Fresh Cherry Coffee Cake

We have had an abundance of cherries in our house for the past few weeks -- need to enjoy them while we can!  I refuse to buy them in the off season because they are so expensive and the taste just doesn't compare.  (FYI -- fresh cherries on sale today, July 13th at Whole Foods!  $1.99/pound.)  Anyways, we got a little carried away and wanted to incorporate our supply of fresh cherries into a recipe.

This fresh cherry coffee cake was made as a "thank you" to a friend so we never even got to cut into it ourselves.  However, we were told it was amazing -- sweet, but not too sweet, dense but not dry.  I will clearly have to make it again to find out!  Enjoy :)

Fresh Cherry Coffee Cake
Source:  Lottie + Doof

Ingredients
For the topping:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for dish
3/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dish
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the cake:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 cups fresh cherries, pitted

Directions
Preheat oven to 350° F. Butter a 9-inch round baking dish,  dust with flour, tap out excess.

In a medium bowl, stir together butter, flour, sugars, salt, and cinnamon. Set topping aside.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and granulated sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Working in alternating batches, add flour mixture and buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour. Beat until just combined. Pour into prepared dish, and smooth with an offset spatula. Dot top with cherries, and sprinkle with crumb topping.

Bake until golden and a tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Let cool before cutting.