Apple Cranberry Yogurt Coffee Cake

I love baking and cooking. I really do! But often it's the clean up that deters me from actually doing it aside from the usual breakfast/lunch/dinner clean up that already exists.
But not today.
For some reason I was highly motivated to try new recipes and use up some old yogurt and fresh cranberries I had in my fridge {um, yeah. my poor fridge totally needed a clean out. and it got one. and now you're getting this recipe as a result. win!}.
So among other recipes {yes, I did try Joy the Baker's Salted Cocoa Roasted Hazelnuts...and oh. I died. and I had to put them away so I wouldn't eat THE ENTIRE BATCH.} I present to you my take on the apple cranberry yogurt coffee cake:

1 1/4 cup plain yogurt
1 1/2 cup cranberries
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup apple sauce
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
2 apples {but I only had one}, cored and roughly chopped to 1/2 inch pieces

Preheat your oven to 325F. Lightly grease and flour a 9x13 pan {or you can use smaller pans - I used two 8 inch cake pans and a loaf pan because I wanted smaller cakes to freeze}.
In a small sauce pan, simmer the water, sugar and cranberries on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the berries just begin to pop {I learned something new! I never knew they did that until today!}, about 5 minutes. Remove the berries with a slotted spoon and reserve.
In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar. Once creamed, add in the apple sauce. Lightly beat the eggs with vanilla and stir to combine.
Into another bowl mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Add the apple pieces and toss to coat.
Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir to combine.
Fold in the yogurt and gently add the cranberries, being careful not to break them apart.
Pour the batter into your chosen pan(s) and bake for 35-45 minutes (depending on your pan size - a tooth pick should come out clean when poked into the middle.).
Cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before serving.
And enjoy!

Adapted from The Dannon Kitchen