Violas Coffee Cake Recipes

LUCILLE'S COFFEE CAKE

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, combine milk, 1/2 cup sugar, butter, and salt over medium-low heat. Bring just to a simmer, then remove from heat. Let stand until cool.
• Meanwhile, combine yeast, water, and a pinch of sugar in a small bowl. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add yeast mixture and eggs to milk mixture, stirring to combine.
• Butter a large bowl; set aside. Place 6 cups flour in a large bowl. Slowly stir in the milk mixture. Add enough of the remaining 2 cups flour to create a dough that comes together around the spoon, being sure not to add more than 8 cups. Transfer to a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Transfer to prepared bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let stand in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about 15 minutes. Cut into 4 equal pieces. Place on a baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and let stand until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare the filling: Brush 2 baking sheets with butter; set aside. Combine granulated sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl; set aside.
• Roll each piece of dough into a rectangle about 12 inches wide and 17 inches long. Brush each rectangle generously with butter. Sprinkle each rectangle evenly with 2 tablespoons cinnamon sugar mixture, 2 cups brown sugar, and 1 cup fruit or nuts. Roll up from long side like a jelly roll. Place 2 rolls on each baking sheet. Cut diagonal slits into the tops of rolls about 1 inch apart. Brush rolls with remaining butter. Sprinkle each roll with 2 tablespoons cinnamon sugar and 1/2 cup dried fruit or chopped nuts, pressing into slits.
• Let stand for 15 minutes. Transfer to oven and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce oven to 350 degrees.and continue to bake until light golden brown, about 20 minutes more. Transfer baking pans to wire racks and let cakes cool briefly.
• Prepare the icing: In a medium bowl, combine confectioners' sugar and water, stirring to make a smooth glaze. Drizzle generously over warm coffee cakes.

QUICK RHUBARB COFFEE CAKE

Steps:

• In a bowl, cream butter and 1-1/2 cups brown sugar. Add egg and vanilla, beating until light and fluffy. Add milk; beat until smooth. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture and mix well. Fold in rhubarb. Pour into a greased 13x9-in. baking dish., Combine the cinnamon and remaining brown sugar; sprinkle over batter. Bake at 325° for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

COFFEE CAKE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan. Line and butter two 18cm sandwich tins. Add the sugar and butter to a bowl and whisk until very fluffy and pale.
• Whisk the eggs in a mug with a fork, then add them gradually to the mixture with 1 tbsp of flour each time. (Make sure you don't use all the flour.) When the eggs have been fully combined into the mix, add the rest of the flour and fold it in gently.
• Add the dissolved coffee to the mixture, still folding. Divide into the sandwich tins and cook for 25-30 min until risen and firm and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 mins then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Can be frozen at this stage.
• Meanwhile, make the icing by beating the icing sugar with the butter until light and fluffy, then add the dissolved coffee. Whisk, then cover and set aside until ready to ice the cake.
• Spread half the icing on the bottom of one sponge and spread the strawberry jam on the bottom of the other, if using. Sandwich together, then spread the remaining icing on top. Decorate with walnuts or cherries, if you like.