Now is not the time to be thinking about New Year’s Resolutions. Ignore the plastic Christmas trees at Costco… we still have time. We have months. The year is not over yet. We can totally take it easy.
I don’t like New Year’s Resolutions. They’re totally unrealistic, right? I feel like my best intentions of dieting, cleaning, saving money, and being a better human in the world are all flushed down the toilet when I cut people off in traffic while eating doughnuts and throwing money out the window on January 2nd. (Was that a run-on sentence?) ((Don’t answer that.))
Ok. So I don’t throw money out the window. Come on…
Let me get to the point.
I like to make mini resolutions. I make a little resolution, in my crazybrain, each season. Here we are in Autumn… and it’s time to rearrange my goals. I totally nailed my summer goals of wearing bikini tops as bras and keeping my nails done-did. Now it’s time to rearrange.
This Autumn is all about loving hard, giving quality time to others, not texting at dinner, and wearing these friendship bracelets until they fall off my wrist. I keep it simple. It’s usually the simple intentions that influence the larger movements in my life. Trust. I’m not completely superficial.
Do you have some goals you’re going to make this Autumn? Do they have anything to do with living right and making this awesome, yeasty coffee cake!? Say yes! Live right!
As with most good things, this coffee cake starts with a yeasted dough base.
The dough is full of eggs and butter, which make if really easy to work with and knead. It reminds me of a cake/bread hybrid.
Oh… did I mention that we’re making not one, but TWO coffee cakes!? True. It’s we’re going to take the time to work with yeast, let’s just make two cakes and freeze one! Good thinking.
Does this look like the makings of a cinnamon roll with apples? You’re not far off! This coffee cake is like a series of cinnamon rolls that are connected.
Cinnamon apples and streusel fill this cake.
Apple pie meets coffee cake meets cinnamon roll.
Yea. I love you.
Rolled up like a cinnamon roll. Snipped into connected pieces. Shaped like a crooked horseshoe.
Juicy and a little messy. Whatevs.
Even if just a little messy, this cake bakes up like a dream come true.
This spiced, sweet, breakfast cake is a soft and tender play on traditional coffee cake. It’s a bit more time consuming, but it’s pretty simple to roll up two cake rolls, place one on a parchment lined baking sheet to bake, and place the other in the freezer for a breakfast emergency.
This cake screams Autumn comfort. Screams it! Happy screams. From the rooftop!
Oh!
Other yeasty items I want you to be obsessed with:
Lemon Raspberry Breakfast Rolls
Cinnamon-Sugar Pull-Apart Bread
Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake
makes two loaves
For the Dough:
2 1/4 teaspoon (1 package) active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water, about 105 to 155 degrees F.
big pinch of sugar
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
4 1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup warm whole milk, 105 to 115 degrees F.
For the Filling:
3 large apples, peeled and cut into small cubes (I used Fuji apples)
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
pinch of salt
For the Streusel:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of salt
pinch of cardamom
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 egg and sugar for brushing and topping the dough before baking
To Make the Dough: In a small bowl, mix together yeast, warm water and pinch of sugar. Stir together until yeast is dissolved and set aside for 10 minutes. Yeast will foam up. That’s how you know it’s alive!
In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, add the sugar, butter, cardamom, and salt. Blend on medium speed until pale in color and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Stop the mixer, scrape down the bowl, and add eggs and 1 cup of flour. Blend on medium speed until thoroughly incorporated and creamy, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and add 2 cups more cups of flour, foamy yeast mixture, and warm milk. Blend in medium speed until the flour disappears. Mixture will be very wet.
Add 1 1/2 to 2 more cups of flour. Blend until the flour is almost incorporated.
Dump the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead for 5 to 8 minutes by hand. Dough will be glossy and just slightly sticky. Place dough in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and a towel and let rest in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours, or until doubled in size.
While the dough rises, make the apple filling and the streusel.
To make the Apple Filling, toss together diced apples, lemon juice, sugar, cinnamon, cornstarch, nutmeg and salt. Leave at room temperature and set aside until ready to use.
