Cream Cheese Swirl Coffee Cake

An actual coffee cake, as in, a cake that tastes like coffee.

This recipe comes from New York Times Cooking: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020977-coffee-and-cream-coffee-cake?surface=cooking-carousel&fellback=false&req_id=228139128&algo=cooking_doc2vec_weight_1&variant=0_cooking_doc2vec_weight_1&imp_id=957685535&action=click&module=RecirculationRibbon&pgType=recipedetails&rank=1. I have not altered it. It needs no alteration. I went dark brown sugar all the way. It is fucking delicious, even though it requires a lot of bowls, and cold butter. And I hate working with cold butter.

Ingredients:

For the Streusel:

1 1/2 cups / 190g plain flour

1/2 cup / 50g rolled oats

1/3 cup / 75g dark brown sugar

1 Tbsp instant espresso powder

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

10 Tbsp / 140g cold unsalted butter, cut in small pieces

For the Cream Cheese Filling:

12oz / 340g full fat cream cheese, at room temperature

Must be full fat. Accept no less

1/2 c / 100g sugar, granulated or caster

1 large egg, at room temperature

For the Coffee Cake:

2 1/2cups / 320g plain flour

2 Tbsp instant espresso powder

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup / 170g unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup / 165g dark brown sugar

3/4 cup / 150g sugar, granulated or caster

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

3/4 cups / 180ml coffee, cooled

1/2 cups / 120ml / 125g sour cream, at room temperature

Instructions:

For the Streusel:

In a medium bowl, mix flour, oats, brown sugar, espresso powder, baking powder and salt.

Add the chopped cold butter, and mix with your hands or a pastry cutter until the mixture is thoroughly combined and comes together to form large clumps. Set aside.

For the Cream Cheese Filling:

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the cream cheese and granulated sugar on medium speed until well combined, about 2 minutes.

Scrape the bowl well, then add the egg and mix until fully incorporated.

Transfer filling to a medium bowl and clean out the mixing bowl.

For the Coffee Cake:

Preheat the oven to 350˚F / 180˚C.

Lightly grease and flour a 9-inch springform pan, or spray with nonstick spray.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, espresso powder, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a medium bowl using a hand mixer, cream the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes.

Scrape the bowl down at least once.

Add the eggs one at a time, and mix, scraping the bowl well after each is incorporated.

Add the vanilla and mix to combine.

Add about one-third of the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed to combine.

With the mixer running, gradually pour the coffee into the mixture in a slow, steady stream, mixing until fully incorporated.

Add half of the remaining flour mixture and mix on low speed to combine.

Add the sour cream and mix to combine.

Add the remaining flour mixture and mix to combine.

Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix until everything is evenly incorporated.

Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan.

Sprinkle half of the streusel over the surface of the batter.

Dollop the cream cheese filling by the heaping tablespoons all over the surface of the batter, keeping it about an inch away from the sides.

Do not try to spread!

Pour the remaining batter over the cream cheese and gently spread into an even layer.

Sprinkle the remaining streusel on top.

Put the cake onto a baking tray to avoid leaking batter.

Bake until the cake springs back slightly in the centre when touched and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.

Check it at about 1 hour and 20 minutes, and bake another 10 minutes if necessary.

If your streusel is becoming too dark before the cake is done, loosely cover it with foil.

My cake took 1hr 35 minutes, I covered it with foil after 1hr 20 minutes.

When the cake is finished baking, run a thin knife around the outside edge of the parchment paper ring to loosen it from the edge of the pan.

Cool the cake for 20 to 30 minutes inside the pan on a rack, then remove the outer ring of the pan and and let cool completely.

Cut and serve.