Berry Good Coffee Cake
This morning I received an email about the Berry Good Coffee Cake recipe on pages 42-43 in Home Cooking with Kate McDermott from an eagle eyed reader.
“I noticed a discrepancy in the granulated sugar in this recipe; ingredients list calls for 1 and 1/3 cup sugar but the procedure only refers to the 1/3 cup. Which is the correct amount for the batter?”

Berry Good Coffee Cake (Photo by: Andrew Scrivani)
So, I went to my original notes on the recipe, then to the copy edits, the last pass of the book before printing, and finally my hard copy of the book. The sugar amount in the ingredients on page 42 is correct, but on page 43, Step 4 it says 1/3 cup sugar, and it should say 1 and 1/3 cup sugar. Even with the most careful of eyes going through recipes, sometimes slips like this happen. So, if you would like to update your books, the correct step four is below for you, and if you don’t have the book yet, 😉 I have included the entire corrected recipe here for you, too.
Page 43
INCORRECT: 4. In another medium-size bowl, cream the butter and 1/3 cup sugar for
about 3 minutes until light and fluffy. I use an electric hand beater.
CORRECT: 4. In another medium-size bowl, cream the butter and 1⅓ cup sugar for
about 3 minutes until light and fluffy. I use an electric hand beater.
Many thanks today to Caryl who brought this to my attention.

Berry Good Coffee Cake (Photo by: Andrew Scrivani)
BERRY GOOD COFFEE CAKE
Ingredients
- Butter and flour or parchment paper for greasing baking dish
- 1 cup about 144 g blackberries or other berries of your choice
- 3/4 cup 150 g plus 1 1/3 cups (233 g) granulated sugar
- 2 1/2 cups 363 g unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup 175 g butter, softened
- 4 large eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups 368 g sour cream or plain yogurt
GLAZE
- 2 tablespoons 30 ml heavy cream or half and half
- 1 cup 100 g powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter an 8-inch (20-cm) square baking dish and dust with flour, or line with a sheet of parchment paper.
- Mix the blackberries and 3/4 cup sugar together, and set aside.
- In a medium-size bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and mix well with a fork or whisk.
- In another medium-size bowl, cream the butter and 1 1/3 cup sugar for about 3 minutes until light and fluffy. I use an electric hand beater.
- Add the eggs one at a time into the creamed mixture, and mix lightly after each addition. Add the vanilla and mix again.
- Stir in the sour cream or yogurt.
- Add the dry ingredients and stir gently until just mixed.
- Pour half the batter into the greased and floured cake pan.
- Top evenly with the blackberry mixture.
- Pour the remaining batter evenly over the top.
- Bake in preheated oven for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the coffee cake comes out clean with no streaks of batter. A few small crumbs are okay. The coffee cake may puff up a bit above the rim of the pan. Remove from oven and let cool.
- Combine the cream, sugar, and vanilla for the glaze and drizzle and spread on top.
Notes
BERRY GOOD COFFEE CAKE
INGREDIENTS
- Butter and flour or parchment paper for greasing baking dish
- 1 cup (about 144 g) blackberries or other berries of your choice
- 3/4 cup (150 g) plus 1 1/3 cups (233 g) granulated sugar
- 2 1/2 cups (363 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (175 g) butter, softened
- 4 large eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups (368 g) sour cream or plain yogurt
GLAZE
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) heavy cream or half and half
- 1 cup (100 g) powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
PROCEDURE
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter an 8-inch (20-cm) square baking dish and dust with flour, or line with a sheet of parchment paper.
- Mix the blackberries and 3/4 cup sugar together, and set aside.
- In a medium-size bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and mix well with a fork or whisk.
- In another medium-size bowl, cream the butter and 1 1/3 cup sugar for about 3 minutes until light and fluffy. I use an electric hand beater.
- Add the eggs one at a time into the creamed mixture, and mix lightly after each addition. Add the vanilla and mix again.
- Stir in the sour cream or yogurt.
- Add the dry ingredients and stir gently until just mixed.
- Pour half the batter into the greased and floured cake pan.
- Top evenly with the blackberry mixture.
- Pour the remaining batter evenly over the top.
- Bake in preheated oven for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the coffee cake comes out clean with no streaks of batter. A few small crumbs are okay. The coffee cake may puff up a bit above the rim of the pan. Remove from oven and let cool.
- Combine the cream, sugar, and vanilla for the glaze and drizzle on top.
NOTES: This can also be made in a buttered and floured angel food tube cake pan. Pour a third of the batter into the tube cake pan, followed by half of the berry mixture. Repeat and top with the last third of the batter. Once cooled, run a sharp knife around the edge of the coffee cake, give it a sharp rap on the counter, invert it onto a serving plate, and drizzle with the glaze.

Berry Good Coffee Cake (Photo by: Andrew Scrivani)
Thanks, Kate!!
You are most welcome, Debi!
It always amazes me how there can be so many eyes checking things and errors still get through! When I worked for the newspaper there could be several sets of eyes looking at a story, and there would still be errors.
I’m glad to hear that a seasoned professional like you still had occasional mistakes.
Any way besides the good old cut and paste method, that I can just print the recipe? In other food blogs I follow there usually is a way to just hit the print icon and only the recipe prints. Thanks for looking into this option. One of your biggest fans, Deborah
Deborah- I am continuing to have problems with the WP Recipe Maker plugin. I paste the recipe in, numerous times, and then it won’t allow me to save it. It has become extremely frustrating for me. I’m not a tech person. My blog is not monetized. There is only so much I can do without tearing my hair out. So, all that is to say, if you wouldn’t mind, could you copy and paste the recipe, and then print it, please?
Already did! I am so sorry that you are having technical difficulties. I have the same challenges and usually have to have my son help me figure things out! I am sure that you have a fan/follower who is a techie and I bet she/he would be willing to help you out. I hope I didn’t cause you more frustration. Have a hap-pie day!
Oh gosh, no worries. I do have someone who is trying to figure it out. 🙂
The recipe formatting is figured out, so you CAN print it out easily now, Deborah. 🙂
Were you able to figure it out yourself? Or did you get some help? I thank you from the bottom of my berry bowl!
I did, and it wasn’t hard. There was another tab I had to press before I could find the save button!
Thank you so much! I immediately corrected my copy.
Thank you Margery, and thank you for supporting my work by buying a book! 🙂