Savory Tomato Basil Coffee Cake:  You are going to love this inspired recipe. It re-invents coffee cake.

Fresh herbs, tomatoes and a gluten-free batter combine to make a buzz-worthy brunch feature that will wow your friends and family. The taste is complex, flavorful, and goes great with cup of coffee.

You even bake it in the same 9×9-inch pan in which many coffee cakes are baked. Sign me up for this savory dish. Stat!

 

I first found this recipe at Sweet Laurel. It sounded genius, so I made it, and confirmed, yes, it truly is genius. Its taste blew my mind. I just varied a few parts and the process. For instance, I feature basil instead of parsley in the gremolata, used for the basil sauce and crumble/streusel. I also used Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise, and added parmesan to the batter and topping. I didn’t roast my tomatoes in the oven, but instead, made them on the stove. Either way works.

The cake’s only sweetness comes from cherry tomatoes. I sauteed them. As a result, they start to caramelize, which brings out their natural sugars, and a more intense flavor.

With fresh basil, garlic, lemon zest, and lemon juice, you make a gremolata. Gremolata, a condiment of sorts, that’s more commonly made with parsley, versus basil. Adding extra virgin olive oil to the gremolata, turns it into a basil sauce. You drizzle that between two layers of the batter.

The magic comes, when you take half of that basil sauce, and add almond flour, turning it into a crumb topping.

You top the cake with this crumble, along with the sauteed tomatoes, and parmesan.

The gremolata is a surprise and complex part of this dish, especially as a sauce and when it morphs into a streusel. If you want to try a full gremolata recipe, use ours here. You can change it to any fresh herb, if desired.

The batter itself for this creative coffee cake, has almond flour, making it gluten free. Almond milk, Greek yogurt, eggs, and parmesan give the cake added moisture and a tender, but hearty texture. Baking soda and baking powder give the cake its lift.

• Use an 8×8-inch pan
• Use 1/2 the tomatoes
• Use half the gremolata and just make the crumble.
• All else can stay the same.

I was quite pleased how this savory tomato basil coffee cake turned out, both ways that I made it. Give it a try. We highly recommend it!

-Cyndi