Happy Weekend! Happy Valentine’s Day! Happy let’s-celebrate-with-a-coffee-cake-day!
Did I make that last one up? Maybe, but I am just beyond excited about this recipe down below.
You know those weekends when it’s so cold, all you want to do is snuggle up in your big bed that’s full of everything cozy—fleece sheets, down comforter, warmth? The high of 18˚ has you contemplating breaking your rule of no eating in bed? Yeah. It’s one of those weekends!
Luckily, it’s supposed to get back up in the 50’s by the end of next week, so I can daydream about that for the two days when I decide to run all of my errands in the freezing cold. But let’s forget for a moment about this snowless, cold winter we are having, and think about cake. For breakfast. In bed.
Aka Coffee Cake.
For some reason, every woman in my family is great at making coffee cakes—possibly because it’s acceptable to have cake early in the morning, so we take full advantage of that. Anytime we ever visit my aunt in Chicago, it’s lots and lots of coffee, lots and lots of coffee cake (that Roberto is obsessed with) and lots and lots of talking, just how I like it! My mom makes an out-of-this-world Honey Bun cake, where she takes away the crumb and adds a ridiculously sweet, yummy glaze. Now it’s my turn to join these fabulous ladies in a family tradition!
What’s my little secret to this ever so moist, ever so cinnamonny, and ever so crumby cake? The Nutella layer that is swirled in the middle of the cake.
Ohhhhh yes, Nutella, something you can never go wrong with!
So, this cake is basically like oh hey, I’m a dense, wonderful coffee cake, I’m full of yogurt and moistness, and surprise! I’m filled with a chocolatey, hazelnutty center.
You are welcome.
While I sit here on this beautiful and quiet morning, cozy in my apartment and 14˚F outside, I’ll try my best not to get any more crumbs in the bed or Nutella traces on my face…but you’ll understand the struggle in an hour once your cake is baked!
crumb ingredients
Flour—3.75 oz, or ¾ C
Brown Sugar—0.75 oz, or 1 ½ TBL
Cinnamon—1 tsp
Butter, melted—2 oz, or 4 TBL
Milk—0.5 oz, or 1 TBL
process
In the bowl of your mixer, combine the flour, brown sugar and cinnamon.
Mix.
With the mixer on low, slowly stream in the melted butter and then the milk.
Mix just until small pebble sized pieces have formed.
Reserve in a separate bowl until ready to use in your cake!
cake ingredients
Butter, room temperature—3 oz, or 6 TBL
Brown Sugar—4 oz, or ½ C
Eggs—1
Vanilla Extract—1 ½ tsp
Yogurt—5 oz, or ½ C
Milk—4 oz, or ½ C
Flour—7.5 oz, or 1 ¼ C
Baking Soda—¼ tsp
Baking Powder—½ tsp
Salt—½ tsp
Cinnamon—1 ½ tsp
Nutmeg—½ tsp
Nutella, optional—¼ C
process
Preheat your oven to 350˚ F.
In the bowl of your mixer, cream together the butter and brown sugar.
Once smooth, add in your egg and vanilla until combined, making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl if necessary.
Sift together all of your dry ingredients—the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Alternate adding some of the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl, on low speed, with the yogurt and milk.
Once all of your dry ingredients, the yogurt and milk have been added, and the batter has just formed, turn off your mixer.
Prepare a small 6” cake pan by spraying with nonstick spray and then either lining the bottom with parchment paper or sprinkling a small amount of flour just to lightly coat the pan.
Put in half of your cake batter.
Now the optional part—adding a nice, thick coating of Nutella on top of the crumb makes for an incredible surprise! While this is optional, or using another nut butter can be just as tasty, the sweetness from the chocolate and nuttiness of the hazelnuts does wonders for this coffee cake!
Cover completely with half of the crumbs you made earlier.
Top with the rest of the cake batter and sprinkle with the remaining crumb.
Place in your over and bake for 45-50 minutes, the cake should be slightly golden brown.
Allow to cool just a little before taking out of the pan and eating!
Bon Appétit!