Recently I saw the recipe for Cranberry-Hazelnut Coffeecake on Pinterest. The original recipe is from MyRecipes.com. The coffeecake looked so pretty, and I do love cranberries, so I pinned it to my board “Want to Try”. The fact that the recipe called for fresh cranberries, and they were not sweetened was appealing. I love a touch of tartness in recipes. With friends coming over for coffee, I thought I would try this recipe, but make the Cranberry-Hazelnut Coffeecake into muffins. The only real change I made to the original recipe was to add the zest of one orange. Orange flavor and cranberries seem to go together, and I think the orange zest was a good addition. 
First make the streusel topping with flour, brown sugar, hazelnuts, cinnamon,and melted butter. Just give it a quick mix by hand and you are done. Set aside. Honestly I might make a little more topping for the muffins next time.
Rough chop the fresh cranberries. Set aside. 
Next you sift together cake flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. I did use cake flour, and even Ever-Lovin’ mentioned how delicious and light the cake was. (Good recommendation.) Set aside. (Yes, you now have three bowls dirty. – But it is worth it. Trust me.)
No picture: Mixed the eggs and sour cream with the vanilla and orange zest in a measuring cup. (“Bowl” number four – do not despair.)
In the bowl (Number five – it is okay) of your mixer, beat at medium speed the remaining sour cream and butter (about two minutes). Then add the flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with the egg mixture. Begin and end with the flour mixture.
At this point, I must have been brain dead and did not take any more pictures. So sorry. I know I am a dork!
Spray your springform pan or muffin pan with cooking spray or use cupcake liners for the muffins.
Spread half of the batter in the muffin pan or the 9-inch springform pan.
Then sprinkle the chopped cranberries over the batter.
Spoon the remaining batter over the cranberries.
Top with streusel mixture.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes for the muffins until a wooden pick inserted into the center of the muffin comes out clean. (Recommended time for the cake is 45 minutes.)
These muffins are so, so good! Beyond my expectations. (See why next time I might make more streusel topping for the muffins.)
See the pretty muffin. The cake is light, and the hint of orange flavor from the zest is divine. The cranberry layer is pretty and delicious. Believe me! I am dreaming of making these again and again. What a perfect recipe for the holidays. (On the plate is the Cranberry-Hazelnut Muffin, a Sausage Ball, and the Pumpkin Bread Muffin ( I will post the pumpkin bread recipe soon) with fruit.
Blessings to you and yours,
The dirty bowls went into the dishwasher – easy breezy, and Ever-Lovin’ and I were happy campers eating Cranberry-Hazelnut Muffins with our coffee. Try them. I think you will like them.
Cranberry Hazelnut Muffins
By Published: October 22, 2012
- Yield: 12 - 16 muffins or 9 inch cake
Delicious cranberry muffins with hazelnut streusel topping. Original recipe was for a coffeecake.
Ingredients
- Streusel topping
- 1/4 cup cake flour sifted
- 1/4 cup brown sugar packed
- 1/4 cup hazelnuts chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon butter melted
- Cake
- 1 2/3 cups cake flour sifted
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 8 ounce carton sour cream divided; can use fat-free sour cream
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg white
- zest of 1 orange
- 5 tablespoons butter softened
- 2 cups fresh cranberries chopped
Instructions
- Rough chop the cranberries. Set aside.
- For the streusel combine 1/4 cup cake flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and hazelnuts. Set aside.
- Sift together - 1 2/3 cups cake flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In another bowl combine 1/4 cup sour cream, egg, egg white, vanilla, and orange zest. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a mixing bowl beat together remaining sour cream and 5 tablespoons softened butter on medium speed for about two minutes.
- Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with egg mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
- Spread half of batter into muffin tin coated with cooking spray or lined with cupcake liners. Or use a 9-inch springform pan.
- Sprinkle cranberries over batter.
- Spread remaining batter over cranberries.
- Sprinkle streusel mixture over batter.
- For muffins bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until a wooden pick comes out clean. Bake 9 inch cake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.
- Cool on a wire rack.