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Carrot Coffee Cake with Cream Cheese Ribbon

This spiced and gently sweet carrot coffee cake is made especially delicious by the brown sugar streusel layers and the cream cheese ribbon running through it. It's perfect with a morning cup of coffee as a breakfast treat - delicious both fresh from the oven and chilled in the refrigerator.
Course: Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: carrot, carrot coffee cake, carrots, coffee cake, cream cheese, streusel
Servings: 10 slices

Ingredients

For the streusel topping:

  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup old-fashioned oatmeal
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 3/4 cup cold unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks)

For the cream cheese ribbon:

  • 1 package cream cheese, softened (8 oz)
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla

For the carrot cake:

  • 1/2 cup softened unsalted butter (1 stick)
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 1/2 cup plain yogurt
  • 2 cups packed finely grated carrots (about 14 oz or 5-6 medium carrots)
  • 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut flakes

Instructions

For the streusel topping:

  • 1) Begin by adding the flour, oatmeal, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon to a food processor and lightly pulsing to combine. Cube the cold butter and add to the food processor. Blend until the streusel topping just starts to come together but remains mostly crumbly. Set aside.
    (You can also do this by hand. It will just take a little longer. Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Use your fingers to break apart the butter, gently tossing to incorporate into the dry ingredients until consistency is that of damp sand.)

For the cream cheese ribbon:

  • 1) In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or with a hand mixer), blend the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add in the egg and vanilla and continue mixing until few lumps remain. Set aside.

For the carrot cake:

  • 1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Finely grate the carrots utilizing the shredding attachment on the food processor and continue blending until finely grated. (If grating by hand, roughly chop the carrots on a cutting board after grating.)
    2) Cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla and combine until well incorporated.
    3) In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
    4) Alternate adding the dry ingredients, yogurt and buttermilk to the wet ingredients until well combined.
    5) Fold in the carrots and shredded coconut until just combined. Set aside.

Assembly:

  • 1) Prepare a bundt pan by spraying with nonstick cooking spray and coating in flour. Make sure the interior of the pan (the side of the small hole) are well covered in flour. Tap out any excess.
    2) Layer a third of the streusel topping in the bottom of the bundt. Make sure to break apart any big clumps so the streusel is spread evenly. Follow this by adding half of the carrot cake batter and spreading evenly.
    3) Layer another full third of the streusel (we only want to leave a little remaining for the "crust") on top of the cake batter. Then add the cream cheese mixture by dolloping the mixture in the center of the batter, trying not to touch the sides.
    4) Top the cream cheese mixture with the remaining batter making sure it is spread evenly. Then finally add the remaining streusel.
    5) Bake for 60-75 minutes or until a knife inserted in the cake comes out clean and top is golden brown. Let cool for at least 20-30 minutes before turning out. Enjoy warm or chill in the refrigerator (the refrigerator really gives it a dense texture and moist flavor...my personal favorite!)
    6) ***Optional. Mix together powdered sugar and milk to desired consistency to create a simple glaze.