When I was little, my Granny came to visit often. During the summers she would come to watch me when Mom couldn’t find a baby-sitter or one quit without notice, while Mom went to work. I loved when Granny came, and she was always better than a baby-sitter (although I did like some of them as well.)
Sometimes I would sleep in, but one I reached about ten, I liked to get up when Mom left for work, around 6:30. Granny and I would watch movies and the news and then have a breakfast of Entenmann’s coffee cake. We liked either the cherry Danish or the cream cheese crumb coffee cake. It was the perfect breakfast.
I probably haven’t had either one of those since Granny passed, but this week’s Sunday Supper theme of copycat recipes and my desire to make this particular coffee cake for the past several summers, inspired me to recreate it.
While this isn’t an exact recipe, I know Granny and I would have enjoyed it even more than those store bought ones. There are a few steps, but it is not difficult to make, and it is well worth it. Combining those two favorite coffee cakes, this has a slight tang from cream cheese with that classic cherry flavor. I didn’t add a crumb topping, but the buttery, almost croissant like dough more than makes up for it.
I ate this coffee cake thinking of Granny, but really, I think of her every day. And I hope she thinks of me too.
Yeasted Sour Cherry Coffee Cake
- Total Time: 1 hour 55 minutes
- Yield: 10-12 servings 1x
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 envelope active dry yeast
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons plus a pinch of granulated sugar
- ¾ cup warm milk (I used almond, use what you love)
- 1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
- 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
- Milk or cream for assembly
Filling
- 2 cups pitted sour cherries
- 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk
- ½ cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
Glaze
- 2 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 2–4 tablespoons milk or cream
Instructions
- Make the dough. In a medium bowl, sprinkle yeast and a pinch of sugar. Let sit 5 minutes to proof. Mixture should become foamy. If not, the yeast is dead and you need to start over with fresh yeast.
- Whisk the remaining ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, egg and egg yolk into the yeast mixture.
- In a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook), combine flour and egg mixture. Stir until combined, about 30 seconds. Add the stick of butter and knead until the butter is well combined and the dough is smooth, soft, and just slightly sticky, about 7 minutes. Roll dough into a ball and cover with a tea towel or plastic wrap. Allow to proof in a warm spot about 1 ½ hours until doubled in size.
- Once risen, roll the dough out to about an 18 inch square (just do the best you can) on a floured work surface. Brush the edges with the milk or cream.
- Make the filling, by mixing together the cream cheese, egg yolk, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla bean paste. Spread the filling over the dough and top with the cherries. Roll the dough tightly into a jelly roll shape, then coil the roll into a snail shape.
- Place dough on a parchment lined baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and allow to proof for an additional 20-30 minutes.
- In the meantime, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Once the cake has risen again, cut 6 slits in the top. Bake for 55 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes. Cover the cake with foil if at any time is starts to get too brown.
- Allow cake to cool before making the glaze by whisking together sugar and milk and drizzling over cake. Cake may be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or frozen in pieces, wrapped in plastic wrap and foil and placed in a zipper bag. Thaw at room temperature about an hour.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart
Additional rising time is necessary
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Don’t forget to check out the other Sunday Supper dishes!
Drinks
- Copy Cat Orange Julius Recipe (sugar free) by Simply Healthy Family
- Hard Rock Cafe’s Twist & Shout Shake by The Crumby Cupcake
Appetizers
- Bang Bang Cauliflower Bites by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
- Copy Cat: Outback Bloomin’ Sauce with Onion Petals by Sew You Think You Can Cook
- Nopal Dip by Cookin’ Mimi
Condiments
- Copycat Hershey’s Syrup: Homemade Chocolate Syrup by Brunch with Joy
- Copycat Sriracha Sauce by Nosh My Way
- The Village Cafe’s Avocado Dressing by Jane’s Adventures in Dinner
Main Courses
- Applebee’s Oriental Chicken Salad Copycat by Fantastical Sharing of Recipes
- Applebee’s Shrimp and Cavatappi by Grumpy’s Honeybunch
- B.good’s West Side burger with chipotle salsa and avocado by Caroline’s Cooking
- Brie and Asparagus Pasta by Life Tastes Good
- Cheesecake Factory Cashew Chicken by Feeding Big
- Chicken Kitchen Chop Chop and Curry Mustard Sauce by Love and Confections
- Chicken Tikka Poutine by Sustainable Dad
- Chili’s Margarita Grilled Chicken by Lifestyle Food Artistry
- Filet Mignon with Red Wine Reduction and Roasted Fingerling Potatoes by Crazy Foodie Stunts
- IHOP’s Ham, Egg & Cheese Melt by Food Done Light
Side Dishes
- Chevy’s Sweet Corn Tomalito by The Wimpy Vegetarian
- Henri’s Tas-Tee Dressing Clone and Cole Slaw by Palatable Pastime
- Panera Copycat Mac and Cheese by From Gate to Plate
Desserts
- Copycat Cosmic Brownies by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
- Cracker Barrel’s Double Fudge Coca-Cola Cake by Cosmopolitan Cornbread
- Friendly’s Monster Mash Sundae by The Redhead Baker
- Sheetz “Gobbz” Cookies by The Freshman Cook
- Tiramisu by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Yeasted Sour Cherry Coffee Cake by Pies and Plots
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What a lovely post, Laura. Sometimes food can be the most powerful way to remember the people we love.
Thank you, Beth. Food is definitely powerful!
What a lovely story about your granny. I love Entenmanns, and your coffee cake looks wonderful and tasty.
Thanks, Teri – that means a lot!
I’m leaving to cherry country this week and can’t wait to enjoy Michigan cherries! This looks so good. Will have to bring some back and make this.
Yes, so many amazing things to make with cherries. I can’t stop buying them!
I think your Granny is smiling down on you from heaven—thrilled that you’ve baked this amazing coffee cake with her in mind! It looks to.die.for!
Thanks, Liz!
I remember those Entenmann’s coffee cakes! I’ll have to replicate this because I have been missing them.
So sweet, thank you for sharing. That particular brand reminds me of my grandmother too as she would always have it at her house during the summer.
Thanks, Lauren! I find reminders of my grandmother everywhere. It’s very nice because then I feel like she is still with me, though I wish more than anything she really was here and we could bake and cook together and talk.
I love your story about your Granny! Those memories will be with you forever 🙂 This looks like the PERFECT comfort food treat to me! I’m a cherry fanatic and I love breakfast pastries and coffee cakes with a big cup of coffee! YUM!
I’ve never met a coffee cake I didn’t like 🙂 This one looks divine and like it is a must-try!
Thanks, Sarah, and thanks for visiting!
I love all coffee cakes too, Sarah!
Oh my! That looks heavenly!
Looks delicious, and always good when making something brings back nice memories.
Coffee cake is my weakness! I need to try this version!