Cooks Illustrated Cream Cheese Coffee Cake Food

CHOCOLATE SOUR CREAM BUNDT CAKE (COOK'S ILLUSTRATED)

Steps:

• FOR THE PAN: Stir together butter and cocoa in small bowl until paste forms; using a pastry brush, coat all interior surfaces of standard 12-cup Bundt pan, see illustration below. (If mixture becomes too thick to brush on, microwave it for 10 to 20 seconds, or until warm and softened.) Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 350°F.
• FOR THE CAKE: Combine cocoa, chocolate, and espresso powder (if using) in medium heatproof bowl; pour boiling water over and whisk until smooth. Cool to room temperature; then whisk in sour cream. Whisk flour, salt, and baking soda in second bowl to combine.
• In standing mixer fitted with flat beater, beat butter, sugar, and vanilla on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium and add eggs one at a time, mixing about 30 seconds after each addition and scraping down bowl with rubber spatula after first 2 additions. Reduce to medium-low speed (batter may appear separated); add about one third of flour mixture and half of chocolate/sour cream mixture and mix until just incorporated, about 20 seconds. Scrape bowl and repeat using half of remaining flour mixture and all of remaining chocolate mixture; add remaining flour mixture and beat until just incorporated, about 10 seconds. Scrape bowl and mix on medium-low until batter is thoroughly combined, about 30 seconds.
• Pour batter into prepared Bundt pan, being careful not to pour batter on sides of pan. Bake until wooden skewer inserted into center comes out with few crumbs attached, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then invert cake onto parchment-lined wire rack; cool to room temperature, about 3 hours. Dust with confectioners' sugar, transfer to serving platter, and cut into wedges.

PECAN CREAM CHEESE COFFEE CAKE WITH PECAN STREUSEL

Steps:

• Spray a 9-inch round cake pan or a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• In a small bowl, mix flour, sugar, pecans and cinnamon with a whisk. Use a fork or your fingers to cut the softened butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Lightly pack into the bowl and put in the freezer while preparing the cake.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, ground pecans and spices. Set aside. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer set at medium speed, beat together the butter, cream cheese and brown sugar until light and creamy, about 2-3 minutes.
• Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Alternate adding a 1/4 cup of milk with half the flour (finish with the final 1/4 cup of milk) until batter is combined. It will be thick! Spread batter into prepared pan.
• Crumble the streusel mixture on top of the cake, leaving some bigger pieces.
• Bake for approximately 45 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Let cool completely. Combine the powdered sugar and milk in a small bowl (add extra milk if needed to achieve desired consistency) then drizzle over the cake.

CREAM CHEESE PECAN COFFEE CAKE

Steps:

• Blend butter with cream cheese.
• Add sugar, beat until fluffy.
• Blend in eggs, baking powder, vanilla, soda, and salt.
• Mix in half the flour, then the milk. Blend in remaining flour.
• Combine all topping ingredients except nuts.
• Spread half the cream cheese batter in greased 9x13 inch pan.
• Sprinkle with half the topping. Spread remaining batter over top. Sprinke with remaining topping and nuts.
• Bake at 350* for 30 to 35 minutes.
• Glaze if desired.

APPLE-CINNAMON COFFEE CAKE

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a 10-inch skillet (preferably nonstick) over high heat until golden. Add apples, cover, and cook over high heat, stirring frequently, until they are dry and very tender, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Remove from heat, sprinkle apples with 2 tablespoons sugar, and lightly toss until glazed.
• Cool to room temperature.
• Adjust oven rack to center position and heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Generously grease bottom and lightly grease sides of 10-inch springform pan.
• Sprinkle bottom of pan with dry bread crumbs, then shake lightly to coat.
• Tap out excess crumbs.
• Whisk flour, remaining sugar, and salt in large mixing bowl until blended.
• Add remaining 10 tablespoons of butter and cut with whisk until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
• Remove 1 cup of crumbs to separate bowl.
• Whisk 1 teaspoon cinnamon, baking powder, and baking soda into mixture remaining in large mixing bowl.
• Add buttermilk or yogurt, egg, and vanilla; whisk vigorously until batter is thick, smooth, fluffy, and frostinglike, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes.
• Fold in apples using a rubber spatula, then scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth top.
• Add nuts, brown sugar, and remaining teaspoon cinnamon to reserved crumbs; toss with a fork or your hands until blended.
• Sprinkle crumbs over batter, pressing lightly so that mixture adheres.
• Bake cake until center is firm and cake tester comes out clean, 50 to 55 minutes (See Tip *).
• Transfer cake to rack; remove pan sides.
• Let cake cool completely, about 2 hours, before serving.
• When completely cooled, cake can be slid off pan bottom onto serving plate.
• Tip:.
• *Do not insert a skewer into this cake to test for doneness until the center appears firm when the pan is shaken. If you do, the topping may squeeze air out, and the middle of the cake may sink.
• Serves 8-10.

CREAM CHEESE COFFEE CAKE WITH CINNAMON STREUSEL

Steps:

• For the cake, grease and flour a 13x9 baking dish and set aside. In a mixing bowl, beat flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt on low until combined. Beat in softened butter until mixture is crumbly. Add in eggs, vanilla and buttermilk and beat until fully combined and fluffy! Pour half the batter into baking dish, spreading evenly.
• In a separate mixing bowl, beat cream cheese with sugar and egg until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Pour over batter. Top with remaining half of cake batter.
• For the topping, mix sugars with cinnamon and salt. Add in butter and combine fully. Add flour and mix with hands until fully combined.
• Pour crumb topping over batter, sprinkling with hands until evenly distributed.
• Bake cake in a 325 degree oven for about 45 minutes, until fully cooked. Cool completely and serve.

COOKS ILLUSTRATED CREAM CHEESE COFFEE CAKE

Steps:

• 1. For the topping: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350. Stir together sugar and lemon zest in bowl until combined. Stir in almonds; set aside. 2. For the cake: Spray 10" tube pan with cooking spray. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in medium bowl; set aside. In stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter, 1 cup plus 2 T sugar, and lemon zest at medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down sides and bottom of bowl with rubber spatula. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each about 20 seconds. Add 4 tsp vanilla and mix to combine. Reduce speed to low and add one third flour mixture, followed by half of sour cream, mixing until incorporated after each addition, 5 to 10 seconds. Repeat, using half of remaining flour mixture; mix at low speed until batter is thoroughly combined, about 10 seconds. Remove bowl from mixer and fold batter once or twice with rubber spatula to incorporate any remaining flour. 3. Reserve 1 1/4 cups batter and set aside. Spoon remaining batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Beat cream cheese, remaining 5 T sugar, lemon juice, and tsp vanilla on medium speed until smooth and slightly lightened, about 1 minute. Add 1/4 c reserved batter and mix until incorporated. Spoon cheese filling mixture evenly over batter, keeping about 1 inch from edges of pan; smooth top. With butter knife or spatula, gently swirl filling into batter using figure 8, being careful not to drag filling to bottom or edges of pan. Firmly tap pan on counter 2-3 times. Sprinkle topping evenly over batter and press into batter to adhere. 4. Bake until top is golden and firm, and skewer inserted into cake comes out clean, 45-50 min. Remove pan from oven and tap firmly on counter 2-3 times. Cool cake in pan on wire rack 1 hour. Gently invert cake onto rimmed baking sheet, remove tube pan, place wire rack on top of cake and invert cake sugar side up. Cool to room temp, about 1 1/2 hours.