Twenty-Something and Starving

Well, folks, this is it. The only things separating me from my diploma now are final exams. It’s absolutely insane how fast these last four years went by! It’s been quite a journey, I must say, and there is plenty for me to be thankful for. There is nothing I have enjoyed more, though, than providing recipes for all of you culinary artists out there.

Don’t forget, if you’d like to keep up with me or find any of my latest recipes, you can find me at twentysomethingandstarving.com.

Here’s something sweet to remember me by:

Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

For the coffee cake:

1 ½ cups flour (I use a half and half ratio with whole wheat flour)

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon lemon zest

¼ cup lemon juice

4 tablespoons butter

½ cup sugar

1 egg

1 cup plain, nonfat Greek yogurt

For the raspberry cream cheese filling:

8 ounces low-fat cream cheese, at room temperature

½ cup sugar

1 egg

1 tablespoon lemon zest

½ cup seedless raspberry jam

For the streusel topping:

½ cup old fashioned oats

½ cup whole wheat flour

½ cup walnuts, chopped

½ cup brown sugar

½ teaspoon cinnamon

4 tablespoons butter, softened

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. For the cake, combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl, set aside.

3. In a separate bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the egg, lemon zest, lemon juice and yogurt. The batter may look curdled or lumpy, but it’s okay.

4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and slowly and mix until they just combine. Pour into a greased baking pan.

5. For the raspberry cream cheese filling, beat all ingredients together with an electric mixer. Pour in an even layer over the cake batter.

6. For the streusel, combine all of the ingredients together in a large bowl using your hands. Make sure the butter is well incorporated and still slightly chunky.

7. Top the coffee cake with the streusel and bake for 30-40 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.