Guest Post by Mother Thyme: Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

New week, 3 new guest posters!  And today, I'm FINALLY flying back home from Asia.  But my travels don't stop there because on Sunday I'm off to drive to another US city for a couple days and then this coming weekend, it's yet another flight to New York City for a friend's wedding and visiting my grandma and other extended family while I'm out there.  Phew.  September is certainly a whirlwind of a month for me!

To start the week, I'm sharing one of my new favorite blogs, Mother Thyme. Jennifer is the author of the blog and I first discovered it through being in Secret Recipe Club Group C together. I fell in love with her gorgeous photography (lots of beautiful examples below!) and am just thoroughly impressed by the catalog of recipes that she has amassed on her blog.  Seriously, the number of her recipes I've recently bookmarked to try is out of control and I struggled with which to highlight in my post today.  

I decided on a theme of Fall flavors and comfort foods.  There's something about the weather turning cooler that makes me crave things like:

• Baked Gingerbread Donuts - Any excuse to break out my donut pan!
• Hot Caramel Cocoa - Always a cocoa drinker over coffee anyday. Add caramel? Heaven.
• How to Make Pumpkin Puree - This will be useful in the coming months.  Homemade always tastes so much better than canned and is worth the effort in my opinion.
• Lasagna with Homemade Lasagna Noodles - Speaking of homemade, I think I should give homemade noodles a try again.  I did it last year as part of my 23 Things in 2011 challenge but found it so cumbersome.  Perhaps I just need more practice.  I do feel bad only using it once so far...my husband did buy me that Kitchen Aid Pasta Roller Attachment last Christmas after all...
• Slow Cooker Thai Chicken Noodle Soup - I eat soup year round and am always on the hunt for new varieties to try.  Especially ones that are for the crockpot!

Amazingly, Jennifer does this all while being a mother to two year old twins!! I can only aspire to the level of cooking, blogging, and motherhood that Jennifer has achieved. I also think perhaps I should get tips from her for my friend Emily, also expecting twin girls soon!

Today she shares a yummy looking coffee cake which will also make my "to-make" list. Some of my other favorite coffee cakes: Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Sour Cream Coffee Cake and Berry Buttermilk Cake...both are sorta dessert, sorta breakfast!

One Year Ago: Easy Cannelini Bean and Ham Soup 

Three Years Ago: Barbecue and Chicken Pizza

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Hi I’m Jennifer, the voice behind the blog Mother Thyme.   A big thank you to Christine for inviting me to her delicious blog today.  

When I head out with my adorable twins to visit friends or family I like to bring something sweet.  And who doesn’t like to be the recipient of a sweet treat?  I often bake a warm batch of cookies, a loaf of one of my favorite quick breads or my Cream Cheese Coffee Cake.  Packaging any of these goodies and taking it to someone to share can brighten anyones day.  

This delicious cake is perfect for breakfast, brunch or dessert.  It is a  classic coffee cake with a thick layer of sweet cream cheese in the center.  

Ready to dive in?

Anytime I cake justify cake for breakfast I’m happy.

Want to know the best part?

It is so easy to make!  

Now won’t this impress everyone the next time you serve this?  

Let me not forget to mention this is so good!  No.  It is actually really, really good.   

Make a pot of coffee, and enjoy a slice or go ahead and have two.  Trust me, you’ll be happy!

Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

Print recipe

Ingredients:

For Filling:

• 2 8 oz. packages cream cheese, softened (light or regular)
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg

For Cake:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup sour cream (light or regular)
• For Streusel Topping:
• ¼ cup sugar
• ¼ cup flour
• 3 tablespoons butter, chilled and cubed

For Topping:

• ¼ cup confectioners sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoon milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Grease and flour a 9” x 13” cake pan and set aside.
2. Using an electric mixer in a medium bowl combine cream cheese, sugar, egg and vanilla and blend on medium-low speed until creamy.  Set mixture aside.
3. In separate bowl stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set aside.  
4. Using an electric mixer in a large bowl cream butter and sugar on medium-low speed.  Add eggs one at a time then vanilla extract.   Gradually add in flour mixture alternating with sour cream until it is all combined.  
5. Spread half the batter in prepared cake pan.  Spread cream cheese mixture evenly on top.  Top with remaining cake batter.  Using a butter knife, gently swirl in the batter.  
6. Add sugar, flour and butter in a small bowl and stir using a fork or pastry blender until mixture is crumbly.  Sprinkle on top of cake.
7. Bake for 40-45 minutes until cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
8. Cool on rack.
9. In a small bowl combine confectioners sugar and milk until creamy.  Drizzle over cake.  

About Mother Thyme

Jennifer is a mom to two year old twins and the creator of Mother Thyme creating fast and easy family friendly meals that incorporate fresh ingredients with common ingredients already on hand.

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