Hungarian Coffee Cake recipe

Sarabeth Levine | Sarabeth’s Good Morning Cookbook | Rizzoli, 2015

My daughters go crazy every time I make this Hungarian coffee cake. It was a specialty of their grandmother, whom they called “Amma.” Here, I’ve tried to recreate it exactly as I remember it. Although bordering on bread-like, this cake still tastes like a sweet treat with its streusel topping. I use a babka rolling technique here so that the cinnamon sugar spirals all throughout the twists and turns of the soft dough.–Sarabeth Levine

LC What Folks Are Saying About This Recipe Note

“Moist and rich and not too sweet and still airy.” “So delicious.” “Delicious, indulgent, adult- and kid-pleasing.” “Perfect.” That’s what folks are saying about this Hungarian coffee cake recipe which is actually less like cake than it is like equal parts cake, bread, and pastry.

• Quick Glance
• 45 M
• 4 H
• Makes 1 loaf

Ingredients

• For the streusel
• 1/3 cup (47 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon superfine sugar (or blitz granulated sugar in a blender until finely ground but not powdery)
• 1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch fine sea salt
• 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• For the coffee cake
• 1/3 cup (65 grams) packed light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons superfine sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• Unbleached all-purpose flour, for rolling the dough
• 1/2 recipe
• 4 tablespoons (2 ounces or 57 grams) unsalted butter, well softened
• 1 large egg, well beaten
• Softened unsalted butter, for the pan and brushing the dough