Triple Berry Coffee Cake

When I was a kid I thought being an adult would be awesome because I could do whatever I wanted. Party until all hours. Eat ice cream for dinner. (For the record- a strawberry cheesecake ice cream cone, dipped in nuts, totally covers 5 of the 6 food groups. And in my opinion vegetables shouldn't be a group at all so we can just pretend that group doesn't exist.)

Adulthood actually turned out to be everything I dreamed it would be. As newlyweds, we had Coldstone for dinner on more than one occasion.

Then we had kids. Who turned into toddlers. Who turned into bossypants.

"Mama can I have a cookie?"
"No, you didn't eat your lunch."
(pause)
"But mama, *you* didn't eat lunch, and *you're* eating a cookie".

Dang it.

Sometimes when you turn into an adult and your dreams are shattered, you have to adapt. Eating cake for dinner along with bacon and eggs and calling it "Breakfast for dinner" may not quite be ice cream for dinner, but at least it appears much more responsible than feeding your kids ice cream for dinner.

Triple Berry Coffee Cake
Recipe by The Sisters Cafe

2 cups flour

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

2 cups fresh or frozen berries*

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 cup butter

1. Grease a 9x9 baking pan. In a medium bowl, combine the 2 cups flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

2. In a medium bowl beat butter on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add the 3/4 cup sugar and beat on med-high until light and fluffy. Add egg, beat well. Add flour mixture and milk alternately to beaten egg mixture, beating until smooth after each addition.

3. Spoon batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle with berries and press in slightly (this will moisten the batter and keep the cake from getting dry). In another bowl combine the 1/2 cup flour, the 1/2 cup sugar, and cinnamon. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs; sprinkle over berries. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 50-60 minutes, don't overbake. Serve warm.

*I used 1 cup fresh strawberries, and 1 cup of frozen blackberries/raspberries and LOVED this combination. Quite frankly you don't even need to measure the berries out if you don't want to. Just make sure the top is adequately covered with berries. My only issue is with the seeds. Next time I may puree the raspberries/blackberries and put them through a fine strainer, and top the batter with a jam "ribbon", then top with strawberries. Feel free to try it, or I'll keep ya posted.