Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

Congrats to Scot for passing his comps!  Woohoo!

I made this coffee cake for those at his morning presentation.  I also made some bacon cheddar scones, which I will post later.  

So, this recipe is like 8 pages long.  And it takes about 3 months to make.  I am not going to sit here and be like, "it was really easy, you should try it."  I mean, come on, the ingredient list is seriously a page long.  Not that you shouldn't make it.  You should.  It is delicious.  And if you want a part-time job that doesn't pay anything, you should definitely make it.

Ok.  But.  The thing is.  I thoroughly enjoyed making it.  I made the dough, let it rise and chilled it Sunday night.  I also made the cream cheese filling, raspberry filling and streusel topping and chilled them Sunday.  On Monday I did the rest and then served it this morning (Tuesday).  Since it needs to be spaced out and things have to be chilled, it does make it more manageable.  

Sometimes I wonder how much time I spend in the kitchen per week.  I feel like when I am not sleeping or eating, if I am at home, I am in the kitchen.  Cooking.  Cleaning up after my cooking.  Prepping.  Or, if I am not doing one of those things, I am usually planning what I am going to make next.  Or blogging about it.  

If you are like me, you will like to make this.  

But give it a shot.  If you want.  Or whatever.  

Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

from Annie’s Eats

For the dough:

21/4 tsp. instant yeast

2 tbsp. warm water

1/4 cup sugar (13/4 oz.)

2 large eggs

1 tbsp. milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 cups plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour (10 1/8 oz.)

3/4 tsp. salt

8 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened but still cool, cut into 1-inch pieces

For the berry filling:

11/4 cups fresh or frozen raspberries or blueberries

11/2 tbsp. sugar

1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

Pinch of salt

Pinch of ground cinnamon

13/4 tsp. cornstarch dissolved in 1 tbsp. water

For the cream cheese filling:

4 oz. cream cheese, softened but still cool

2 tbsp. sugar

4 tsp. all-purpose flour

Pinch salt

1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest

1/2 egg (I just beat it lightly with a fork and add about half)

1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

For the streusel topping:

21/2 tbsp. brown sugar

11/2 tsp. granulated sugar

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

Pinch of salt

21/2 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces

For the egg wash:

1 large egg

1 tsp. heavy cream or whole milk

For the glaze:

6 tbsp. confectioners' sugar

11/2-2 tsp. milk

1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

To make the dough, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; stir to dissolve. Add the sugar, eggs, milk and vanilla. Mix at the lowest speed until well combined. Add about 1 1/2 cups of the flour and the salt, mixing on low speed until the flour is incorporated, about 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium-low and add the butter pieces one at a time, beating until incorporated, about 20 seconds after each addition. Replace the paddle with the dough hook and add the remaining 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour; knead at medium-low speed until soft and smooth, about 5 minutes longer. Increase the speed to medium and knead until the dough tightens up slightly, about 2 minutes longer.

The dough will be too soft to pick up with your hands, so scrape it into a straightsided lightly oiled plastic container using a dough scraper. Cover the container tightly with plastic wrap and let rise at warm room temperature until doubled in size, 3-4 hours. Press down the dough, replace the plastic and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 4 or up to 24 hours. Alternatively for a quick chill, spread the dough onto a lightly oiled baking sheet, about 1-inch thick, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, about 2 hours.

Meanwhile, to make the berry filling, combine the berries, sugar, lemon juice, salt, cinnamon, cornstarch and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Continue boiling, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick and shiny, 11/2 to 2 minutes. Scrape the mixture into a small bowl, cover and chill thoroughly before using.

To make the cream cheese filling, beat the cream cheese, sugar, flour and salt in the bowl of a mixer at high speed until smooth, 2-4 minutes. Add the lemon zest, egg and vanilla extract. Reduce the speed to medium and continue beating, scraping down the sides of the bowl at least once, until incorporated, about 1 minute. Scrape the mixture into a small bowl and chill thoroughly before using. To make the streusel topping, mix the brown and granulated sugars, flour, cinnamon and salt in a small bowl. Add the butter pieces and toss to coat. Pinch the butter chunks and dry mixture together between your fingertips until the mixture is crumbly. Chill thoroughly before using.

When you are ready to shape the coffee cakes, remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Shape the dough into a log about 8 inches long and about 2 inches in diameter. Roll the log evenly into a 40-inch rope about 1 inch in diameter. Use your fingers to flatten the log slightly into a 11/2-inch wide strip. Use both hands to twist the strip of dough into a coil. Loosely coil the rope in a spiral pattern, leaving a 1/4-inch space between coils. Tuck the end under and pinch to secure. Place the coil on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover the shaped cake with plastic wrap and let proof at room temperature until slightly puffed, 11/2 to 2 hours.

Brush the cake with egg wash. Spoon the cheese filling over the center of the top of the cake, leaving a border clear around the edge. Layer the raspberry filling over the top of the cheese filling. (Some of the filling may leak over the edges, but it won't hurt anything.) Sprinkle the streusel topping over the top of the cake. Slide the baking sheet onto a second baking sheet to prevent the bottom crust from over-browning. Bake in an oven heated to 350° F until deep golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of the cake reads 190° F, about 25-30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool for at least 20 minutes.

To prepare the glaze, whisk together the confectioners' sugar, milk and vanilla extract in a bowl. Drizzle over the top of the finished cake and let set before serving.

(Servings: 8-10, Prep time: forever, Cook time: 30 min., Difficulty: Intermediate)

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