coffee cakeStill looking for the perfect Christmas morning breakfast? How about filling your home with the fragrant scent of cinnamon coffee cake? This recipe is by celebrity chefs Bryan and Michael Voltaggio, who are also delicious. Oh my goodness, I can actually smell this coffee cake just typing out the recipe!

To give yourself a head start Christmas morning, sift together the dry ingredients the night before and set out the butter -- it will be perfectly soft by the next morning.

Cinnamon Coffee Cake, Voltaggio Brothers

Ingredients:

  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 6 ounces unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/4 cup buttermilk
  • 1 cup crème fraiche (or sour cream)
  • 4 tablespoons cinnamon

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  2. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar for 3 minutes. Add eggs then buttermilk to the creamed butter and sugar. Slowly add in dry ingredients, 1/3 at a time. Fold in crème fraiche and reserve.
  3. Remove 1 3/4 cups of batter and stir the cinnamon until smooth. Then gently fold the cinnamon batter into the remaining batter to create a swirl effect.
  4. Place 1 1/2 cups batter into greased cake pan and place 1/4 cup of the crumb topping (directions follow) on each cake, gently pressing into the batter. Place in oven for 40-45 minutes, turning halfway through baking. Insert a cake tester to make sure it is cooked through. Let rest and cool for 1 hour.

Crumb Topping

Ingredients:

  • 2 ounces unsalted butter
  • 2/3 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup almond flour (or all-purpose flour)
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 2/3 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne (optional)

Directions:

Soften butter to room temperature. Combine all ingredients together in a mixing bowl with a paddle attachment until texture of sand. Distribute over cake batter as in main recipe above.

Does your family love coffee cake first thing in the morning?

 

Image via whitneyinchicago/Flickr