Hungarian Coffee Cake Recipes

HUNGARIAN COFFEE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
• Mix flour, brown sugar, white sugar, butter, and salt together in a bowl until crumbly. Measure 1 cup mixture and set aside for later use.
• Stir buttermilk, eggs, and baking soda into crumbly mixture until batter is smooth. Pour batter into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle reserved crumbly mixture over top of batter; top with cinnamon.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes.

HUNGARIAN GOLDEN DUMPLING COFFEE CAKE (ARANYGALUSKA)

Steps:

• Soften yeast in warm water and let stand 5-10 minutes so that it proofs.
• In a large bowl, combine shortening, 1/2 cup sugar, and salt, then immediately pour scalded milk over mixture.
• While mixture is warm, mix in 1/2 cup flour and beat until dough is smooth.
• Stir the yeast, then add it to the dough, mixing well.
• Add half of the remaining flour and beat until dough is very smooth.
• Beat in the eggs and enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough.
• Turn dough out on lightly floured surface and let rest 5-10 minutes.
• Knead by folding opposite side over towards you, then using the heels of your hands to push the dough away, then give it a quarter turn and repeat process until smooth and elastic (5-10 minutes) (always turn the dough in the same direction and use as little additional flour as possible).
• Form dough into a large ball and place in a greased bowl.
• Turn the ball over so that the surface on the top is greased and cover bowl with waxed paper and a towel.
• Let rise in warm place (80°F) until doubled in bulk (1 1/2-2 hours).
• Punch dough down with fist, pull the edges into the center, and turn ball over inside the bowl.
• Cover bowl and let dough rise until nearly doubled again in bulk.
• Meanwhile, lightly grease the bottom of a 10-inch tubed pan.
• In a shallow dish combine 1 cup sugar, nuts, and cinnamon and set aside.
• Place melted butter in another shallow dish and set aside.
• Tear off bits of dough and form into balls 1-1 1/4-inch in diameter (about the size of walnuts).
• Roll balls first in melted butter, then lightly in the cinnamon mixture.
• Arrange a layer of balls in the bottom of the pan so that they don't touch each other.
• Sprinkle about 1/3 of the raisins over the balls and gently press into the dough.
• Continue this process until all of the dough is formed into balls and arranged in the pan and all of the raisins have been used up.
• Sprinkle any remaining butter and cinnamon mixture over the top layer.
• Cover pan with waxed paper and towel and let dough rise until light (30-45 minutes).
• Bake at 375°F until golden brown (35-40 minutes).
• Run spatula around sides of pan and invert onto a plate.
• To serve, break cake apart with 2 forks.

HUNGARIAN CHEESE-FILLED COFFEE CAKE

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast in the warm water. Melt butter.
• Sift flour with 3/4 C of the sugar and the salt into a large bowl.
• Beat egg yolks until thick and light; blend in the sour cream and melted butter; stir in the dissolved yeast.
• Gradually stir the egg yolk mixture into the dry ingredients, mixing to make a soft, smooth dough. Turn out on a lightly floured board and knead for 5 minutes, or uintil the dough is smooth. Turn into a bowl, cover, and let rise until almost doubled in bulk.
• Prepare cheese filling. Cream the cheese until light and blend in the remaining 1/2 C sugar. Add the whole eggs, one at a time, and beat until smooth. Blend in vanilla.
• Punch down dough and knead a few minutes. Lightly flour a board; roll out dough into a large circle, about 18 inches in diameter, and lay it over a greased 3-quart ring mold (you may use two 9" ring molds. Roll 1/2 dough 13" thick for each 9" ring mold). Fit the dough down into the bottom and the sides of the ring mold, being careful not to poke holes in it, and let it hang over the outside. Pour in the cheese filling (1/2 cheese fill for each 9" ring mold).
• Lift outside edges of the dougn, and lap it over the filling, sealing to the inside ring of dough. Cut a cross in the dough which covers the center of the ring mold and fold each triangle formed back over the ring, completely encasing the filling.
• Let rise until doubled in bulk or until the dough comes to the top of the pan.
• Bake in a moderate oven (350 degrees) for 40 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. (For 9" ring mold, bake for 30 minutes.) Let cool for 10 minutes, then turn out with top side down onto a rack.
• When bread ring is cool, heat jam until it runs easily; carefully spoon jam over the ring. When set, dust lightly with powdered sugar by shaking about 2 tbsp sugar through a sieve. To serve, slice the ring in 1" wedges.