Penuche Coffee Cake

Penuche Coffee Cake. Life is about breaking the rules. Like, who says penuche is only for German Chocolate Cake?

For new readers, I worked in one of the Seattle area’s most popular bakeries back in the eighties & nineties. It is where my love of all things small business, all things sugar, all things Scandinavian, and all things yeast started.

At Scandia Bakery, there were penuche danish and penuche coffee cakes coming out of the Ferris-wheel oven daily. So I must share with you my remix (cue auto-tune music) of this beloved sweet and golden uprising – the penuche coffee cake. Everybody got time for dat.

Penuche Coffee Cake

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Coffeecake Pastry

• 2 1/2 teaspoons yeast
• 1/4 cup warm water (110°F or cooler)
• 1/2 c sugar
• 1/3 cup of instant mashed potatoes stirred together with 1/3 cup of warm water
• 3/4 cups warm milk (110°F or cooler)
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup shortening
• 1 teaspoon salt
• About 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Place yeast and warm water into a large bowl. Give a little swirl and let sit for about 10 minutes to become foamy.

After foaminess has developed, whisk in sugar, instant mashed potatoes (premixed mixed with water as listed above), milk, eggs & shortening. Mix until well combined and shortening is about the size of peas. Finally, stir in salt.

Continue mixing with a wooden spoon and add a cup of flour.

Slowly continue adding about a cup of flour at a time. When you can no longer stir the dough easily with a spoon, begin kneading in the remaining flour. You can keep it in the bowl while doing this or on the counter – whichever you find easiest for you.  Knead by hand for about 5 minutes or until the dough is somewhat elastic.

Cover with a clean warm, damp towel and let the dough sit in a warm place for about an hour or until the dough has doubled in size. This can sometimes take longer in the winter because of the weather so be sure to place dough in a warm place.

This is a great time to make filling (recipe below) and then set it aside to use at the right time.

Turn happily risen dough onto the flour-covered countertop. Coat dough with a little bit of flour so it’s easier to work with and punch down.

Prepare the baking pan. Spray with non-stick baking spray or coat with butter. You can use a 12-inch round pan like I do, or any pan you have that will fit comparably like a 9 X 13 pan. You’ll need room for the dough to rise one last time and the filling. The coffee cake will also expand while baking. Place dough into the pan. Press dough to fit pan bottom and side. Allow to rise for another hour (or until about double in size again).

Press dough down in the middle of the pan. Pour filling into the dough. Top with streusel (recipe below). Bake with a sheet pan underneath to catch drips (just in case).

Bake for 35-45 minutes. When the bottom pastry dough is cooked (edges should be golden brown), the coffee cake is done baking. Allow it to cool to room temp so the coffee cake will be easier to remove from the round pan and your coffee cake will look glorious upon a round platter. If using a 9 X 13 pan, you can just serve in the pan. Drizzle with frosting (you guessed it, recipe below).

Penuche Filling

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cups pecans, chopped & lightly toasted
• 7 ounces sweetened coconut, shredded

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add heavy cream, egg yolks, sugars, vanilla. & salt. Whisk well. Cook over medium-high heat for 10-15 minutes or until thickened. Watch closely. Stir in pecans and coconut. Allow to cool to room temperature and then save in refrigerator until cake is ready.

Streusel Topping

• 1 stick of butter cut into small pieces
• 1 1/2 cup of flour
• 2/3 cup of powdered sugar
• dash of salt
• 1 egg

Frosting

Step aside, German Chocolate Cake. I love you; but, Penuche Coffeecake is the hero of this sweet rebellion.