Greek Yogurt Coffee Cake

Recipe by Sarah Phillips © 1-19-2015 Sarah Phillips CraftyBaking.com

INGREDIENTS
Filling:
1 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped to small pieces; measure and then chop
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Cake(s):
2/3 cup unsalted butter or Earth Balance Buttery Sticks (must use the stick Earth Balance)
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups Pamela's Gluten-free Brand Baking and Pancake Mix; spoon into dry measuring cup and level to rim

1 cup Greek yogurt or sour cream; do not substitute with regular yogurt: measure with dry measuring cup

Herbal Tea Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted; spoon into dry measuring cup and then sift
2 tablespoons cool or cold herbal tea, freshly squeezed lemon juice, or water
1 teaspoon lemon peel
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven and prepare the pan(s)
1. Position an oven shelf to the middle of the oven. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Grease a 9- x 2-inch cake pan. Set aside.
SARAH SAYS: Instead, I used 12, 3 1/2-inch Lodge Brand Cast Iron miniature skillets, set on a silpat nonstick mat lined baking sheet.

Prepare the Filling and the Cake(s):
Filling:
1. In a small bowl, combine the chopped pecans, sugar, and cinnamon. Set aside.

Cake(s):
1. Cut the butter into tablespoon size pieces and add it to a medium-size mixing bowl. With a hand-held mixer, beat it until softened, but not greasy. 

2. Add the sugar at once, and mix until well mixed and the butter / sugar mixture become shaggy. It will not become light and fluffy.

3. Add the eggs, one at a time, on low speed. Add in the vanilla.

4. Then beat the mixture on medium-high speed until it becomes light and fluffy, taking about 3 minutes.
SARAH SAYS: Move the hand-held mixer around as you mix, making sure you reach all of the mixture.

5. On low speed, alternately add Pamela's Mix, then the Greek Yogurt until incorporated. The batter will become very thick.

6. Spoon 1/2 of the batter into the pan, smoothing it to cover the bottom.
SARAH SAYS: If using the 3 1/2-inch cast iron skillets, spoon a heaping tablespoon of batter into each pan, smoothing it as best you can to cover the bottoms of each.

7. Sprinkle half of the filling over the batter evenly. Repeat with the remaining layer of batter. There's no need to smooth the batter.
SARAH SAYS: If using the 3 1/2-inch cast iron skillets, divide half of the filling among the skillets. Cover with the rest of the batter. Make sure the pans are filled about 2/3rds full, otherwise the pans will overflow during baking!

8. Sprinkle the remaining filling over the batter. Take a knife and insert in the batter and swirl it around a bit to marbleize the batter; do not overdo. 
SARAH SAYS: If using the 3 1/2-inch skillets, divide the remaining filling over the tops of the batter in them. Do not swirl the batter in the pans.

9. Bake for 40 - 45 minutes, or when a toothpick is inserted in the middle it comes out with a few moist crumbs but not batter. The top should be slightly browned.
SARAH SAYS: The 3 1/2-inch mini skillets take about 20 - 25 minutes to bake.

10. Let cake(s) cool in their pan on a wire cake rack.

Make and Apply the Herbal Tea Glaze:
Make the glaze:
1. While the cakes are cooling, make the glaze by adding the cool or cold herbal tea to the powder sugar in a small bowl. Mix to blend well.

2. Add in the lemon peel and vanilla. Mix to blend well. Adjust the consistency with more powdered sugar and/or more herbal tea.
SARAH SAYS: The glaze should flow like honey.

Apply the glaze:
1. Apply a thin stream of glaze back and forth over the cooled cake(s).
SARAH SAYS: I like to put the glaze in a plastic squeeze bottle, and apply it that way.

STORAGE
The baked cakes can be stored, covered with plastic wrap, at room temperature for a day or two. They can be frozen for a month or more.