Mixed Berry Cream Cheese Danish Crumb Cake
A cake with the flavors of a cream cheese danish! Buttery cake with a lemony cream cheese layer, a brown sugar crumb layer, and topped with mixed berry compote. Perfect for a weekend brunch!
Lots of pictures and more over at my blog, The Alchemist.
Berry Cream Cheese Danish Crumb Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake
2 1/4 cup (337g.) flour
1/2 cup (100 g.) sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg
1/2 cup (118 ml) whole milk, soured by adding 1 tsp. lemon juice or vinegar and let sit on the counter for 5 minutes
4 Tablespoons sour cream or plain yogurt
1/2 cup butter (1 stick) (113 g.) melted
2 tsp. vanilla extract
For the Berry Compote
about 3 cups (about a pint and a half) (18 oz) or (510 g.) berries (I used blackberries and blueberries)
1/4 cup (50 g.) sugar (more or less depending on the sweetness of the fruit)
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Cream Cheese Layer
1 - 8 oz package (227 g.) of cream cheese at room temperature
1 egg yolk
1/4 cup (50 g.) sugar
The zest from one lemon - done on a microplane is best to get it very fine
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
For the Crumb Mixture
1 cup (150 g.) flour
1 cup (150 g.) packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, (1 stick) (113 g.) , melted
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, 180 degrees Celsius, Gas Mark 4.
Grease a 9x13 pan, set aside.
Start by making the berry compote. Add all of the ingredients of the compote, to a saucepan and cook on medium heat, stirring frequently until it's thickened, about 20 minutes or so. You want it thick, but not quite as thick as jam, it shouldn't be as sweet as jam, so it serves as the slightly tart component with the sweet cake and crumb mixture. Taste it to see if it tastes good, if it's super tart add a little more sugar. While that's cooking, start making the cake.
To make the cake: In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. The flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In another large bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients. The egg, melted butter, sour cream (or yogurt), soured milk, and vanilla extract.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Stir them together until incorporated. The batter will be thick. Spread the cake batter into the greased pan.
Make the cream cheese layer- Stir together all of the ingredients for the cream cheese layer, and spread it on top of the cake layer.
Make the Crumb Mixture - Add the flour, sugar, salt and cinnamon to a large bowl and stir. Add the melted butter and stir until crumbs form. Crumble the mixture over the cream cheese layer.
Now add the berry compote to the top. Spoon the berry mixture over the crumbs in 4 wide strips down the cake, so that some of the crumbs still show.
Bake the cake for about 25-35 minutes in the preheated oven. You want the cake portion to be done, of course. The rest will set up while it's cooling. Use the tip of a knife or a toothpick inserted in the center. If you don't get any cake batter on it, then it's done.
Let it set up before you slice it, on the counter for a few hours or in the fridge for an hour or so, till it's room temperature.
I would store this cake in the fridge, covered, since it has the cream cheese. But I would serve it at room temperature.