Blackberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

 I simply love regional and Junior League cookbooks; of course my favorites are those from Denver and St. Louis (my hometown) but over the years I’ve collected books from other cities too and seldom do the recipes disappoint. They are, after all, a collection of what someone has deemed the best to represent what a city and the cooks in it have to offer with many of them coming from either popular restaurants or the homes of people who basically entertain for a living. A favorite has always been Portland’s Palate: A Collection of Recipes from the City of Roses published in 2002. The book definitely takes advantage of the fruits and vegetables that are available throughout the year and I can count on it when I want to make something with seafood with my favorites including the crab dip and clam chowder. Still, this Blackberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake has always been my one tried and true favorite.

The original recipe includes sour cream but unfortunately I did not have any in the house last week when an abundance of blackberries made their way to my kitchen so I’ve punted and made a few revisions and I have to say it was just as amazing; as a matter of fact the change was so good I might just make it permanent. I always have milk on hand. Sour cream? Not so much!

While the original recipe calls for blackberries and I admit I just LOVE them, I’ve also used raspberries and blueberries with equal success. This cake is rich enough to be dessert but I’ve always loved it served with coffee; it’s a wonderful treat for breakfast or brunch.

Speaking of coffee; I was asked by the folks at iCoffee if I would like to try one of their revolutionary coffee machines. To be honest, I was not unhappy with the coffee I made each day with a different brand coffee maker but I was also open to seeing if someone could produce something better. Timing could not have been better either; my youngest daughter Lauren was moving to Las Vegas and when I expressed my love for my new iCoffee coffeemaker she was quick to say she would be happy to inherit my old machine. While she likes to make coffee using a French Press she was actually excited to have a hand me down that would make coffee quicker and easier if serving to friends. I’m not letting her try my new machine; she’ll be returning ‘the old girl’ and wanting me to trade. It’s not going to happen!

I’m not interested in having a garage full of home appliances just because companies offer to send me their product; I want to do a bit of homework first and see if the product would add anything to my daily experiences so I did some research first before agreeing to test out the iCoffee machine. It works much like a drip coffeemaker but as Consumer Reports mentions; like one on steroids. Unlike the standard drip system, the iCoffee machine’s process more closely resembles that of a French Press. Hot water jets in the basket spritz and swirl the grounds in hot water before the resulting coffee drips into the carafe. You can even see the process of the crema developing through the clear plastic of the grounds holder. When I make just four cups for myself it’s not quite as evident but the other night when I had some company for dinner, they gathered around the pot wondering what was going on; that swirling business, magnified certainly by a light source, intrigued everyone.

The manufacturer, Remington, says the process eliminates the bitter aftertaste of drip coffee. I have to admit that I had already been making coffee that was not bitter; so I was more interested to see if this pot would make coffee as good as what I was used to. It does but with one caveat and it’s a good one. Because of the brewing method, I’ve found I can cut the amount of fresh grounds that I’ve typically used by 25%. That may not seem like much but over the course of a month that’s a fair amount of coffee and I’m just making it for one person. I can only imagine the difference if making it for 2-4. Beyond the unique brewing method, functionality is always important and I liked how simple the iCoffee was to use; the carafe was easy to hold, pour from, and empty. It not only impressed me but it has joined the list of Consumer Reports recommended coffeemakers.

I think most telling is this anecdote. I’ve hosted a lot of local bloggers at my home over the past couple of years and it’s usually during brunch hours so I always make coffee. One friend from that group was here a couple of weeks ago to work with me on a project and I had coffee and snacks available. The next day she contacted me and asked what coffee I used; she thought it was so good and wanted to buy some. The fact is I haven’t changed my coffee; it’s the same I’ve always  used, Costco’s Kirkland brand that is roasted by Starbucks. That she thought the coffee tasted SO good could have been only one thing. The coffeepot!

This Blackberry and Cream Cheese Coffeecake and some excellent coffee? Perfect morning fare! An added plus? The folks with Remington have offered to give one of their iCoffee coffeepots to one of my readers too! Take a peek after the recipe to enter the giveaway.

Blackberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Yield: 8 Servings

Ingredients

For the Streusel Topping:
• 1/3 cup all purpose flour
• 1/3 cup granulated white sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
For the Cream Cheese Filling:
• 8 ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup granulated white sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
For the Cake Batter:
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated white sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 cup fresh blackberries, raspberries or blueberries or 1/2 cup raspberry preserves

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9 inch spring form pan and line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.
To Make the Streusel Topping:
2. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, and ground cinnamon.
3. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or fork until it resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside.
To Make the Cream cheese filling:
4. In your electric mixer or food processor, beat the cream cheese until creamy and smooth.
5. Add the remainder of the filling ingredients and beat until smooth and creamy.
To Make the Cake Batter:
6. In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
7. Beat the butter until in an electric mixer until smooth and creamy.
8. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy.
9. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until incorporated.
10. Add the flour mixture alternately with the milk in 3 portions and beat only until combined.
11. Spread the batter onto the bottom of the prepared pan.
12. Evenly pour the cream cheese filling over the cake batter and lightly spread evening over top of the batter.
13. Scatter the fresh berries over the cream cheese filling and top it all with the streusel.
14. Bake for about 60 to 70 minutes or until the streusel is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
15. Remove the cake from oven and place on a wire rack to cool slightly. Run a knife around the outer edge of the pan and remove the sides.
16. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

Serve warm or at room temperature; refrigerate leftovers.

2.5http://www.creative-culinary.com/blackberry-cream-cheese-coffee-cake/This recipe brought to you by Creative Culinary | A Food and Cocktail Blog | Website: www.creative-culinary.com

Giveaway!

Enter to win an iCoffee coffeemaker; retail value $150. Here’s how:

1. Leave a comment on this post for the mandatory entry; would love to know how you enjoy your coffee. Are you a straight black, sugar, cream or all?
2. Share this post on Facebook for another entry and leave a comment indicating you did so.
3. Like Creative Culinary on Facebook for another entry and leave a comment indicating you did so.
4. Share this tweet on Twitter with your followers and leave a comment indicating you did so – Enter to win an iCoffee coffeemaker from @creativculinary at http://dld.bz/drFR3 #Giveaway

This sweepstakes will remain open until Tuesday, June 10th at midnight. You MUST BE 18 to enter and the giveaway is limited to residents of the US. Winner will be selected via random.org and notified on June 11. Winner will have 48 hours to respond to notification or a new winner will be selected.

Good Luck!