Dessert: Cherry-Hazelnut Cake with Streusel Topping

Recipe by Ivy Manning The Pacific Northwest's cherry crop runs from May through early July. Use a sweet fresh cherry such as Bing or Rainier for this hearty cake. You can substitute frozen cherries, thawed and drained, if fresh fruit is unavailable.

This recipe includes superfoods such as:

Cinnamon, Nuts

Health benefits of Cherry-Hazelnut Cake with Streusel Topping

Cinnamon is one of the best ingredients that someone with insulin sensitivity can eat. Half a teaspoon of cinnamon per day has been shown to be very effective at normalizing blood sugar levels. Cinnamon contains hydroxychalcone, which is thought to enhance the effects of insulin. It has also been suggested that Cinnamon prevents post-meal blood sugar spikes by slowing the gastric emptying rate - meaning that food digests slowly. (Reference: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11506060). Nuts are a natural source of Inositol, a derivative of Vitamin B (which is often prescribed in the form of supplements for women with PCOS). Inositol can effectively control the symptoms of PCOS by reducing insulin resistance and improving insulin sensitivity.

Ingredients

1/2 cup sugar
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons old-fashioned rolled oats
2 tablespoons finely chopped hazelnuts
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons reduced-fat buttermilk

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 °.
To prepare streusel, combine first 6 ingredients in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add oil and 2 teaspoons buttermilk; stir to combine. Set aside.
To prepare cake, weigh or lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Place flours, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a bowl, stirring with a whisk. Combine sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add egg; beat 1 minute or until combined. Beat in rind and almond extract. Add flour mixture and 1/2 cup buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Stir in cherries.
Pour batter into a 9-inch springform pan coated with baking spray; sprinkle with streusel. Bake at 375 ° for 40 to 45 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, rotating pan from front to back after 25 minutes. Cool cake in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes. Remove cake from pan; cool completely on wire rack.

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