Recipe: Berries & Cream Coffee Cake

At Brewster House we have some guests-turned-friends from New York's Hudson Valley, who love eating and cooking as much as we do.  Ed is Italian and serves up the most incredible homemade pasta and sauces we've ever eaten.  Arlene loves baking and makes muffins and scones that look like they have come from top bakeries!  This coffeecake recipe she shared with us is always a big hit with our guests!

This recipe, and many others we serve at our B&B in Freeport Maine are available in our cookbook, Breakfast at 8.

Berries & Cream Coffee Cake


Cake Batter

• 2 1/4 Cups flour
• 1/4 Cup sugar
• 6 ounces butter, 1 1/2 sticks, room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 Cup sour cream 
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon almond extract

Filling

• 8 ounce package cream cheese
• 1/4 Cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 Cup jam or preserves – red raspberry, blackberry or blueberry work well
• 1/2 Cup sliced almonds

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease and flour a 10-inch springform pan.

1  In a large bowl, combine flour and 1/4 Cup of sugar.  Cut in butter with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Reserve  one cup of the crumb mixture and set it aside.

2  To remaining crumb mixture, add baking powder, baking soda, salt, sour cream, egg and almond extract.  Blend well to form batter.  Spread batter over bottom of pan.

3  In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, 1/4 Cup sugar and egg.  Blend well.  Pour over batter in pan, carefully spreading it around but not all the way to the edges.  Spoon jam over cheese filling by the teaspoonful.   Sprinkle reserved crumb mixture over top, then sprinkle with almonds.

4  Bake for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown and center is a little soft.  Do not overbake.  Cool at least 15 minutes in pan before running a knife around the edge and unlatching the spring to release the cake.  Serve at room temperature  with a light dusting of powdered sugar.

Note:  This coffeecake freezes wonderfully.  Cool cake completely, slice and wrap in plastic wrap, then heavy duty foil.

Serves 10-12

Enjoy!


Ruth & Scott
Brewster House Bed & Breakfast, Freeport, Maine