Coffee Cake Recipe

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line the bottom of a 9-inch round or an equivalent shallow pie/tart pan with parchment. Lightly grease the sides.

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt until evenly combined.

In a separate large bowl whisk the sugar and melted butter until combined. Add the egg and whisk until smooth, then stir in 1 cup Greek yogurt, vanilla extract and lemon zest until smooth.

Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture with a flexible spatula until just combined. Do not overmix; a few small lumps are fine.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula to an even layer about 1/2–3/4 inch thick.

Bake on the center rack for 18–22 minutes, or until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs (not wet batter).

Remove from the oven and let the cake cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Then run a thin knife around the edge and invert onto a rack or platter to cool completely, about 20 minutes. The cake is best slightly warm or at room temperature for assembly.

While cake bakes or cools, prepare the smoked whitefish jam. Flake the smoked whitefish with a fork into small pieces, removing any stray bones.

In a medium bowl combine the flaked whitefish, softened cream cheese, 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt, minced shallot, chopped capers, lemon juice, chopped dill and freshly ground black pepper.

Use a fork or a small food processor (pulse briefly) to blend the mixture to a spreadable jam-like texture. Aim for small lumps of fish remaining for texture; do not puree completely.

Taste and adjust seasoning with up to 1/4 tsp salt if needed and a little more lemon if you prefer brighter acidity. Chill briefly if time allows (10–15 minutes) to let flavors marry, or hold at room temperature until assembly.

If your granola is very large-clustered, lightly pulse or crush half the granola so there is a mix of fine and chunkier pieces for better texture contrast.

Place the cooled cake on a serving plate. Spread a thin, even layer (about 3–4 tablespoons) of the remaining 3/4 cup Greek yogurt over the top of the cake as a base for the jam.

Dollop or spread the smoked whitefish jam over the yogurt layer, leaving some yogurt visible around the edge for contrast. Use roughly all of the jam; adjust amount to taste.

Scatter the local granola evenly over the jam, pressing gently so some granola adheres to the yogurt and jam. Reserve a little granola for finishing.

Finish with a light drizzle of olive oil if using, a sprinkle of extra dill or microgreens, and the reserved granola for visual crunch. Serve with lemon wedges on the side for guests to squeeze over the fish if they like.

Slice the cake into 4 equal pieces and serve immediately so granola stays crunchy. Leftovers: store chilled in an airtight container up to 24 hours; add fresh granola at service to restore crunch.