April Monthly Color Challenge Block

The monthly color challenge is hosted each month by Jen at Patterns by Jen, and she provides a pattern (free for one month) and a color prompt. The color for April is cherry!

I like this pattern for the subtle pinwheel in it. I think all of Jen's patterns rock this year! I made two of these before I had my surgery, so don't be fooled into thinking I'm using my foot to power the Janome! My foot is healing and getting better each day. I still have swelling that I control with ice packs and elevation, but I have been granted permission for partial weight bearing with a boot and crutches. That really helps me move around!

Naturally the color cherry reminds me of one of my favorite pies. I grew up eating my Granny Mitchell's pies and cobblers, and I loved everything she put between her flaky and delicious crust. As a kid I would eat the filling first then slowly enjoy the crust! She grew gooseberries and canned them, and her gooseberry pie was my favorite (let me know if you want the recipe). But it was followed very closely by her tart cherry pie. The pie isn't tart of course - it is sweetened with sugar!

I have a go-to recipe for a streusel cherry pie made with tart cherries right here, but today I'm sharing my tart cherry recipe for Cherry Streusel Coffee Cake. It's delicious anytime, but especially warm for breakfast.

Cherry Streusel Coffee Cake

Cake
1-3/4 cup unbleached flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup salted butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup sour cream
1 – 14 ounce can tart cherries, drained
3 tablespoons sugar

Streusel
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
4 tablespoons salted butter
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
2-3 tablespoons whole milk
1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray 9-inch square baking pan with baking spray.

In a small bowl whisk flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside and cream butter and sugar in large bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, and mix medium speed until smooth. Mix together vanilla and sour cream and add to mixture. Mix until smooth. Slowly add flour mixture until just blended.

In another bowl, combine dry ingredients for streusel topping; cut in butter with pastry cutter until the size of peas. Add almond extract and toss lightly.

Spread two-thirds batter in pan. Toss cherries with 3 tablespoons sugar and distribute evenly over batter. Spoon one-fourth streusel over cherries. Top with remaining batter and sprinkle with rest of streusel. Bake 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

While cake is still warm, mix together powdered sugar, milk, and almond extract until smooth, adding more milk or powdered sugar as needed to make it pourable. Drizzle over top of cake and serve warm. My husband tops his piece with butter!

Be sure to check out other pretty cherry blocks at Jen's linkup right here!