Shelly's Recipe

Strawberries and Cream Coffee Cake with Vanilla Cream Cheese Glaze

Category: Coffee Cake

For the Cake
1 large egg
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sour cream (very thick Greek yogurt may be substituted, although I have not tested it)
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt, optional and to taste
1 1/4 cups frozen or fresh strawberries, halved and loosely packed (if using frozen, keep them unthawed and add them frozen - thaw just enough to halve them, if necessary. Other fruit could be substituted such as blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, peaches, nectarines)
2 to 3 tablespoons turbinado sugar, for sprinkling (2 tablespoons granulated sugar may be substituted)

For the Vanilla Cream Cheese Glaze
about 3 ounces (about 1/3 cup) cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup granulated sugar OR about 1 cup confectioners sugar (granulated sugar prevents glaze from getting as crunchy when exposed to air, but does not incorporate as smoothly as confectioners sugar)
2 to 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:

For the Cake -Preheat oven to 400F. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with floured cooking spray, or grease and flour the pan; set aside (I fear a regular 9-inch cake pan won't quite be deep enough; but an 8-inch or 9-inch square pan is okay).

To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or large mixing bowl and hand mixer), combine first 10 ingredients (through salt), and mix on medium-high speed until smooth and combined, about 2 minutes.

Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and mix on medium-high speed until smooth and combined, about 1 minute.

Transfer batter to prepared pan.

Arrange strawberry slices uniformly over the top of batter (looks like a lot but they sink down and shrivel while baking).

Evenly sprinkle with 2 to 3 tablespoons sugar.
Bake at 400F for 30 minutes.

Lower the temp to 375F and bake for another 20 to 25 minutes, or until cake is golden, set in the center (it will likely be domed), not jiggly, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, or with a few moist crumbs dangling, but no batter. Note that I used frozen strawberries and added ice cold berries to the cake batter. If you're using fresh berries, your baking time could be considerably less. Watch your cake, not the clock. If at any point your cake appears to be browning more quickly in places before the center is setting, cover with foil.

Allow cake to cool in pan on a wire rack for about 10 minutes before removing from pan and turning out onto a rack to cool completely. While the cake cools, make the glaze.

For the Vanilla Cream Cheese Glaze - Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and beat until smooth, either with a whisk or a mixer. Play with ratios of all ingredients to suit your tastes.

Drizzle glaze over cake in big ribbons, going up and back, over the surface (the photos show the glaze skimpier because I wanted the strawberries to be visible, but I used all the glaze after the photos were completed). If you have extra glaze, it will keep airtight in the refrigerator for at least 1 month. It makes an excellent fruit dip. I store cake airtight at room temperature where it stays fresh for 4 days. Store in the refrigerator (due to the glaze) if desired.