Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

Happy Wednesday friends!

Found another good coffee cake recipe in my inherited cookbook stash.  This time it's from Southern Living:  Homestyle Cooking cookbook (published by Oxmoor House)...a great book, full of yummy homestyle recipes from community cookbooks all across the South!

I must say, I’ve had pretty good luck with Southern Living recipes over the years.  They’re not always the most healthy or figure friendly recipes, but boy are they good!  You can find this on pg. 120, in the Breads, Breakfasts & Brunches chapter.

As usual, I can’t just seem to make a recipe the way it’s printed, so this one is adapted with my usual substitutions.

Cream Cheese Coffee Cake 

1/2 cup Smart Balance Butter Blend sticks (or butter/margarine - softened)

1 (8 oz.) pkg. fat free cream cheese (softened at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes)

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup Smart Sugar

1/2 cup HEB Real Egg (or 2 whole eggs)

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

2 teaspoons sodium free baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup skim milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Crumb Topping (see below)

Beat butter and cream cheese (with an electric mixer) until smooth & creamy.  Gradually add sugar and beat well.  Add eggs (1 at a time if you’re using regular eggs), and beat thoroughly.

Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl.  Add to butter mixture, alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.  Mix on low speed until just blended.  Stir in vanilla.

Pour into a greased 13x9” baking pan.  Sprinkle with crumb topping.  Bake at 350°F for 40 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool in the pan, on a wire rack.

Crumb Topping:

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup chopped almonds (the original recipe called for chopped pecans, but I was out…OH, THE HORROR!!...these substituted nicely though, I may use them again)

1/4 cup Smart Balance Butter Blend sticks, melted

Combine all ingredients to make 1-1/2 cups.

Makes approximately 12 servings.

This one got a “thumbs up” from my hubby, uncle and brother (all who got a chance to try it).  It has a good flavor, and a wonderful texture.

Give it a try and let me know what you think!!

Blessings,

--Faithy