If you take a stroll through our neighborhoods here in Georgia right now, you’ll notice something magical happening amidst the grey, dormant branches of winter. While the rest of the landscape is hitting the snooze button, our citrus trees are waking up in the most vibrant way possible. To me, those bright orange globes dangling from fruitful trees look like little beacons of hope against the cold, dark days of winter.

While we often associate fresh produce with the heat of summer, oranges are actually the gems of the colder months. Primarily in season from November through April, they reach their peak availability right when we need that vitamin C boost the most—between December and March.

Backyard Bounty (Watch the Thorns!)

Recently, I had the pleasure of harvesting a bowl full of sunshine right from my neighbor’s backyard tree. A word to the wise for those headstrong harvesters: be extra careful when picking! Many folks don’t realize that citrus trees often have sharp thorns tucked behind those glossy leaves (ask me how I know). It’s a bit of a “rose has its thorns” situation, but the reward is well worth a cautious reach.

There is just something Some Kinda Good about fruit that travels only a few feet from the branch to your kitchen counter! With a countertop full of fresh, hand-picked bounty, I knew exactly what Saturday morning called for: Orange Cinnamon Coffee Cake.

A Burst of Sunshine in Every Bite

While a classic coffee cake is always a winner, adding the zest and juice of a fresh orange elevates this comfort food to a whole new level. The acidity of the juice makes the crumb incredibly tender, while the zest provides a fragrant, essential oil punch that you just can’t get from an extract.

The best part? Those beautiful little orange flecks scattered throughout the batter and tucked into the buttery crumble topping. It ensures that you get a bright burst of citrus flavor in every single bite. It’s the ultimate pairing for a hot cup of coffee on a slow weekend morning. Pair it with crispy bacon for a true breakfast of champions.

Some Kinda Good Orange Cinnamon Coffee Cake
Remember to take your butter out the night before to sit on the counter and soften. If you forget, you can soften the butter in the microwave for 20 seconds.

Cinnamon Streusel Topping

• ½ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• Zest of 1 orange, divided
• ½ cup cold butter, diced

Coffee Cake

• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• Juice of 1 orange
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 350°F and grease an 8-inch square baking pan.

Mix the Crumble: In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, granulated sugar, flour, cinnamon, and half of the orange zest. Cut in the cold butter with a fork until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside.

The Batter: In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and sugar. Add the egg, orange juice and remaining half of orange zest, beating until fluffy.

Combine: Mix together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. In a measuring cup, mix together the milk and vanilla extract. Gradually add the flour mixture to the batter, alternating with the milk. Stir until just combined—don’t overmix!

Layer: Pour half the batter into the pan, sprinkle with half the crumble, then top with the remaining batter and the rest of the crumble.

Bake: Bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5-10 minutes before slicing into 9 squares. Serve warm.

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Rebekah Faulk Lingenfelser is a five-star private chef, culinary TV personality, and the 2x bestselling author of Unique Eats and Eateries of Savannah and Some Kinda Good: Good Food and Good Company, That’s What It’s All About!  She founded her award-winning blog, Some Kinda Good® in November 2011 and also owns Some Kinda Good, LLC, a private chef business and Southern, coastal brand.

Featured in Forbes, on Food Network, and on ABC, she is a Georgia Southern University alumna (c/o ’05) and an honors graduate of the Savannah Culinary Institute (c/o ’24). Connect with Some Kinda Good on social media, visit RebekahLingenfelser.com or email SKGFoodBlog@gmail.com.