Sweet Petals Coffee Cake

For my first Master Baker's challenge, I chose to make a recipe from a little cookbook I picked up at the grocery store several years ago called The Best from 50 years of Bake-Off Contests. The recipe was entered by Grace Autrey who created "a cinnamon-crusted coffee cake for the 9th Bake-OFF Contest." I have made this recipe before and though it is similar to a cinammon roll, putting the cinammon and sugar on the outside instead of on the inside, gives it a crunchy, sugary texture that is wonderful.

Sweet Petals Coffee Cake

2 1/2 to 3 cups flour

2 T. sugar

1 t. salt

1 pkg. active dry yeast

3/4 cup milk

1/4 cup water

3 T. shortening (I used butter instead)

Filling

1/2 cup finely chopped nuts (I omitted the nuts)

1/2 cup sugar

2 T. brown sugar

1 t. cinnamon

1/2 cup butter, melted

Glaze

1/2 cup powdered sugar (I doubled this)

1 to 2 t. milk

Combine 2 cups flour, 2 T. sugar, salt and yeast; mix well. In small saucepan, combine 3/4 cup milk and shortening. Heat to 120 to 130º. Add warm liquid to flour mixture; blend at low speed until moistened. Beat 3 minutes at medium speed. By hand, stir in remaining 1/2 to 1 cup flour until doug pulls away from sides of bowl. Knead dough on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Place dough in greased bowl. Cover loosely with greased plastic wrap and cloth towel. Let rise in warm place (80 to 85º) until light and doubled in size, 45 to 60 minutes.

Grease 12-inch pizza pan or large cookie sheet. In shallow dish or pie pan, combine nuts, 1/2 cup sugar, brown sugar and cinnamon, mix well. Place melted butter in another shallow dish or pie pan. Punch down dough several times to remove all air bubbles. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Pinch off a 1 1/2 to 2-inch piece of dough; roll into 6 x 1/2 inch strip. Repeat with remaining dough. Dip each dough strip in butter to coat; roll in sugar mixture to coat evenly. Place 1 strip in center of pan; wind to form a coil. Repeat with remaining strips, placing close together to make a round, flat coffee cake. Cover; let rise in warm place until light and doubled in size, 45 to 60 minutes.

Heat oven to 350º. Uncover coffee cake. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 5 minutes. Carefully remove from pan; place on serving plate.

In small bowl, combine glaze ingredients, adding enough milk for desired drizzling consistency. Drizzle over warm coffee cake.


This is a great recipe to make with kids or grandkids. It's so easy and looks great even if the strips are not perfect. My twins helped me make this one. I cut the dough into strips and one son rolled them into ropes, I dipped them in the butter and my other son rolled them in sugar. They loved helping and waiting to eat it was the hardest part. Is there anything better than the smell of sugar and cinnamon baking in the oven.