This Maple Walnut Coffee Cake has a thin layer of cream cheese filling, enhanced with toasted walnuts and maple. A generous amount of crumbly streusel on top is drizzled with maple icing, adding layers of flavor that enchant but don’t overpower.
Ingredients
Streusel:
1/4cupbuttermelted
1cupgranulated sugar
1tablespooncinnamon
1/4cupall-purpose flour
1/8teaspoonsalt
1cupfinely chopped toasted walnuts
Filling:
4ouncescream cheesesoftened
1egg yolkreserve the white for the cake
1teaspoonmaple flavoringlike Mapleine
1/4cupmaple syrup
Cake:
1/2cupbuttersoftened
1cupgranulated sugar
2large eggsplus the egg white reserved from filling
1teaspoonmaple flavoring
2 1/2cupsall-purpose white flour
2teaspoonsbaking powder
1/2teaspoonbaking soda
1/2teaspoonsalt
1cupbuttermilk
Icing:
1tablespoonmelted butter
2tablespoonsmilk
1teaspoonmaple flavoring
1cupconfectioners' sugar
Instructions
Streusel: In a small pan on low heat (or in a bowl in the microwave) melt 1/4 cup butter. Remove from heat and stir in sugar, cinnamon, flour, salt, and walnuts. Set aside.
Filling: In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and egg yolk until smooth and creamy. Add maple flavoring and maple syrup and beat well.
Cake: Heat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour (or spray with an oil/flour combination baking spray) a 9-inch springform pan. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy – at least 2 minutes. Add 2 eggs, reserved egg white, and maple flavoring. Beat well. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients. Add half the dry ingredients to the cake batter and stir just until incorporated. Gently stir in half of the buttermilk. Repeat with remaining dry ingredients and buttermilk. Do not over stir. A few wisps of flour showing is fine.
Assemble cake in pan: Put half of the batter in the prepared pan and spread evenly, all the way to the sides of the pan. Pour cream cheese filling over the top of the batter and bring almost to the edges. Sprinkle with 1 cup of streusel. Drop remaining batter onto streusel in dollops and carefully spread. A slightly-wet offset spatula helps. Don’t worry if a little of the streusel shifts, it will just give the filling a pretty ripple effect. Sprinkle remaining streusel over the entire top, smoothing with a knife or spatula.
Bake: Place cake on baking sheet for stability, and bake approximately 50 minutes, until the top is just beginning to turn golden and it doesn’t jiggle when you move it.
Cool: Cool on a rack for at least 30 minutes before removing the side of the springform pan.
Icing: Whisk together all of the icing ingredients and drizzle over cooled cake.