\nThis Apricot Crumb Coffee Cake is one of the most amazing coffee cakes I have ever made.\u00a0\u00a0An almond paste crumb topping teams up with an apricot filling in a rich, 60 Second Brioche that keeps moist for four or five days at room temperature as long as it is covered.\u00a0\u00a0You read that right, no 20 minutes beating in the mixer, just a quick 60 seconds in the processor after the ingredients are assembled.<\/p>\n
The apricot filling is actually an easily made pastry filling called lekvar which comes from the Hungarian pastry repertoire known for its extraordinary pastries. Because apricots are light in color, I added a couple of teaspoons of cocoa to it. It doesn’t have any effect on the flavor but really makes a dramatic difference in the appearance. <\/p>\n
The crumbs are enhanced with almond paste which is also really easy to make at home at a fraction of the price if buying it.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\tBaking gets better when you subscribe\t\t\t\tBaking gets better when you subscribe to receive this PDF on getting the most out of baking including information on equipment, ingredients and baking equipment.\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
If you love crumb cakes as much as I do, visit the New York Style Crumb Cake, and the Easily Made Raspberry Ripple Coffee Cake. Just want the crumbs for a favorite cake of yours, see my Crumb Topping post.<\/p>\n
Jump to:<\/p>\n
What makes this recipe exciting<\/p>\n
Every component of this recipe is really easy to make and can be made ahead. The apricot filling can be made a week ahead, the crumb filling 3 or four days ahead and the brioche up to 3 days ahead.<\/p>\n
The brioche is so easy to roll out when it is cold. No spring back when rolling as there is with many yeast doughs.<\/p>\n
This is a show stopper of a coffee cake. And while usually served in the morning or early afternoon with coffee or tea, this can be served anytime, anywhere.<\/p>\n
The coffee cake lasts at room temperature for days as long as it is covered.<\/p>\n
And how can you go wrong with a butter and egg enriched dough encasing an intense apricot filling and finished with almond paste crumbs? <\/p>\n
Recipe Ingredients <\/p>\n
Brioche<\/p>\n
FRONT ROW: Yeast, salt, sugar for the dough, sugar for the sponge<\/p>\n
MIDDLE ROW: Water, half and half <\/p>\n
BACK ROW: Unsalted butter, eggs and bread flour<\/p>\n
Apricot Filling<\/p>\n
FRONT ROW: Vanilla, powdered sugar, unsalted butter<\/p>\n
BACK ROW: Dried apricots, water<\/p>\n
Almond Paste Crumbs<\/p>\n
FRONT ROW: Almond Paste, unsalted butter<\/p>\n
BACK ROW: Granulated sugar, cake flour<\/p>\n
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the exact ingredients and instructions.<\/p>\n
Step by Step Instructions<\/p>\n
Brioche Pastry <\/p>\n
Please see 60 Second Brioche for Step by Step Pictures. The brioche may be made ahead and refrigerated up to 3 days. <\/p>\n
Apricot Filling<\/p>\n
Step 1. Place the dried apricots in a small saucepan with the water. Step 2. Bring to a boil and boil until only a small amount of liquid is left. The apricots will be plumped up. Step 3. Place the apricots with whatever water remains and the rest of the ingredients in the bowl of a processor. Process until smooth. Step 4. The cocoa is added to the apricots to deepen their color. This may be made a week ahead and refrigerated covered.<\/p>\n
Almond Paste Crumbs<\/p>\n
Step 5. Place the flour in the bowl of the processor. Tear the almond paste into pieces and place in the processor with the flour. Process until the almond paste is indistinguishable. Step 6. Add the sugar and cold butter. Step 7. Process briefly until it just starts to come together. Switch to pulses and pulse until crumbs form. Do not over process or it will become a solid mass. Step 8. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate until needed. These can be made days ahead and refrigerated covered. <\/p>\n
Assembly<\/p>\n
Step 9. Turn the cold brioche out of its container. Step 10. Flatten it and on a very lightly floured surface, roll it into a 20″ x 11″ rectangle. Roll the pastry so the long side is horizontally in front of you to make it easy to roll up. Step 11. Spread the apricot filling over the brioche to within \u00bd” of the edges. Step 12. Roll it tightly from the 20″side and pinch the bottom seam together very well. Roll it into a 30″ cylinder. <\/p>\n
Step 13. Spray a cheesecake or springform pan with a non-stick baking release. Step 14. Starting in the center of the pan, coil the filled brioche around, tucking the end underneath. Step 15. Press the coffee cake down to flatten it and fill the pan. Step 16. Cover the pan with a towel. I normally don’t like to cover rising dough or pastry with film. If it comes to the top and needs to go further, it can be restricted by the film. In this case it doesn’t matter because it won’t get to the top when fully risen.<\/p>\n
This can be slow going since everything should be very cold. To help this along, I place the coffee cake on a rimmed pan and place it in the oven with the door shut. I turn the oven on to 350\u00b0F for exactly 1 minute. Don’t get distracted and forget to turn the oven off. I did once and never left the oven again. Turn the oven off, leave the light on. Check in about an hour to make sure the temperature of the oven has not exceeded about 80 to 85 degrees. If it does, prop the door open with a wooden spoon.<\/p>\n
Step 17. Let the coffee cake rise until doubled. Step 18. Brush the coffee cake with egg wash. Step 19. Cover the egg wash with the almond paste crumbs. Step 20. Bake as directed. Cool it until barely warm and release the sides of the pan. <\/p>\n
Recipe FAQS<\/p>\n
