Welcome back to the third annual #BrunchWeek hosted by Terri of Love and Confections and Shaina of Take a Bite out of Boca.

I couldn’t celebrate a week of brunch without another variation of my very popular coffee cake and when Woot Froot was announced as a #BrunchWeek sponsor I knew I’d utilize the fruit they sent. Because peaches and nectarines (what they’re most famous for) aren’t in season until next month, we received sliced pears and destemmed grapes. I decided to use the pears in my coffee cake! After many bundt baking attempts at putting foods in cakes I tossed the chopped pears in flour (and cinnamon for good measure).

I have made this coffee cake so many times and have done so using either sour cream or yogurt – we’ve even used lemon Greek yogurt once in a pinch! I saw another opportunity to use a sponsored product – Stonyfield Organic yogurt! (I buy their YoBaby yogurts for the little man, and it’s definitely his favorite food.) I used whole milk vanilla yogurt in this coffee cake and it’s absolutely delicious, a great accompaniment to the pears!

I like to top my coffee cakes with a crumble that includes oats. Conveniently enough Bob’s Red Mill provided participating bloggers with a bag of old fashioned rolled oats!

Not only am I sharing my coffee cake recipe today – I’m using Cabot Cheese White Oak Cheddar in a fruit salad! The way I figured it, people often eat fruit with their cheese plate so why not combine it in a sweet and savory dressing.

Pear Coffee Cake

Ingredients for topping:

• 3/8 C flour
• 1/3 C Dixie Crystals Brown Sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• pinch of salt
• 2 1/2 tbsp butter, at room temperature
• 1/4 C rolled oats

Ingredients for cake:

• 2 C + 1 tbsp flour, divided use
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 stick butter, at room temperature
• 1 C Dixie Crystals Granulated Sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 C whole milk vanilla yogurt
• 1 C peeled and diced pears
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Steps:

1. Make the topping: whisk together the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Using your fingers, break the butter into small pieces and combine with the topping. After combined add the oats. Set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8×8″ square cake pan with foil and grease.
3. Make the cake: In a large bowl whisk together 2 C flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
4. In a the bowl of a stand mixer beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. Add in the vanilla.
5. Incorporate a third of the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Once combined add 1/2 C of yogurt. Add another third of the dry ingredients. Once combined add the last 1/2 C of yogurt. Add in the final third of the dry ingredients.
6. Toss pears in remaining flour and cinnamon.
7. Assemble the cake: Place half of the cake batter in the prepared cake pan. Evenly distribute the pears and top with remaining batter. Top the cake with the topping from step 1.
8. Bake for 65 minutes, or until a knife comes out cleanly.
9. Allow cake to cool for 5 minutes and remove the cake from the pan by the foil. Serve your cake with fruit & cheese salad (recipe below)!

Fruit & Cheese Salad

Ingredients:

• 3 C chopped pears
• 2 C sliced red grapes
• 1 Fuji apple, diced
• 6 oz White Oak Cheddar Cheese, cubed
• 1/4 C apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 C extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 C agave nectar
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp fresh basil, chiffonade

Steps:

1. In a large bowl, toss together fruit and cheese.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, olive oil, agave, and vanilla. Season to taste with salt.
3. Dress fruit salad with the dressing and add in the basil. Keep cold.

*The dressing recipe is modified from Michael at http://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipe/fruit-salad-with-savoury-dressings/12917/*

Don’t forget to enter our giveaway and be sure to check out the other bloggers who posted more brunch recipes today:

BrunchWeek Beverages:
Grape Mojito from The Spiffy Cookie.

BrunchWeek Egg Dishes:
Caramelized Onion, Kale, Bacon and Cheddar Strata from Love and Confections.
Kale and Toasted Quinoa Egg White Scramble from Take A Bite Out Of Boca.
Breakfast Enchiladas from Cooking in Stilettos
Croque Madame Breakfast Casserole from Bread Booze Bacon.
Rainbow Chard and Cheddar Cheese Frittata from My Catholic Kitchen.

BrunchWeek Breads, Grains and Pastries:
Perfect French Toast from Quarter Life (Crisis) Cuisine.
Oat Breakfast Cookies from Pink Cake Plate.
Cinnamon Oatmeal Pancakes with Spiced Pear Syrup from The Redhead Baker.
Cinnamon Crumb Coffee Cake Muffins from Making Miracles.
Classic Buttermilk Pancakes from That Skinny Chick Can Bake.
Bacci Bread and Pear Pudding from A Day in the Life on the Farm.
Pear Coffee Cake and Fruit & Cheese Salad from Sew You Think You Can Cook.

BrunchWeek Main Dishes:
Waldorf Quinoa Chicken Salad from Cupcake & Kale Chips.

BrunchWeek Fruits, Vegetables and Sides:
Chilled Strawberry Soup from The Suburban Soapbox

BrunchWeek Desserts:
Orange Blossom Olive Oil Cake with Mango Citrus Glaze from Taste Cook Sip.
Walnut Meringue Banana Mess from Jane’s Adventures in Dinner.

Disclaimer: Thank you to #BrunchWeek Sponsors: Bob’s Red Mill, Cabot Creamery Cooperative, California Walnuts, Dixie Crystals, Grimmway Farms/Cal-Organic/True Juice, KitchenAid, Le Creuset, Nielsen-Massey Vanillas, Pacari Chocolate, Stonyfield Organic, Vidalia Onions, and Woot Froot for providing the prizes free of charge. These companies also provided the bloggers with samples and product to use for #BrunchWeek. All opinions are my own.