave to make it pourable.
Can I Omit the Glaze?
Or don’t. You can omit the almond glaze from this nectarine almond coffee cake completely if you want to since the nectarine juices add enough moisture to this already moist cake.
Drizzle the almond glaze over the surface of the coffee cake or serve it on the side.
What Do I Serve the Nectarine Almond Coffee Cake With?
Obviously, the best thing to serve this coffee cake with is coffee. You can also serve it with fresh orange juice and yogurt. On its own, this coffee cake is a filling breakfast. Just slice the coffee cake into 8 portions (or 6 humongous portions if you’re greedy like we are) and enjoy it.
What’s the Best Way to Store Leftover Coffee Cake?
I hardly ever recommend storing a coffee cake in the fridge, but because this one has the fruit, it’s best. Storing cakes in the refrigerator causes them to become stale faster. However, leaving this coffee cake out on the countertop causes the cake to become gummy from the nectarines’ juices. It also makes the cake mold faster. Instead of leaving the coffee cake on the counter, cover it and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
To reheat leftover coffee cake, microwave a serving for 30 seconds on high heat.
Can I Freeze My Nectarine Almond Coffee Cake After Baking?
You can freeze coffee cake after baking it. Allow the coffee cake to cool completely, then wrap the baking dish in a layer of plastic film and a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze the nectarine almond coffee cake for up to 2 months.
To thaw frozen coffee cake, remove it from the freezer and remove the aluminum foil layer. Thaw the coffee cake overnight in the fridge and reheat and serve as instructed above.
What Other Recipes Do You Have That Are Back-To-School Friendly?
Looking for more back-to-school-friendly recipes? Here are some of my favorites:
Let me know what you think of this Nectarine Almond Coffee Cake in the comments below. Be sure to share it with your fellow busy parents and friends. Pin it to your breakfast boards for easy finding, too!
Nectarine Almond Coffee Cake
at Sense & EdibilityEquipment
- 9x13x3-inch baking dish
Ingredients
For the Nectarine Topping
- 3 medium nectarines pitted and sliced 1/8-inch thick (4 cups or 450 grams)
- 1/2 medium lemon juiced (1 tablespoon or 15 milliliters)
- 1 cup, packed (210 grams) light brown sugar separated
For the Coffee Cake
- 2 cups (265 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (7 grams) baking powder
- 1 teaspoon (2 grams) ground ginger
- 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick or 57 grams) unsalted butter melted
- 2 teaspoons (5 milliliters) almond extract
- 1/2 teaspoon (3 grams) kosher salt
- 2 large eggs at room temperature, lightly beaten
- 1 cup (250 milliliters) sour cream at room temperature
- 1/3 cup (43 grams) slivered almonds
For the Almond Glaze
- 1/2 cup (25 grams) powdered sugar sifted
- 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon (2 1/2 milliliters) almond extract
- whole milk as needed to thin
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Lightly spray a 9"x13"x3" cake pan (or baking dish) with baking spray, or butter and flour, to prevent sticking. Set the pan aside while you prepare the nectarine topping.
Macerate the Nectarines (May Be Done 12 Hours Ahead)
- In a 3-quart mixing bowl, toss the nectarines in the lemon juice and 3 tablespoons (38 grams) of the brown sugar. Reserve the remaining brown sugar for making the coffee cake batter. Set the bowl aside and allow the fruit to macerate in this mixture while you prepare the batter.
Mix the Coffee Cake Batter
- Sift the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and ground ginger into a bowl. Set this bowl aside.
- In a separate, larger mixing bowl, use a whisk to whip the melted butter, remaining brown sugar, almond extract, and salt together.
- Once the mixture looks like wet sand, add the beaten eggs. Continue whipping rapidly until the mixture resembles thick peanut butter.
- Sift half of the dry ingredients into the bowl. Use a rubber spatula to fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture just until the flour is no longer visible. Next, add all of the sour cream to the mixing bowl and fold it in until it is just incorporated. Sift in the remaining dry mixture and fold just until the flour is no longer visible.
Top, then Bake the Nectarine Almond Coffee Cake
- Scrape the batter into the prepared baking dish and use the spatula to smooth out the surface. Next, spread the nectarine mixture onto the coffee cake batter in an even layer. Finally, sprinkle the slivered almonds over the surface of the fruit.
- Bake the coffee cake for 55 minutes to 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool for 15 minutes once it's done baking.
Prepare the Almond Glaze While the Cake Cools
- Melt the butter in a microwave-safe bowl for 10-15 seconds. Pour the melted butter into the powdered sugar along with the almond extract and stir these together with a whisk until combined.
- Thin the glaze with the whole milk until it reaches your preferred consistency. Drizzle the almond glaze over the surface of the coffee cake or serve it on the side.
- Slice the coffee cake into 8 portions of equal size and serve with coffee or orange juice and yogurt.
Notes
Swaps and Substitutions:
- You can replace the nectarines in this coffee cake recipe with peaches or apricots. Just use the same quantity in weight and prep them the same way.
- Use granulated sugar instead of brown sugar. The cake will not be as moist.
- Replace the all-purpose flour in this recipe with a 1-to-1 flour to make this nectarine almond coffee cake gluten-free.
- You can replace the slivered almonds in this recipe with chopped pecans, walnuts, or hazelnuts. You can even omit the nuts altogether.
Tips and Techniques:
- Sifting the dry ingredients in a coffee cake aerates them, meaning the cake bakes lighter and not as dense.
- You can mix the wet ingredients with an electric mixer set to medium if you want to.
- Make sure the nectarines are in an even layer so everything bakes simultaneously.
- You can also prepare the almond glaze up to a week ahead and store it in the fridge until you're ready to use it. Microwave it for 15-20 seconds, then stir to make it pourable.
- You can omit the almond glaze from this nectarine almond coffee cake completely if desired.
Storage Instructions:
- Allow the cake to cool completely, then cover the baking dish or slice and transfer the cake to a food storage container.
- Store the coffee cake in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- To reheat leftover coffee cake, microwave a serving for 30 seconds on high heat.
Freezing Instructions:
- Allow the coffee cake to cool completely, then wrap the baking dish in a layer of plastic film and a layer of aluminum foil.
- Freeze the nectarine almond coffee cake for up to 2 months.
- To thaw frozen coffee cake, remove it from the freezer and remove the aluminum foil layer.
- Thaw the coffee cake overnight in the fridge and reheat and serve as instructed above.
When I tell you everyone tore this cake up, literally not one slice was left behind. Such a delicious recipe!
That’s the best… unless you planned to have some the next day, right?
Absolutely loved how easily this came together! It was so delish, no crumbs were left behind, Marta. So good!
Thank you, Eden!
I made this coffee cake for a baby shower brunch last weekend and it was a huge hit! Everyone was asking me where I got the recipe and couldn’t believe that I made it from scratch. Do not skip the almond glaze, it’s perfection.
This coffee cake was the talk of my sister’s brunch last weekend and EVERYONE asked for the recipe. Will be making it again!
Sharing is caring, Jazz!