Coffee-Coffee Cake Recipe

Excerpted from ‘Dolci! American Baking With an Italian Accent’ by Renato Poliafito

AARP

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Published August 14, 2024

Coffee cake on dish with some slices cut; two slices on plates

This Coffee-Coffee Cake is a sweet, caffeine-fueled way to start the day.

Kevin J. Miyazaki

Anyone who has been to my home can tell you that I have a mild coffee addiction. There are no fewer than six different kinds of coffee makers on my kitchen counter and in my cabinets. So, it’s no surprise that I love to infuse the flavor of coffee into most of my baked goods. One obvious vehicle is this cake. A coffee cake blanketed in crumbs is such a classic New York institution, a gift from central European and Jewish immigrants. This version, shot through with a very Italian touch — an espresso-infused ripple of streusel through the center plus more espresso in the chunky, sugary crumbs piled on top — feels like a perfect reflection of the intermingling that happened in lower Manhattan at the turn of the twentieth century. If all that espresso doesn’t put a pep in your step, nothing will. —Renato Poliafito

Coffee-Coffee Cake

Ingredients

For the filling:

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder

For the crumb topping:

1 cup cake flour
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup packed dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

For the cake:

1¾ cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
9 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed, at room temperature
1¼ cups sour cream
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

To make the filling: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and espresso powder.

To make the crumb topping: In a medium bowl, whisk together the cake flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, espresso powder, cinnamon, and salt.

Drizzle in the melted butter in two parts, mixing with your hands to evenly moisten and form large crumbs.

To make the cake: Preheat the oven to 325°F and set a rack in the center. Coat a 10-inch tube pan with a removable bottom with cooking spray and lightly dust with flour.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, mix the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt on low speed until combined. Add the cubed butter and mix on low until the dry ingredients form a sandy, coarse crumb, about 2 minutes. In a medium bowl, whisk the sour cream, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer running on low, add the sour cream mixture in two parts, stopping to scrape down the sides after each addition. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the batter is light and fluffy, about 1 minute.

Scoop half of the batter into the prepared pan, then sprinkle the filling evenly over the top. Add the remaining half of the batter and smooth into an even layer. Scatter the crumbs over the top of the cake.

Bake until the cake feels firm and a tester comes out clean, 60 to 65 minutes. Cool completely in the pan, about 1 hour, before unmolding. Dust lightly with powdered sugar before slicing and serving.

The coffee cake can be covered and stored at room temperature for up to two days.

From Dolci! by Renato Poliafito with Casey Elsass. Copyright © 2024 by Renato Poliafito. Excerpted by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.