Sweet & Skinny

Sweet & Skinny

Pecan Sticky–Bun Coffee Cake

Serves 12

Nonstick pan spray

Topping
¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon (packed) dark brown sugar
¾  teaspoon ground cinnamon
1⁄8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon dark corn syrup or brown rice syrup
2/3 cup coarsely chopped pecans

Cake
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½  teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¼  teaspoon ground cinnamon
1⁄3 cup 2% milk
1⁄3 cup plain nonfat Greek-style yogurt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 ounces (6 tablespoons) reduced-fat cream cheese (neufchatel)
2⁄3 cup granulated sugar
½  cup liquid egg substitute

Preheat the oven to 350oF with a rack in the center position. Thoroughly coat a 9-inch round cake pan with pan spray. (Avoid using a springform pan for this cake, because the topping will leak out of the seam.)

To make the topping: In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in the corn syrup and 1 tablespoon water, and stir for 1 minute to thoroughly moisten the sugar. Stir in the pecans. Put the topping into the prepared pan and use your fingers to press and spread it to evenly cover the bottom.

To make the cake: In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the milk, yogurt, and vanilla. Set both bowls aside.

In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar on medium speed for 3 minutes, until well blended and free of lumps. (If using a standing mixer, use the paddle attachment.) Scrape down the bowl with a spatula and add the egg substitute, beating for 1 minute longer.

Sift half of the flour mixture over the cream cheese mixture, and use a rubber spatula to fold it in. When it becomes just a little streaky, fold in all of the yogurt mixture, just until incorporated. Sift the remaining flour mixture over the batter and fold it in just until the flour is incorporated. Leaving a few lumps is better than overmixing, which will toughen the cake.

Spoon the thick batter over the topping in the pan in five big dollops— one in the center and one near each of the four corners. Gently spread the batter to evenly cover the topping, disturbing it as little as possible.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a knife inserted into the center of the cake (but not into the topping) comes out clean.

Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Invert a serving plate over the pan, and using oven mitts to hold the pan and plate tightly together, flip them over. Pull off the pan to release the cake. Scrape any topping remaining in the pan onto the cake. Let the cake cool for another 20 minutes.

To serve: Cut the cake into 12 wedges and serve warm, or let cool completely and serve at room temperature.

Cover and store any leftovers at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Recipe reprinted from SWEET & SKINNY. Copyright © 2011 by Marisa Churchill. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc.