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Cream Cheese Swirl Blackberry Coffee Cake

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Cream Cheese Swirl Blackberry Coffee Cake

A buttery and brown sugary blackberry coffee cake with a cream cheese swirl layer.  A touch of lime zest gives this cake the perfect flavor!

What a strange week…we had Wednesday off work for Canada Day, which makes Tuesday feel like Friday and Thursday feel like Monday…I’m so confused now!

Canada Day was pretty low key, Ben had to work, but when he arrived home there was a backyard feast waiting for him…tortilla chips and Smoky Sweet Potato Hummus (minus the spicy chipotle peppers for Mr. Kai), Tequila Turkey Sliders with Guacamole (minus the tequila for Kai), and this Grilled Corn & Barley Salad with Goat Cheese and Blueberries.  Yum, yum yum!  I just LOVE picnic food!

And now today is Friday…for real Friday (the best kind of Friday)!  Unless you’re American in which case you’ve already had your Thur-Friday and are enjoying your Fri-Saturday.  OK I’m talking full-on gibberish now.  I’ll stop 😉

Cream Cheese Swirl Blackberry Coffee Cake

Cream Cheese Swirl Blackberry Coffee CakeBut maybe I should tell you about this blackberry coffee cake?  I have a thing for coffee cake.  An obsession.

Maybe I think it’s more ‘healthy’ than those cakes with 1-inch of buttercream on top?  So that means I can have just another sliver, and another, and another, until I notice:  half the cake has mysteriously vanished!  What the…

Maybe it’s the buttery, brown sugary flavors of the cake.  It probably has something to do with the crumbly topping.  And in this case, it definitely has to do with the perfect combination of fresh blackberries, a hint of lime zest, and a big old cream cheese swirl.  Holy yum.

Cream Cheese Swirl Blackberry Coffee Cake

Maybe you haven’t noticed, but I’m not really a fussy dessert kind of girl.  I really need to get a good birthday cake recipe, because every time I attempt a layer cake, disaster!  I get anxiety, can’t get those layers lined up, the frosting doesn’t stick, there are crumbs everywhere.  Oh my goodness, Kai’s first birthday cake was the ugliest thing, ever.

So I’ll stick to my anxiety-free coffee cakes or loaf cakes, thank-you very much.  This blackberry coffee cake was a super easy, stress-free cake for me to bake!

Wherever you may be, happy Fri-Saturday or Tues-Friday…or just Friday.  How about Happy Friday.  Fri-YAY!

Cream Cheese Swirl Blackberry Coffee Cake

Prep Time 25 mins
Cook Time 40 mins
Total Time 1 hr 5 mins
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Serves 8-10     adjust servings

A delicious coffee cake that is filled with blackberries and a hint of lime zest, and swirled with cream cheese.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour (188g) plus 1/4 cup (31g) extra, for pan
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons lime zest
  • 1/3 cup butter, melted (75g)
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 pint blackberries (roughly 2 1/2 cups)

Cream Cheese Layer

  • 1 block 8oz cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tablespoons sugar

Crumble Topping

  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup butter

Instructions

  1. Pre-heat oven to 375°F.
  2. Spray a 9-inch round springform pan, then add ¼ cup all purpose flour. Pat the pan to coat with flour. Discard excess flour and set pan aside.
  3. In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking powder, brown sugar and lime zest.
  4. In a microwave-safe dish, melt the butter. Allow to cool 3-5 minutes, then mix in the egg, milk and vanilla. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, until completely combined.
  5. Gently fold in the blackberries.
  6. Scrape the batter into the prepared cake pan.
  7. Prepare the Cream Cheese Layer:
  8. In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the egg and sugar, and mix until completely incorporated. Spread the cream cheese layer evenly over the coffee cake.
  9. Prepare the Crumble Topping:
  10. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, brown sugar and cinnamon.
  11. Cut the butter in using a fork or a pastry tool, until crumbly.
  12. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the cake.
  13. Bake the cake for 35-45 minutes, until a toothpick comes out cleanly. 40 minutes was perfect in my oven.
  14. Allow to cool 15-20 minutes before removing cake from the pan and serving.

Recipe Notes

The cake is best served the day it is prepared, however it will keep for up to 3 days.

Products used in this recipe:

 Cream Cheese Swirl Blackberry Coffee Cake

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Comments

  1. I am wondering if I could use blueberries instead, as they are just coming into season. Blueberries and lemon are lovely, I am thinking lime would be similar,
    I think I will try it and get back to you!
    Thursday felt like Sunday to this retired person!

    Reply

    • Hi Rosemary! I think blueberries and lemon sound amazing in this cake! Let me know how it turns out and have a great Monday-Friday 😉

      Reply

  2. I definitely convince myself that coffee cake is healthier than regular cake, too! This looks like the ultimate treat, Denise! I’m such a sucker for cream cheese coffee cakes, so I love the flavors in here. Gorgeous pictures, too!

    Reply

  8. Yum! Do you think this would translate well to bars or cupcakes? Would love to make this easy to serve for a big group.

    Reply

    • Hi James! This coffee cake base recipe is the same as I used for these muffins, so I’m pretty sure they’d work as cupcakes, but I’m not sure if the cream cheese layer would run off as the cupcakes/muffins ‘domed’. You may want to put a layer of cake batter, then a dollop of the cream cheese layer, then more cake batter, then crumbs, to be safe? Let me know how they turn out!

      Reply

  10. Funny how that mid week day off throws you into a state of discombobulation. But I would be happy to have the next umpteen years in a constant state of confusion if I can have that extra day off every week. 🙂 And…holy yum! indeed! This cake looks amazing, and I’m not saying that in a generic way, but a it’s-really-really-good-and-I-can-eat-myself-into-a-stupor way! I’ve in love with blackberries this summer.

    Reply

  12. Oh MY! Well I can tell you that this cake would NOT last a day in our household. It seriously looks incredible. I agree with you, I love buttercream but am a bit fan of cakes that are delicious even without frosting. Meanwhile that cream cheese swirl has me drooling. You are so talented!

    Reply

  14. This cake looks sooooo deliciously moist! I love the idea of blackberries and lime. Raspberry and lemon is one my favorite combinations, but the blackberries and lime might give it a run for its money. Thanks for the idea!

    Reply

  22. Wow! Just took it to the neighbors’ eclipse party. It was a “10” all the way around! And a great way to use all of the blackberries that grow like weeds in Oregon. 🙂

    Reply

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