Strawberries And Cream Coffee Cake
A buttery sour-cream coffee cake layered with thick roasted strawberry filling and a creamy ribbon of cream cheese, finished with coconut-pecan streusel and a lemon glaze.
Equipment
- 16-cup nonstick angel food cake pan (9.5/10-inch tube pan)
- Food processor
- Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer
- Mixing Bowls
- Small saucepan
- Whisk
- Wire rack
- Baking Sheet
Ingredients
Strawberry Filling
- 2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh strawberries
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Coconut Pecan Streusel
- 1/2 cup pecans
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons cold butter cubed
- 1/3 cup toasted sweetened coconut
Cake Batter
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature (1 1/2 sticks)
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 cups sour cream not nonfat
Cream Cheese Filling
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1/4 cup reserved batter
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Lemon Glaze & Garnish
- 1 cup sifted powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1-2 tablespoons milk
- 1 pinch salt
- 3/4 cup chopped fresh strawberries more or less
Instructions
Prep the pan, oven, and streusel
- Spray all inside surfaces of a 16 cup capacity nonstick angel food cake pan with nonstick cooking spray with flour, or grease and flour the inside of the pan. Set aside.
- For the Coconut Pecan Streusel, add pecans to a food processor and pulse 3 times. Add flour and sugar and pulse a few times to combine.
- Sprinkle cold butter over top and pulse until the pecans are chopped and the mixture resembles small pebbles. Add coconut and pulse a couple times to combine. Set aside in the refrigerator.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Roasted strawberry concentration, then thicken
- Roast the 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh strawberries with 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar and a pinch of the 1/2 cup granulated sugar at 375°F for 15 minutes, until syrupy.
- Whisk together the cornstarch, water, and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Add the strawberries and sugar.
- Cook over medium-low heat for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened and some of the strawberries have broken down. Set aside to cool.
Cream the batter and whip the cream cheese layer
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Using a stand or hand mixer, beat butter and sugar on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until the yellow disappears after each egg. Mix in vanilla just until combined.
- Gradually add the flour mixture to the creamed butter mixture in thirds, alternating with sour cream in between each third. Beat until just combined.
- Measure out 1/4 cup batter and set aside for the Cream Cheese Filling.
- Measure out 1 cup batter (to top the cream cheese layer) and spoon the rest of the batter into the prepared pan.
- In the now empty mixing bowl, beat together 1/4 cup reserved batter, cream cheese, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 1/4 cup sugar on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute.
Layer, bake, cool, and finish with glaze
- Spoon the Cream Cheese Filling over the batter and gently smooth, but do not touch the sides of the pan.
- Top the cream cheese layer with the Strawberry Filling, again not touching the sides of the pan.
- Spread the reserved 1 cup batter evenly over the filling (it will be very thin).
- Sprinkle evenly with the Coconut Pecan Streusel, then tap the pan on the counter a few times to release air bubbles.
- Bake for 55-60 minutes at 350°F, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake portion (not the cream cheese) comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool on a wire rack for 1-2 hours. Gently invert the cake onto a baking sheet, remove the pan, then invert back onto the cooling rack streusel-side up. Let cool to room temperature.
- When ready to serve, whisk the lemon glaze ingredients together in a medium bowl, starting with 1 tablespoon milk and adding more as needed for consistency. Drizzle over the cake and sprinkle with additional chopped strawberries.
- Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
Notes
The key to keeping the center lush, not soggy, is concentrating the strawberries first so they turn jammy, not watery. During layering, keep the fillings from touching the sides of the pan for the cleanest layers.
Nutrition information is estimated based on common ingredients and serving sizes and may vary.