Shelly's Recipe

STRAWBERRY-CREAM CHEESE COFFEE CAKE

Category: Coffee Cake

Cake Layer:
8 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
Finely grated zest of one lemon
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
2 large yolks

Preheat oven to 350. Grease 10 mini loaf pans or a 13x9 inch baking pan and line the bottoms with parchment (you may also use cupcake pans, lining 24 standard size molds with standard paper cupcake liners). Cream together butter, sugar and zest until light and fluffy. Add vanilla, followed by eggs - one at a time - beating well to incorporate between each addition.

Whisk together flour, salt and baking powder to evenly distribute. Add one third of this dry mixture to the butter-egg mixture and mix to incorporate. Add one yolk, and mix to incorporate. Add half of remaining dry mixture, followed by remaining yolk, finishing with remaining dry mixture, mixing well after each addition.

Cream Cheese Layer:
10 oz cream cheese
Finely grated zest of one lemon
6 tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg, well beaten, but not aerated

Place cream cheese and lemon zest in a heat-proof mixing bowl set over simmering water. Stir every so often, until cheese becomes warm, smooth and liquid. Remove mixing bowl from heat. Add sugar and vanilla extract well. (Do not whip or whisk, as incorporating air will make the cream cheese layer pasty and dry). Add beaten egg and mix to incorporate.

Crumb Layer:
8 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients and mix with your hands or a mixer until ingredients are evenly distributed and mixture falls in chunky crumbs.

Assembly:
1 recipe cake layer
2 cups fresh or frozen strawberries, diced
1 recipe cream cheese layer
1 recipe crumb layer

Divide cake layer batter evenly among prepared pans. Divide strawberries evenly among pans, spreading the berry pieces evenly over the surface of the cake batter and patting down gently.

Diving cream cheese layer batter evenly among pans (there should be enough to just cover the berries in each pan). Sprinkle a healthy handful of crumbs over the cream cheese layer in each pan. Do not push down.

Bake coffee cakes for 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the center cakes comes out clean (it may appear a bit damp, but should not have any batter clinging to it). Allow cakes to cool for 5 to 10 minutes in the pans. Carefully loosen each cake with a paring knife and gently turn cakes out. Cool completely, crumb-side up on wire racks. Cakes keep about 3 days (though crumb topping will become less crunchy/crumbly after storage).