Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Sour Cherry and Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

Easter morning is all about sweets and treats and the beginning of a day of indulging. That makes it a great day for coffee cake, and I had a list of options from the March issue of Living magazine. These recipes were all shown with possible variations, and the one that caught my eye was the sour cherry and cream cheese version of the yeasted coffee cake. The dough was rolled up just like when making cinnamon rolls, and then it was swirled into a spiral before baking. The filling was to have been fresh or thawed, frozen sour cherries, but neither were available. Instead, I used dried sour cherries that I plumped in some orange juice. The brioche-type dough was easy to make, handled very well, and expanded nicely in the oven. I didn’t realize the cream cheese filling mixture would bake into the dough when spread thin. That did make the cake very tender and delicious, but clumps of cream cheese here and there would have offered more of a cheese Danish experience. I’ll try that next time when fresh cherries arrive and I make this again.

To start the dough, yeast was added to warm milk, and sugar, an egg, and an egg yolk were combined and then whisked into the yeast mixture. That was added to flour with salt in a mixer. It was mixed with a dough hook while butter pieces were added. It looked like it would never come together, but letting the machine do its thing for about eight to ten minutes resulted in a smooth dough. It was left to rise for an hour and a half, and then the filling was made. Meanwhile, I covered a cup and half of dried sour cherries with orange juice and let them sit. Then, softened cream cheese was mixed with an egg yolk and confectioners’ sugar. When the dough had doubled in volume, it was rolled out into a big square. The cream cheese mixture was spread across the surface leaving about an inch border all around. As I mentioned above, some clumps of cream cheese might be interesting rather than spreading it completely evenly. I drained the soaking dried cherries and sprinkled them across the cream cheese layer. The dough was then rolled up into a log shape which was turned into a spiral. The spiral-shaped cake was placed on a parchment-lined baking sheet and covered with plastic wrap. It was allowed to rise for half an hour before being baked. The baking started at 350 degrees F for 55 minutes, and then the temperature was reduced to 325 degrees F for an additional 15 minutes. When the cake was cool, it was drizzled with a confectioners’ sugar glaze.

I was so happy with the pretty shape of the cake, it might not have even mattered if it didn’t taste good. And, of course, it tasted great too. Rich and lovely yeasted brioche dough studded with chewy, dried sour cherries was a fitting cake for Easter morning. I’m sure I can think of some other mornings suited to this treat too. For instance, aren’t Tuesdays deserving of coffee cake? They should be.



30 comments:

  1. it looks beautiful and sort of reminds me challah. LOVE sour cherries.

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  2. Oh, that coffee cake is magnificent! Can I have a slice with my coffee, please?

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  3. This looks professional. You have a career as a baker!

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  4. The cake is such a pretty shape. I've never seen coffee cake coiled like that. Nice touch!

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  5. That just might be the most beautiful coffee cake I have ever seen!! I don't know if I could have brought myself to cut into it (but knowing me, I wouldn't have been able to resist!!)

    Can't wait to hear how the version with the larger chunks of cream cheese turns out!!

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  6. MMh, I'm salivating. Need something sweet for breakfast now. It *is* beautifully shaped. I'm envious of your skills!

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  7. the shape of this cake is so cool! it's like a coil...
    i am not too fond of sour cherries but i am sure i can eat them if they are in a cake :D

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  8. yeasty! this is lovely, lisa--one of the more sophisticated coffee cakes i've ever seen!

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  9. I've just made a cup of tea, a slice of this would go down a treat Lisa :)

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  10. Wow, this is beautiful. Good job! I can smell the aroma in my kitchen.

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  11. When I was growing up mom loved these yeasty coffee cakes. This brings back such wonderful memories Lisa!!

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  12. This looks absolutely MOUTH WATERING! Gorgeous blog you have, I am now following on twitter and facebook =]

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  13. Fantastic coffee cake. If only I had a hunk of this for breakfast tomorrow. Delicious.

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  14. That looks divine. Right now it is cold and raining and I'm gnashing my teeth that I don't have any sour cherries in the pantry to make this. Imagine the aroma on a day like this!

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  15. Stunning coffee cake, Lisa! The shape is really gorgeous. Wow. Good to know about the cream cheese baking into the dough--I would love the "cheese danish" version, biting into pieces of cc. Wish I had a piece right now :) Happy Friday!

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  16. What a beauty! This looks like those wonderful, classic coffee cakes I'd walk down to the neighborhood bakery to buy when I was a kid. They were always the best -- yeasty and with the sweet drizzle of sugary glaze all over it.

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  17. Wow, Lisa, had you offered me a slice of this for Easter, I would have been a happy camper! The color of the bread is so enticing and the cross section with the cherries is just fabulous!!

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  18. ooh how luscious this looks!! I'd love a huge slice with some English tea. I'd take this over hot-cross buns!

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  19. I like you idea to use the plumped dry cherries and I wish I had a nice piece of this for breakfast tomorrow (or right now too of course)!!

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  20. I suppose since it is called coffee cake it's time to eat it anytime one has a cup of coffee? I love brioch-y type cakes/breads and with cream cheese - yum! I too can't wait for cherries to come into season...

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  21. Another spectacular and droolworthy creation dahling! How I'd love a slice of this with my cup of tea!
    *kisses* HH

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  22. I love the flavor of sour cherries and I bet they are just dazzling in this bread! What a fun way to start Easter!

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  23. How delightful and perfect cake for an afternoon tea. I really like this Lisa.

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  24. Cherries and cream cheese in a yeasty cake. I have died and gone to Heaven! It's beautiful.

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  25. This looks terrific! It would be great to serve with tea too.

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  26. It looks perfect! Such a beautiful treat!

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  27. What a super combo for a coffeecake, Lisa. Nice idea to plump the cherries. And yes, I LOVE the way you shaped it.
    You can't beat brioche dough. Donna Hay had a section about it a while back and I saved it.

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  28. WOW, that swirly bumpy shape is so good. I need to do something with sour cherries. They look perfect in this cake.

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  29. Lisa, this is so beautiful. I've never actually made brioche, but I love how it tastes. Adding cherries sounds like a wonderful way to make it for the first time!

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