To make the Streusel Filling:
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt, and cardamom. Add butter and, using your fingers, work the butter into the flour mixture. Break up the butter into the mixture, until thoroughly incorporated and crumbly. Set aside.
Continue on with the Dough:
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
When the dough has doubled in size, dump it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Use a large knife or a bench knife to divide the dough in two. Roll each dough piece into about a 10×14-inch rectangle. Sprinkle with half of the streusel mixture. Add half of the apple mixture over the apples. Add a bit of the apple juices too. That’s fine.
Starting from the longest side, begin to roll the dough. This isn’t like a cinnamon roll, you don’t have to roll it into a super tight swirl. Fold in about 1 1/2 to 1-inch folds. Keep the seam on the bottom.
Repeat the same steps for the second piece of dough.
Carefully lift roll onto the prepared baking sheet. **Now is a great time to freeze or refrigerate the coffee cake dough for later baking.** Take a pair of clean scissors and slice into the dough leaving about 3/4-inch of dough still attached. Slice at 1-inch intervals. Carefully begin to curve the sliced dough into a semi-circle/horseshoe shape. If some of the apple juices escape, that’s ok Cover with a towel and let rest in a warm place for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Brush dough with egg wash and sprinkle with raw or granulated sugar. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through.
Remove from the oven, allow to cool for 15 minutes before serving. Best served warm with hot coffee. Coffee cake will last, well wrapped at room temperature, for up to 3 days… or 3 hours.
** If you decide to freeze the dough, place it in the fridge to thaw the evening before you’d like to bake it. Once it’s thawed, slice it according to the above directions. Allow to come to room temperature, and allow to rise for another 30 minutes beyond that. Wash with egg and sugar, then bake.
** If you decide to refrigerate the dough, simple take it out of the fridge, slice according to the above directions. Let come to room temperature, then allow to rise for 30 minutes beyond that. Brush with egg and sugar, then bake.
Jessie
I made this last night, and it rocked my socks off! The dough is so easy, I made it without a stand mixer. I doubled the apple mix, YUM. I was so excited to get it into the oven that I forgot the egg-wash and granulated sugar. IT doesn’t look as pretty as yours, but it still delicious!
Thanks for another great recipe Joy!
Cakefairyblog
This. is. amazing.
Amilia (justeverydayme)
This looks amazing! I do have to admit that the recipe looks a tad bit intimidating but it looks so tasty I may have to try tackling it soon!
Patty H.
This looks so delicious! I love the results you got from rolling & cutting — it looks wonderful!
Connie
This recipe was a bit different than any yeasted coffee cakes I’ve seen so I had to try it and I am happy I did – it is phenomenal. You mentioned the dough was a bit sticky and while kneading I worried that it would be too sticky however it rolled perfectly without the apples shifting within the roll or falling all over the counter – you know what you’re doing Joy.
Gaby
Joy! I totally make mini-resolutions throughout the year! At first, people thought I was a little crazy for doing it, but now everyone’s catching on. Good luck!
Liz
Baby asleep in bed; husband working late shift; Tv on; feet on sofa; eating this with a cup of tea – and enough left for late supper when the worker comes home… Yum! Thanks for a fabulous recipe (& one in the freezer too!)
Anna
Gee! I can have a few bites and I have my complete dose of coffee and pie! Love this recipe! Thanks for posting…
My little resolution stems a great deal from your blog…perhaps I need to stop making huge life-altering resolutions and start with the little ones…sunscreen every morning…not to be tempted on 70% off sales (on things I don’t really need)…
Thanks again!
Kelli
Joy, you’re sooo right.. The little changes we make in our lives influence the big ones. You know, let’s say I choose to only go on facebook twice a day. I can only imagine how much more I’d get accomplished…..and how much more time I’d have in the kitchen!!! haha! This coffee cake looks mighty fine, though. It’s just in time as I was pondering what to do with a surplus of apples today!
carla
I had a bad day today. Your new years’ comments made me laugh out loud. A good end to the day. Thank you!
The Starving Student
That looks delicious, kind of like a giant bear claw!
fitzgerald
happening. very soon. I don’t care if I live in Australia where apples are going out of season. I want this in my belly. :)