coffee cake

Blueberry Cheesecake Coffee Cake

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blueberry cream cheese coffee cake

The air is getting cooler. We’re waking up to the furnace coming on in the mornings. The kids are getting snuggled up in their pj’s before bedtime, instead of sleeping in their undies and diapers with the windows wide open. We’re donning sweaters in the cool of the morning and at the setting of the sun. But, I still refuse to say the f word (starts with “f”, ends with “all”). It’s still summer and I’m going to enjoy every last ounce of it while I can. So, no mentioning the f word around here, ok? I’ve seen it thrown around too much lately. Let’s enjoy the season that’s here, while it’s still here. Even if it does lack the intense heat and crazy awesome thunder storms.

One thing I appreciate about a bit of cooler summer weather is that I don’t have to dread turning my oven on. Baking with summer berries is one of the best things ever! And this blueberry cheesecake coffee cake is about as good as it gets. Think dense, lightly sweet, coffee cake topped with a thin layer of rich cheesecake, fresh blueberries and crisp streusel topping. I don’t really think it needs much of a description, besides yum! We’ve been enjoying our’s with iced coffee and I’ve saved a few slices in the freezer just in case another heat wave decides to hit and I’m avoiding the oven again. But, even if that never happens it will most definitely not be going to waste!

Blueberry Cheesecake Coffee Cake

Coffee Cake
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 cups flour
  • 2.5 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup milk
Cheesecake Topping
  • 8 oz. (250g) cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 cups blueberries
Streusel Topping
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

For the Coffee Cake: Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. In a separate bowl whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Add flour to butter mixture in 3 additions, alternating with milk, starting and ending with flour. Mix just until incorporated. Spread evenly into a greased 9 inch cake pan (a springform pan works best for easy removal).

For the  Cheesecake Topping: Beat cream cheese until smooth. Gradually beat in sugar until incorporated. Add vanilla and egg. Beat just until blended. Spread on top of coffee cake layer. Sprinkle with blueberries.

For the Streusel Topping: Mix together sugar, flour and cinnamon. Using your hands, incorporate the butter until the mixture clumps together easily (the butter should be mixed in with no visible lumps). Sprinkle on top of blueberries.

Bake at 350ºF for 45-55 min. or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before serving.

Adapted from Sugar.

Pear & Walnut Sour Cream Coffee Cake

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Pear & Walnut Sour Cream Coffee Cake

It took me four hours to get this coffee cake in the oven. This has no reflection on the difficulty of the recipe but rather my life as a mom. From exploding diapers to early bath times to bedtime tantrums this cake went through many waiting periods. I think it”s pretty safe to say it”s a foolproof recipe.

I”m a big fan of coffee cakes. They”re not overly sweet and, just like muffins, they”re really just an excuse to eat cake for breakfast. :) This cake is light in both taste and texture. A refreshing break from all the heavy and rich baked goods that are everywhere this time of year.

My hubby isn”t a fan of pears but he loved this (LOVED it). So did I. It”s one of those cakes that”s hard to stop eating. Breakfast. Coffee. Dessert. Too many excuses to steal a little slice.

Pear & Walnut Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Streusel & Filling

  • 1 cup chopped walnuts

  • 1/3 cup packed brown sugar

  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1/4 cup cold butter

  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

  • 2 medium pears, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced

Cake

  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 1/2 cup butter , softened

  • 1 cup sugar

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

  • 2 eggs

  • 1 (8 oz) carton sour cream

  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

For the streusel topping and filling: Stir together walnuts, brown sugar, and cinnamon. In a separate bowl grate cold butter into flour and break up with your fingers to make coarse crumbs. Stir 3/4 cup of the nut mixture into the flour mixture to make streusel. Set remaining nut mixture and streusel topping aside.

For the cake: Combine the flour, baking powder, soda, and salt; set aside. In a large bowl beat the softened butter until smooth. Beat in sugar and vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Beat in flour mixture and sour cream, in three additions, starting and ending with flour.

Spread two-thirds of the batter into a greased 9 inch springform pan. Sprinkle with the reserved nut mixture. Layer pears on top. Carefully spread remaining batter over the pears. Sprinkle with the streusel topping. Bake at 350ºF for 10 minutes. For a crunchy topping, sprinkle with the 1/2 cup walnuts. Bake an additional 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes before removing the side of the springform pan. Cool one hour before serving.

Makes: 12 servings

Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens.

Rhubarb Crunch Coffee Cake

By in Breakfast, Cakes, Easter, Snacks, Sweets 20 Comments Tags: , , , ,

Rhubarb Crunch Coffe Cake

One of the {food} things I miss most about not being in Canada is watching the Food Network. I have a couple of favourite Canadian chefs and I often go back to the website to check out their new recipes. When I saw that Food Network had a Cooking Club Challenge every month and that they were cooking a recipe of Anna Olson’s {one of my all time favourite chef’s} I felt inspired to join the ranks.

The original recipe is for a Sour Cream Apple Coffee Cake but I adapted it to be a bit more seasonal by replacing the apples with chopped fresh rhubarb and adding a bit more brown sugar to balance it out. The crunch of walnuts along with the light crumb, crusty caramelized outer shell and slight tartness from the rhubarb make this perfect for a spring brunch or afternoon snack.

Rhubarb Crunch Coffee Cake

adapted from Sugar

Cake
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1.5 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  1. Cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time.
  2. Add vanilla and sour cream. Stir to combine.
  3. Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Stir into wet ingredients just until incorporated.
Crunch Topping
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon flour
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup walnut pieces
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
  1. Combine ingredients until evenly moistened.
Rhubarb
  • 2 cups diced rhubarb
  • 2 tablespoon brown sugar
  1. Stir together rhubarb and brown sugar.
Assembly
  1. Spoon half of the cake batter into a greased 8 inch square cake pan. Smooth top.
  2. Sprinkle half of the crunch topping over batter in pan. Top with remaining batter and smooth out.
  3. Combine remaining crunch topping and rhubarb. Sprinkle over all.
  4. Bake for 55-60 minutes at 350ºF until toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean.

Makes: 9-12 servings

* I made mine in two 6 inch round cake pans but they overflowed quite a bit so I would suggest sticking with the 8 inch square.

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