KS Quotient
Fairly Easy: Simple ingredients; easy mixing; make-ahead option. No hand-shaping.
This coffeecake truly is simplicity itself, yet it has a lovely buttery taste and texture that will ensure your reputation as a talented baker. The outside is wonderfully crisp-tender and strewn with a crunchy, nut-accented sugar-cinnamon streusel. The inside is moist, soft, and studded with more little nuggets of streusel. It is great warm from the oven, especially for breakfast, brunch, or a coffee klatch. The coffeecake can be baked and served in a flat 9 x 15-inch baking pan, or, for a fancier presentation, baked in an angel food pan, then lifted off and plated attractively.
The recipe is super-convenient because the streusel can be made well in advance and used to jazz up a coffeecake as needed. Better yet, the coffeecake can be completely assembled and refrigerated for up to 36 hours. By planning ahead, you can remove it from the refrigerator to warm up and rise (allow for a 4½- to 5-hour regular rise, or a 3- to 3½-hour accelerated rise) and time the baking to have a fresh, warm coffeecake coming from the oven just when you need it.
Don't forget that this recipe starts with a batch of All-Purpose Enriched Sweet Dough. All the first- and second-stage ingredients should be already incorporated into the dough when the following preparations begin.
Yield: 1 large coffeecake,12 to 15 portions or slices
1 batch Make-Ahead Streusel, prepared as directed (if just made, it should be refrigerated until firmed up slightly; if made ahead, it should be set out until warmed up just slightly but still firm)
1 batch All-Purpose Enriched Sweet Dough, prepared as directed (adding the eggs, butter, etc., and maximum amount of sugar called for, then proceeding with preparing the coffeecake as follows)
Second Rise Stir a generous half of the streusel into the batch of dough. For a shaped, round coffeecake, turn out the dough into a well-oiled or nonstick spray—coated 8- to 12-quart angel food pan. For a rectangular coffeecake, turn out the dough in a well-oiled 9 x 13-inch flat baking dish. Spread the dough out evenly using an oiled rubber spatula. Sprinkle the remaining streusel evenly over the dough. Cover the pan or baking dish with nonstick spray—coated plastic wrap.
Let Rise Using Any of These Methods For a 2- to 3-hour regular rise, let stand at warm room temperature; for a 1½- to 2½-hour accelerated rise, let stand in a turned-off microwave along with 1 cup of boiling-hot water; or for an extended rise, refrigerate for 4 to 36 hours, then set out at room temperature. If the dough nears the plastic wrap, remove it and continue the rise until the dough has doubled from its deflated size.
Baking Preliminaries 15 minutes before baking time, place a rack in the lower third of the oven; preheat to 350°F.
Baking Bake on the lower rack for 30 to 40 minutes for the rectangular coffeecake or 40 to 50 minutes for the ring-shaped coffeecake, until the top is nicely browned and a skewer inserted in the thickest part comes out with only a few particles at the bottom end (or the center registers 205° to 207°F on an instant-read thermometer). If necessary, cover with foil for the last 15 to 20 minutes to prevent over-browning. Then bake for another 5 to 10 minutes to ensure the center is done. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. If baked in an angel food pan, run a knife around the center tube and sides to loosen the loaf, then lift it up and onto the rack.
Serving and StoringServe the rectangular cake from its pan; serve the round version on a cake plate. The coffeecake slices best when cool, but is delicious warm. Cool completely before storing airtight in plastic or foil; or store the round coffeecake in a cake keeper. Keeps at room temperature for up to 3 days, and may be frozen, airtight, for up to 2 months.