A Showstopper of a Cheese Coffeecake

Sometimes, we want to entertain, but it's just too much trouble to make things from scratch.

And sometimes, it really isn't that much trouble at all. It only SEEMS that way.

I want to talk here about a coffeecake. This coffeecake comes out perfectly, so amazingly good and so very beautiful, and it is easy to make, to boot!

Cheese Coffeecake Showstopper

Long ago, I used to love Entenmann's Cheese-Filled Crumb Coffeecake. Of all the Entenmann's cakes, that one just did it for me. And then there is this recipe. It is made similarly. Two yeasted pieces of dough, encasing a cheese filling. No crumbs on top, but there is no need. This recipe just truly tops anything in the "coffeecake" type recipe, in any category you can think of. 

Despite that, for some reason - maybe because it is so elegant - maybe because it is just that delicious - but for whatever reason, I don't make it often. When telling anyone about it, I go into raptures over all its attributes. One of my daughters one time said to me that she loved that cake, but it seemed too complicated. 

"What?!?!?" I replied. "No way! This is so simple. Why would you think it's complicated?" 

And I proceeded to show her how very easy it was to make this cake. And once we finished, she said, "Wow! That WAS easy!"

Recently, talking with one of my sisters, I brought it up once again, and again, going into raptures over the cake, the beauty, the flavors, the ease. And I just thought, "Why do I always do that? Go crazy over it all, plus its ease, then never make it?" So, I made it there and then. And again I wonder why I wait so long to do this... 

Cheese Coffeecake Showstopper

The cake part is a yeasted dough, and lest there are any out there with a fear of using yeast, just use a packet of the "rapid rise" type, and you need not worry about killing the yeast at all. Nor is there any significant "bread methodology" that means kneading or punching down or proofing - none of that!  The filling is a really simple cheesecake type of mixture that goes together quickly and easily. The dough is made and divided in two pieces. One half is rolled out to fit a pan, much as with pie dough. I like to roll the bottom piece big enough to go up the edges of a 9 x 13-inch pan by about an inch or more, so that the filling does not touch the edges of the pan. The filling is spread over the bottom crust and then the top piece of dough is rolled to just fit the top of the coffeecake. It is left to rise for a couple of hours, true. But this requires nothing more than a timer.

So, without further raptures, here is the recipe:

Cheese Coffeecake Showstopper

Cheese Coffeecake Showstopper

Serves 8 - 12

2½ cups flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 package rapid-rise yeast1 cup unsalted butter, softened
¼ cup evaporated milk
4 egg yolks, lightly beaten
------
FILLING: 
1 pound cream cheese, softened
1 egg yolk
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
 
1 egg white, lightly beaten till frothy
½ cup chopped walnuts, or pecans
confectioner's sugar
 
Combine flour, salt, sugar and yeast in a bowl. Cut in butter till crumbly. Whisk together the egg yolks and evaporated milk, then stir into the bowl and combine, stirring until the dough comes together into one ball. Divide dough in halves, making one half just slightly larger than the other. 

Roll the slightly larger half of the dough to fit into a 13 x 9-inch pan with the edges coming up the sides of the pan by about 1 to 1½-inch. Trim the edges so they are neat. 

Baked Cake with trimmed edges

In a bowl, beat the cream cheese, the one egg yolk, 1 cup of sugar and vanilla in a bowl until light and fluffy. Spread over dough in the pan.

Roll out the remaining piece of dough on a lightly floured surface, just until it will fit the top of the cream cheese layer, going to the edge of the pan. Trim carefully and set in place. Brush top with the slightly beaten egg white. Sprinkle with nuts.

Cover and let rise in a warm place till doubled in bulk, about 2 hours. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Cool and sprinkle with confectioner's sugar. 

NOTES: When the cake has cooled, if your pan, like mine, has slightly flared sides, trim the edges on each side so the sides of the cake are straight. This means there will be narrow, rounded pieces that have been cut away. What to do with them? Satisfy your sweet tooth, or those of your family. The cake, once trimmed, yields perfectly straight sides and makes an excellent presentation.


My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.