Strawberries & Cream Coffee Cake

[PrisonerOfHope]

Strawberries and Cream Coffee Cake with Vanilla Cream Cheese Glaze

The blend of sour cream, buttermilk, and oil guarantees a moist, rich, and tender cake. It's so fast and easy, and all but the last two ingredients are combined all at once to a mixing bowl; it doesn't get any easier. Sweet juicy strawberries are found in every bite, and the cream cheese glaze is the perfect tangy complement to the creamy, sweet cake.



Yield: one 9-inch cake

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

Ingredients:

For the Cake

1 large egg
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt, optional
1 1/4 cups frozen or fresh strawberries, halved & loosely packed (if using frozen, keep them unthawed and add them frozen - thaw just enough to halve them, if necessary. Other fruit could be substituted such as blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, peaches, nectarines)
2 to 3 tablespoons turbinado sugar, for sprinkling (or substitute 2 tablespoons granulated cane sugar)

For the Vanilla Cream Cheese Glaze

about 3 ounces (about 1/3 cup) cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup granulated sugar OR about 1 cup confectioners' sugar (granulated sugar prevents glaze from getting as 'crunchy' when exposed to air, but doesn't incorporate as smoothly as confectioners' sugar)
2 to 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

For the Cake -Preheat oven to 400F. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with floured cooking spray, or grease and flour the pan; set aside.  (A regular 9" cake pan is not deep enough.)

With a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or large mixing bowl and hand mixer), combine the first 10 ingredients (through salt), and mix on medium-high speed until smooth and combined, about 2 minutes.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and mix on medium-high speed until smooth and combined, about 1 minute.

Transfer batter to prepared pan.

Arrange strawberry slices uniformly over the top of batter (looks like a lot but they sink down and shrivel while baking).

Evenly sprinkle with 2 to 3 tablespoons sugar.

Bake at 400F for 30 minutes.

Lower the temp to 375F and bake for another 20 to 25 minutes, or until cake is golden, set in the center (it will likely be domed), not jiggly, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, or with a few moist crumbs dangling, but no batter. If you're using fresh berries, your baking time could be considerably less than if using frozen - just watch the cake carefully. If at any point it appears to be browning more quickly in places before the center is setting, cover it with foil.

Allow cake to cool in pan on a wire rack for about 10 minutes before removing from pan and turning out onto a rack to cool completely. While the cake cools, make the glaze.

For the Vanilla Cream Cheese Glaze - Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and beat until smooth.

Drizzle glaze over cake in big ribbons, going up and back, over the surface. If you have extra glaze, it will keep airtight in the refrigerator for at least 1 month. Store cake airtight at room temperature where it stays fresh for 4 days.