Sour Cream Coffee Cake with Cream Cheese Filling

By

From Cook's Illustrated.


Our goal was to create a moist crumbed and richly flavored coffee cake with a creamy lemon cheesecake filling and a light crunchy topping.


Makes one 10-inch cake, serving 12 to 16

Leftovers should be stored in the refrigerator, covered tightly with plastic wrap. For optimal texture, allow cake to return to room temperature before serving.


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Ingredients

  • Lemon-Sugar Almond Topping
  • 4 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated zest from 1 lemon
  • 1/2 cup sliced almonds
  • Cake<
  • 1 teaspoon powdered gelatin
  • 4 teaspoons juice from one lemon
  • 2 1/4 cups (11 1/2 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon table salt
  • 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened but still cool
  • 1 cup plus 7 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon finely grated zest from one lemon
  • 4 large eggs
  • 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

Step 1

1. For the Topping:
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease 10-inch tube pan. Stir together sugar and lemon zest in small bowl until combined and sugar is moistened. Stir in almonds; set aside.


2. For the Cake:
In small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over lemon juice; let stand at least 5 minutes.

Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in medium bowl; set aside.

In standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter, 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, and lemon zest at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down sides and bottom of bowl with rubber spatula.

Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, about 20 seconds, and scraping down beater and sides of bowl as necessary.

Add 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 and all of remaining sour cream.

Scrape bowl and add 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 to prepared pan and smooth top.

Return bowl to mixer and beat cream cheese, remaining sugar, vanilla, and gelatin mixture on medium speed until smooth and slightly lightened, about 1 minute.

Spoon cheese filling evenly over batter, keeping filling about 1 inch from outside edge of pan; smooth top.

Spread reserved batter over filling and smooth top. With knife or offset spatula, gently swirl filling into batter, being careful to not drag filling to bottom or edges of pan.

Firmly knock pan on counter 2 or 3 times to dislodge any air bubbles.

Sprinkle lemon-sugar almond topping evenly over batter. Gently press lemon-sugar almond topping to batter to adhere.

4. Bake until top is golden and just firm, and long skewer inserted into cake comes out clean (skewer should still be wet if inserted into cheese filling), 45 to 50 minutes.

Remove pan from oven and firmly tap on counter 2 or 3 times (top of cake may sink slightly).

Cool cake in pan on wire rack for 1 hour.

Invert cake onto rimmed baking sheet (cake will be sugar-side down); remove tube pan, place wire rack on top of cake, and reinvert cake sugar-side up.

Cool to room temperature, about 1 1/2 hours. Cut into slices and serve.

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