White Chocolate & Ginger Coffee Cake Muffin Recipe

This afternoon it rained in Salt Lake City. I do not mean light, sprinkling rain which urges you to frolic in puddles. I mean the kind of rain that prompts men with white beards to build large wooden boats and round up animals two-by-two. When it first started, the boys and I cuddled together by the front window to watch the show. As sheets of rain blew past our window and three-quarters of the street was covered in a river of fast-flowing mud and water, I started to become a little concerned. I went into the garage to check on the canoe that my husband was buffing last weekend. Floatable device - check. Lifejackets - check. Just before I called for all hands on deck, the rain thankfully started to slow to a mere shower and the drains were able to swallow the overflow of water.

As we were watching the torrent outside, the temperature dropped to 55 degrees F. No longer was I craving ice cream and lemonade. Rather, autumn began to slip into my thoughts and I flipped on the oven to make these coffee cake muffins. The first time I made these sweet, comforting muffins a few months ago, I mixed Heath Bar chunks into the streusel. This time, I replaced the nutmeg and cinnamon with ground ginger and stirred in a large handful of white chocolate chips. The chocolate chips melted slightly while baking, but retained their shape for the most part. My kids were thankful to warm their insides with one of these treats shortly after I popped these muffins out of the oven.

Streusel:
In a medium bowl, whisk together ½ cup (packed) brown sugar, ½ cup all-purpose flour, 1 ½ teaspoon ground ginger, and ⅛ teaspoon salt.

Cut 4 tablespoons (½ stick) chilled butter into ½-inch pieces and cut into the brown sugar mixture with a pastry cutter or your fingers.

When the mixture resembles coarse meal, stir in ¾ cup white chocolate chips.

Making the cake:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine 3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder, 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda, 1 ½ teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon ground ginger.

Combine ¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter and 1 ⅓ cups granulated sugar in a large bowl, and blend with a mixer until fluffy. Add 3 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.

Fold in the flour mixture alternately with 1 ½ cups plain yogurt (I used 2%, but whole milk yogurt would work well, too), beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Do not overmix.

Coat 1 ½ muffin tins (18 cups) with cooking spray. Fill each cup one-third full with batter. Using half of the streusel mixture, generously top the batter.

Fill with the rest of the batter and top with the remaining streusel.

Bake until the muffins are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 15 to 18 minutes, rotating the pans from top to bottom and back to front halfway through baking.

Cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Remove the muffins from the pans and cool completely on a wire rack.

Other muffins with white chocolate:

La Tartine Gourmande's White Chocolate Muffins with White Chocolate Icing & Pistachios
Pinch My Salt's Cherry Banana Muffins with White Chocolate Chips
Cook Almost Anything's Cherry & White Chocolate Muffins
Tastorama's White Chocolate Muffins

White Chocolate & Ginger Coffee Cake Muffins

Streusel:
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoon ground ginger
⅛ teaspoon salt
¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, chilled
¾ cup white chocolate chips

Cake:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
1 ½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
¾ cup ( 1 ½ stick) unsalted butter
1 ⅓ cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups plain (2% or whole) yogurt

Streusel:
In a medium bowl, whisk together brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, ginger, and ⅛ teaspoon salt. Cut butter into ½-inch pieces and cut into the brown sugar mixture with a pastry cutter or your fingers. When the mixture resembles coarse meal, stir in white chocolate chips.

Cake:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and ginger. Combine butter and sugar in a large bowl, and blend with a mixer until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla extract.

Fold in the flour mixture alternately with yogurt, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Do not overmix.

Coat 1 ½ muffin tins (18 cups) with cooking spray. Fill each cup one-third full with batter. Using half of the streusel mixture, generously top the batter. Fill with the rest of the batter and top with the remaining streusel.

Bake until the muffins are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 15 to 18 minutes, rotating the pans from top to bottom and back to front halfway through baking.

Cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Remove the muffins from the pans and cool completely on a wire rack. Serve.

Makes 18 muffins.

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