Cheesecake Filled Coffee Cake Recipe
Sometimes when I bake I want to try something a little bit different. Something a little bit special. When I found a cheesecake filled coffee cake recipe I knew I had my next cake. It is adapted from (affiliate link) The Perfect Cake by America’s Test Kitchen – my go/to book for cake baking.
What’s so delightful about this cake is that it combines two tasty desserts in one; a wonderful, moist cake with a heavenly bit of cheesecake. The only way to make it better would be to add some strawberries or blueberries. But it honestly does stand quite well on its own.
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Cheesecake Filled Coffee Cake Recipe
Serves 12
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- 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/8 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/8 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 10 TBS unsalted butter, cut into 10 pieces, at room temperature
- 1 1/8 cups plus 5 TBS granulated sugar
- 1 TBS grated lemon zest plus 4 tsp juice
- 4 large eggs
- 5 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cup sour cream
- 8 oz cream cheese at room temperature
- confectioner’s sugar for dusting
- Place oven rack in the center and preheat oven to 350
- Butter and flour a 16 cup tube pan or bundt pan
- Whisk together in a medium bowl the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside
- Using a stand mixer with the paddle attached beat together the butter, 1 1/8 cups sugar and the lemon zest on medium high speed until light and fluffy, about three minutes.
- Add eggs, one at a time and beat until combined
- Add 4 tsp vanilla and mix until combined
- Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in three additions and sour cream in two – beginning and ending with the flour. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
- Give the batter a final stir by hand
- Set aside 1 1/4 cups of batter
- Spread remaining batter in the prepared pan and smooth the top
- Return the mixer’s bowl to the mixer and beat the cream cheese, lemon juice and remaining 5 TBS sugar until smooth and lightened, about 1 minute
- Add 1/4 cup of the reserved batter and mix until incorporated.
- Spoon the batter into the center of the pan leaving equal space on either side as you complete the circle around. Around 1″ from each side.
- Using a butter knife or other smooth knife gently swirl the filling into the batter using a figure 8 motion being careful not to drag the bottom or sides of the pan.
- Use the remaining 1 cup of batter to cover the top of the mixture. Smooth
- Gently tap the pan on the counter to release any air bubbles
- Bake until top is golden and skewer comes out clean. If you hit the cheesecake part of the cake it will show as wet…so be aware. About 40 – 45 minutes. Rotate the pan halfway through baking.
- Remove from the oven and firmly tap the pan on the counter two or three times to keep it from sinking.
- Let the cake cool on a wire rack for one hour before unmolding, then cool completely about an hour and a half.
- Dust with powdered sugar before serving.
How Was the Cheesecake Filled Coffee Cake Recipe?
This is a delicious and fun cake to serve, especially for company. The cheesecake center is a creamy, tasty surprise and the cake is moist and flavorful. It is wonderful with some fresh cut berries and a little bit of whipped cream but it truly does stand alone just fine.
The only thing about this cake that is not perfect is the fact that it does not hold. It needs to be eaten quickly – like within three days at the most. I haven’t tried freezing it so I have no idea whether it would freeze well. It is delicious and we have had no trouble getting rid of it before it doesn’t taste good any longer.
Refrigeration is an option – just be sure you bring it to room temperature before you eat it because it is just not as good when it is cold. The cake is delicate and the cold temperature just causes the cake to be rather bland. Once it’s back to room temperature though, it’s all tasty once again. If you need a cake that holds a little better I would suggest the Citrus Bundt Cake. It is also very yummy but you don’t have to worry about refrigeration issues.
