CHOCOLATE CHIP SOUR CREAM COFFEE CAKE
PG tested
Anne Byrn is not kidding when she writes that this coffeecake is a good reason to eat cake before noon. I would add that it works for breakfast, too. It is not too sweet and the oranges add a nice flavor. It’s best to use thin-skinned seedless oranges as otherwise the cake might turn out slightly bitter.
½ cup (1 stick) plus
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted, divided
1½ cups plus
2 tablespoons sugar, divided
12-16 thin orange slices
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup vegetable oil 1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups (12 ounces) miniature semisweet chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat, swirling the skillet to distribute the butter evenly, about 2 minutes.
Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of sugar evenly over the melted butter. Place the orange slices on top of the sugar, creating a decorative pattern, either overlapping them in circles or creating concentric circles of slices.
Heat the skillet for another 2 to 3 minutes to allow the sugar to dissolve. Remove the skillet from the heat.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, 1½ cups sugar, baking powder, soda, cinnamon and salt.
Add the remaining ½ cup melted butter, oil, sour cream and vanilla. Mix with an electric mixer on medium speed (or by hand) until just combined, 1 minute. Fold in chocolate chips.
Dump the batter into the skillet on top of the oranges. Bake until the top of the coffeecake has lightly browned and is firm to the touch, 40 to 45 minutes.
Run a knife around the edges of the skillet to loosen the coffeecake. Invert the skillet onto a wooden board lined with parchment paper. If any of the oranges stick to the bottom of the skillet, slide under them with a small metal spatula and place them on top of the cake.
If you want a more dramatic look, slide the parchment onto a baking sheet and run it under the broiler until the oranges and sugar are caramelized.
Makes 12 servings.