Photo by T. Mike Fletcher
Yield: 1 9-inch coffeecake
Strawberry Filling
2 cups sliced strawberries
1/4 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Combine the strawberries and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook 5 minutes. Mix the sugar and cornstarch together. Add to the strawberries. Return to a boil, stirring constantly and cook for one minute. It will be very thick. Transfer to a small bowl; cover with film and cool. Refrigerate several hours or overnight.
Crumb Topping
1/3 cup sugar
4 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg yolk
2/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup cake flour
If you use a mixer: The butter should be soft. Cream the sugar and butter until light. Add the vanilla and egg yolk and beat until fluffy. Mix the flours together and add all at once. Mix only until large crumbs form. Do not over beat or it will turn or a paste. Store in the refrigerator, if not using immediately.
If you use a processor: The butter should be cold and cut into small pieces. Place the flours in the processor bowl. Process briefly to mix. Add the cold, cut butter and process briefly to cut in. Mix the egg yolk and vanilla and pour over the flour mixture. Pulse to make large crumbs. If it doesn’t form crumbs, add 1 tablespoon water and pulse. Add additional water by teaspoons if necessary. Store in the refrigerator until needed.
Coffeecake
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon almond extract
3 eggs
1 1/4 cups sour cream
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of a 9x3 inch cheesecake or springmold pan with parchment. Spray the parchment.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, combine the butter, sugar, vanilla and almond extract. Cream until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one. The mixture may curdle but that is fine. Add half the flour, mixing well on low. Add all the sour cream, mixing completely on low. Add the remainder of the flour and mix well. This batter will be very thick.
Place the batter in the pan and level it. With the back of a soupspoon, make deep indents in the batter but do not go to the bottom of the pan. Spoon the strawberry filling into the divots. With a small icing spatula or table knife, swirl the strawberry filling into the coffeecake batter, but do not go to the bottom of the pan. Smooth the top and add the crumbs, pressing them in lightly.
Bake for 55 to 65 minutes until a tester comes out clean. The cake will be golden brown under the crumbs.
Cool completely; release the cake and dust with powdered sugar.
This coffeecake is not too sweet which makes it great for the morning—especially a special morning, like Mother’s Day. Instead of using a jam, the filling is made with fresh strawberries, which gives the coffeecake a fresh strawberry taste. The filling can be made days ahead and refrigerated.
By Helen Fletcher, The Ardent Cook
