COOKS ILLUSTRATED CREAM CHEESE COFFEE CAKE

COOKS ILLUSTRATED CREAM CHEESE COFFEE CAKE image

Yield 12 to 16 slices

Number Of Ingredients 16

Ingredients

Lemon Sugar-Almond Topping
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp finely grated zest from lemon
1/2 cup sliced almonds
Cake
2 1/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 1/8 tsp baking powder
1 1/8 tsp baking soda
1 tsp table salt
10 T butter, softened but still cool
1 C plus 7 T sugar
1 T finely grated zest plus 4 tsp juice from 1-2 lemons
4 large eggs
5 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 C sour cream
8 ozs cream cheese, softened

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.