YEASTED MERINGUE COFFEE CAKE - DARING BAKERS FOR MARCH 2011

Its Daring Bakers time for March.  Wonderful challenge as always... This time it was Yeasted Meringue Coffee Cake.  Don't they sound delicious..yes it was!!!.  Totally loved the challenge.  I did not make much changes to the original recipe other than the filling.  The filling which I made was the combination of dried Cranberry+ Zest of Orange and crunchy  Pecans which I love love love a lot. The recipe can easily be halved to make one round coffee cake.  I just halved the recipe.  If your making the wreath shape the baking time would be as suggested.  But if you wishing make single serving like I posted the baking time is 15 to 18 minutes.  Enjoy the virtual treat as much as I enjoyed making and eating.

Blog-checking lines: The March 2011 Daring Baker’s Challenge was hosted by Ria and Jamie. Ria and Jamie challenged The Daring Bakers to bake a Yeasted Meringue Coffee Cake.

 
Recipe Source: Jamie found this recipe on a piece of yellowed paper in her dad’s collection of clipped out and hand-written recipes from the 1970’s, no source, no date, and she tried the recipe and it was brilliant!

YEASTED MERINGUE COFFEE CAKE

Makes 2 round coffee cakes, each approximately 10 inches in diameter.

 
Ingredients:

For the yeast coffee cake dough:

Flour - 4 cups
Sugar - ¼ cup
Salt - ¾ teaspoon
Active dried yeast - 1 package
Whole milk - ¾ cup
Water - ¼ cup  (doesn’t matter what temperature)
Unsalted butter  - ½ cup at room temperature
Eggs - 2 large at room temperature

 

 

For the Meringue:

Egg whites - 3 large at room temperature
Salt - ¼ teaspoon
Vanilla - ½ teaspoon
Sugar - ½ cup

For the filling Which I used :

Chopped pecans - 1/2 cup
Dried cranberries - 1/2 cup
Granulated sugar - 2 Tablespoons
Orange Zest - 1 1/2 teaspoon

Egg wash: 1 beaten egg

Confectioner’s sugar (powdered/icing sugar) for dusting cakes

Directions:

Prepare the dough:

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 ½ cups of the flour, the sugar, salt and yeast.
2. In a saucepan, combine the milk, water and butter and heat over medium heat until warm and the butter is just melted.
3.With an electric mixer on low speed, gradually add the warm liquid to the flour/yeast mixture, beating until well blended. Increase mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes. Add the eggs and 1 cup flour and beat for 2 more minutes.
4.Using a wooden spoon, stir in enough of the remaining flour to make a dough that holds together. Turn out onto a floured surface (use any of the 1 ½ cups of flour remaining) and knead the dough for 8 to 10 minutes until the dough is soft, smooth, sexy and elastic, keeping the work surface floured and adding extra flour as needed.
5.Place the dough in a lightly greased (I use vegetable oil) bowl, turning to coat all sides. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and let rise until double in bulk, 45 – 60 minutes. The rising time will depend on the type of yeast you use.
6.Prepare your filling:In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon and sugar for the filling if using. You can add the chopped nuts to this if you like, but I find it easier to sprinkle on both the nuts and the chocolate separately.

Once the dough has doubled, make the meringue:

In a clean mixing bowl – ideally a plastic or metal bowl so the egg whites adhere to the side (they slip on glass) and you don’t end up with liquid remaining in the bottom – beat the egg whites with the salt, first on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to high and continue beating until foamy and opaque. Add the vanilla then start adding the ½ cup sugar, a tablespoon at a time as you beat, until very stiff, glossy peaks form.

Assemble the Coffee Cakes:

1. Line 2 baking/cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. Punch down the dough and divide in half. On a lightly floured surface, working one piece of the dough at a time (keep the other half of the dough wrapped in plastic), roll out the dough into a 20 x 10-inch (about 51 x 25 ½ cm) rectangle. Spread half of the meringue evenly over the rectangle up to about 1/2-inch (3/4 cm) from the edges. Sprinkle half of your filling of choice evenly over the meringue (ex: half of the cinnamon-sugar followed by half the chopped nuts and half of the chocolate chips/chopped chocolate).
3.Now, roll up the dough jellyroll style, from the long side. Pinch the seam closed to seal. Very carefully transfer the filled log to one of the lined cookie sheets, seam side down. Bring the ends of the log around and seal the ends together, forming a ring, tucking one end into the other and pinching to seal.

 

4.Using kitchen scissors or a sharp knife (although scissors are easier), make cuts along the outside edge at 1-inch (2 ½ cm) intervals. Make them as shallow or as deep as desired but don’t be afraid to cut deep into the ring.
5.Repeat with the remaining dough, meringue and fillings.
6.Cover the 2 coffee cakes with plastic wrap and allow them to rise again for 45 to 60 minutes.
7.Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
8.Brush the tops of the coffee cakes with the egg wash. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes until risen and golden brown. The dough should sound hollow when tapped.
9.Remove from the oven and slide the parchment paper off the cookie sheets onto the table. Very gently loosen the coffee cakes from the paper with a large spatula and carefully slide the cakes off onto cooling racks. Allow to cool.
10.Just before serving, dust the tops of the coffee cakes with confectioner’s sugar as well as cocoa powder if using chocolate in the filling. These are best eaten fresh, the same day or the next day.

 

Enjoy !!!