Filled Meringue Coffee Cake - Daring Bakers March 2011

The March 2011 Daring Baker’s Challenge was hosted by Ria of Ria’s Collection and Jamie of Life’s a Feast. Ria and Jamie challenged The Daring Bakers to bake a yeasted Meringue Coffee Cake.


We were given 2 options of flavorings to use for this cake: a typically sweet version with chocolate, nuts and cinnamon and an Indian inspired version.  As I planned to take the cake (if successful) to a friend's baby shower I stuck to the sweet version.  Well, it was a success and tasted good but I can't say I love love loved it, so I'm not sure it would stay top of mind to make it again.


What did I learn?  Despite having coffee in it's name, this cake doesn't contain coffee.  I can only assume the name means that it's a cake one is supposed to eat with coffee? Can anyone tell me then what the difference is between a coffee cake and a tea cake!?


This recipe makes 2 round coffee cakes of a decent size.  As it's best eaten fresh, halve the ingredients if you, like me, don't have enough mouths at home to eat that much in a day or 2.


What you'll need:
Measuring cups for dry ingredients
Measuring cup for liquid
Measuring spoons
Cutting board and sharp knife
2 large mixing bowls
1 small mixing bowl
1 medium mixing bowl for beating egg whites, preferably plastic or metal
1 medium saucepan
Electric mixer or stand mixer
Wooden spoon
Rolling pin
Spatula
Clean kitchen scissors or sharp knife
Plastic wrap & clean kitchen towel
Parchment/wax/baking paper
2 medium-sized baking trays
Cooling racks
Serving platter
Vegetable oil to grease bowl


CAKE DOUGH: 
4 cups (600 g / 1.5 lbs.) flour 
¼ cup (55 g / 2 oz.) sugar 
¾ teaspoon (5 g / ¼ oz.) salt 
1 package (2 ¼ teaspoons / 7 g / less than an ounce) active dried yeast 
¾ cup (180 ml / 6 fl. oz.) whole milk 
¼ cup (60 ml / 2 fl. oz. water (doesn’t matter what temperature) 
½ cup (135 g / 4.75 oz.) unsalted butter at room temperature 
2 large eggs at room temperature


MERINGUE: 
3 large egg whites at room temperature 
¼ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon vanilla 
½ cup (110 g / 4 oz.) sugar


SWEET FILLING: 
1 cup (110 g / 4 oz.) chopped pecans or walnuts 
2 Tablespoons (30 g / 1 oz.) granulated sugar 
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon 
1 cup (170 g / 6 oz.) semisweet chocolate chips or coarsely chopped chocolate


Preparing the dough:

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 ½ cups (230 g) 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. Ria’s version: add the 10 saffron threads to the warmed liquid and allow to steep off of the heat for 10 minutes. This will give the mixture a distinct aroma and flavor and a yellowish-orange hue.
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 (150 g) 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.

Preparing the filling:

1. 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: 

1. 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. 
2. 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. 
3. 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.
4. Spread half of the meringue evenly over the rectangle up to about 1/2-inch (3/4 cm) from the edges. 
5. 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).
6. Now, roll up the dough (like a scroll cake), from the long side. 
7. Pinch the seam closed to seal. 
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. Repeat with the remaining dough, meringue and fillings. Cover the 2 coffee cakes with plastic wrap and allow them to rise again for 45 to 60 minutes.

Baking and serving:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Eat as quickly as you can.