Yogurt Coffee Cake with Cream Cheese Glaze

It’s been a great weekend. With Michael Buble’s Christmas album and a stash of peppermint bark fueling us for the last two days, Andrew and I managed to knock out almost all of our Christmas shopping. I’m feeling pretty good about everything we got and am even more excited for Christmas to get here now that our to-do list has dwindled down.

Before we went shopping today, I decided to make something extra-special for breakfast. I don’t make cakes very often and I usually wait for an occasion (like a birthday), but coffee cake is one of those great anytime cakes and I especially love this version. This cake is decadent yet light at the same time (thanks to the yogurt), has two layers of streusel (on top and in the middle), and is drizzled with the easiest, most delicious cream cheese glaze you can imagine. Serve a slice of this alongside a cup of coffee and there’s really no better way to start your day.

Even though I made this on a random Sunday, I think it’s special enough to make for a brunch, to give as a hostess gift, or even to make for Christmas morning.

Hope everyone else had a great weekend!

Yogurt Coffee Cake with Cream Cheese Glaze
Adapted from Barefoot Contessa Parties!

I used non-fat Greek yogurt in my coffee cake because that’s what I had in my fridge, but feel free to try using whatever plain yogurt you have on hand. The original recipe used sour cream, so that’s always an option too.

Cake:
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups plain Greek yogurt (I always have this one in my fridge)
2 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Streusel:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cubed

Glaze:
1 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
2 to 3 teaspoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan.

In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the butter and sugar for 4 to 5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the eggs to the butter-sugar mixture 1 at a time, and then add the vanilla and yogurt. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the batter and mix until just combined. Scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula to make sure everything is combined.

Make the streusel by combining the flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt, and butter in a small bowl. Rub the butter into the dry ingredients with your fingertips until there are large crumbs throughout.

Spoon half of the batter into the prepared tube pan. The mixture will be thick so distribute and smooth out the top of the batter with a knife (an offset palette knife works best). Then scatter 3/4 cup of streusel on top. Spoon the rest of the batter on top, smooth the top, and sprinkle the top with the remaining streusel. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.

Cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes. Once cooled, carefully remove the cake form the tube pan and transfer to a serving plate or cake stand of your choice. Whisk together the cream cheese, confectioners sugar, milk (starting with 2 teaspoons and adding more if needed), and vanilla to make the glaze, it should be thin enough to drizzle but not too watery. Drizzle the glaze over the coffeecake with a spoon.

Makes 1 cake (8 to 10 servings).

See more: Breakfast • Cake • Coffee Cake • Greek Yogurt