Craisin Walnut Coffee Cake with Greek Yogurt

I always make this coffee cake for Christmas morning and this cake can also appear at Christmas dinner, because it it that good.  Actually you can make this for any occasion,  or just because.  The cake is a moist, delicious cake with a filling of craisins or raisins, broken walnuts, brown sugar, and of course, cinnamon.  The cake was always made with Sour Cream, but this year I have fallen in love with Greek Yogurt, so I subbed the yogurt for the sour cream. The cake seemed more moist, and rose taller. I also had to revise the name of the coffee cake from Sour Cream Coffee Cake to Craisin Walnut Coffee Cake with Greek Yogurt, whatever you call the cake, it is divine. The original recipe was from my trusty Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook, 1967.

Here is the cake before I cut into it.

I also made another half of a recipe to make these little tree molds for breakfast Christmas morning. We were taking the cake to our Christmas dinner in the city.

Craisin Walnut Coffee Cake with Greek Yogurt                     

 Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook Circa1967

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup Greek yogurt
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, sift before measuring
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 1/2 cups raisins  or craisins

Preparation:

Cream butter and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Blend in the Greek yogurt. Sift flour, baking powder, soda, and salt into another bowl; blend into the creamed mixture, mixing well. 

Spread half of the batter in a greased and floured 9-inch square pan, or bundt pan. Mix nuts with 1/2 cup of sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle half of the nut mixture over the batter. Sprinkle all 1 1/2 cups craisins over nut layer. Spoon remaining batter evenly over the raisins; spread carefully. Sprinkle remaining nut mixture over the top.

Bake at 350° for 40-50 minutes, until pick, inserted in middle, comes out clean.  Cool in bundt pan 10-15 min. then remove pan and put on rack.  Serve warm. Glaze, if desired and decorate.  Enjoy!