What is lekvar? Lekvar is a thick sweetened fruit paste using apricots or prunes as a filling for pastries that won’t leak when baked. It is better than jam fillings than can leak. Lekvar is a much loved Hungarian ingredient used in their baking. It is easily made at home. What is an enriched dough? Enriched doughs include eggs, sugar and often milk or cream. They are prized for their taste, lightness of the dough and heights to which they can bake. Why are other names for coffee cakes According to Wikipedia, “American Coffee cake\u2014also referred to as\u00a0gugelhupf or Austrian German: kaffekuchen\u2014evolved from other sweet dishes from Vienna. In the 17th century, Northern\/Central Europeans are thought to have come up with the idea of eating sweet cakes while drinking coffee.” Others refer to coffee breaks taken at work when people would bring cakes to eat while drinking their coffee. <\/p>\n
Expert Tips<\/p>\n
Every part of this coffee cake can be made ahead. In fact, the coffee cake itself can be made, baked and frozen. Thaw at room temperature and refresh in a 350\u00b0F oven, well wrapped in foil, for 20 to 30 minutes.<\/p>\n
Any leftover almond paste can be frozen to use later in other desserts.<\/p>\n
The brioche should be very cold when working with it. If at any point it starts to become warm, place it on a parchment line baking sheet and refrigerate or freeze briefly to harden the butter again.<\/p>\n
A sponge is made for the brioche because the high percentages of fat and sugar in yeast doughs inhibit fermentation. For this reason, most rich yeast doughs are mixed by the sponge method\u00a0so it gets a head start in the fermentation process by mixing a small amount of yeast, water and flour together. This small amount is allowed to rise and then added to the remaining ingredients allowing the yeast which has multipled many fold to work more quickly.<\/p>\n
It is easiest to fill and work if it is rolled out with the long, horizontal side facing you.<\/p>\n
Use the oven proofer to speed the rise of the shaped coffee cake. It should double in a couple of hours. If rising at room temperature, it will take at least that long or longer.<\/p>\n
More Lucious Coffee Cakes<\/p>\n
If you love this Apricot Crumb Coffee Cake, It would be hugely helpful and so appreciated it if you would take a moment to leave a rating below. Thank you.<\/p>\n
Apricot Crumb Coffee Cake<\/p>\n
Helen S Fletcher<\/p>\n
This Apricot Crumb Coffee Cake with its almond paste crumb topping teams up with an apricot filling in a rich, 60 Second Brioche that keeps moist for four or five days, covered, at room temperature. <\/p>\n
Prep Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes minsCook Time 1 hour hrRising 2 hours hrsTotal Time 4 hours hrs 15 minutes mins<\/p>\n
\t\tCourse Coffee CakeCuisine American<\/p>\n
\t\tServings 12 servingsCalories 545 kcal<\/p>\n
IngredientsAlmond Paste Crumb Topping
\nInstructions\u00a0BriocheCut the butter into small pieces by cutting the stick in half lengthwise, the cutting it into half inch pieces. Place it back in the refrigerator to keep cold.Make a sponge by dissolving the yeast and pinch of granulated sugar in the 3 tablespoons warm water. Add 3 tablespoons flour from the measured amount of 2 \u00bc cups flour. Stir together to completely mix the ingredients. Cover with film and set aside to double or more while preparing the rest of the ingredients.In the processor bowl fitted with the steel blade, place the remaining flour, salt and sugar.\u00a0\u00a0Process 5 seconds to mix.\u00a0\u00a0Place the cold butter in a circle over the flour. Process the butter until it is indistinguishable, about 20 seconds. Scrape down and process about 5 seconds more.Place the eggs in a circle over the dry ingredients, pour the cream over the eggs, and add the sponge, also in a circle. Process approximately 20 to 25 seconds until the ball which initially forms breaks down into a creamy, evenly dispersed batter in the processor bowl.\u00a0\u00a0Do not stop processing until the batter is formed, as the motor may stall when you try to restart it. If the ball doesn’t break down, that’s fine as long as everything is mixed well.The batter will be very sticky and that is as it should be.\u00a0\u00a0Remove from the processor bowl and place in an ungreased bowl.\u00a0\u00a0The batter has very little elasticity and is easily managed with a large plastic pastry scraper.\u00a0\u00a0Cover securely with plastic wrap and allow to rise until double in bulk about 2 to 2 \u00bd hours.\u00a0\u00a0Stir down and refrigerate overnight.\u00a0\u00a0It may or may not rise again and that is fine.\u00a0\u00a0Punch down and use as directed. It can stay in the refrigerator for up to 3 days before using.Apricot FillingPlace the apricots and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and, stir frequently until most of the water is gone.Place the apricots and remaining ingredients, except the cocoa, in a processor bowl and process until smooth.\u00a0\u00a0Set aside to cool.\u00a0\u00a0Stir the cocoa in. This may be made a week ahead and stored in the refrigerator. Remove to room temperature before using. Almond Paste Crumb ToppingPlace the flour and almond paste (either home made or bought) in the bowl of a processor. Process until the almond paste is indistinguishable. Add the sugar and butter and process until it begins to form crumbs. Switch to pulses and pulse only until large crumbs form. Remove them to a bowl and refrigerate until needed. AssemblySpray a 9×3″ cheesecake or springform pan with a non-stick baking spray. Set aside.Remove the brioche from the refrigerator, punch down, pat into a rectangle on a lightly floured surface and roll into a 20×11 inch rectangle so the long horizontally in front of you to make rolling up easier. Spread the filling evenly over the brioche within \u00bd” of the edges. Roll up tightly from the 20″side and pinch the seam securely together. Roll and gently stretch it until it is 30″ long. If it is very soft at this time, coil it up on a parchment line baking sheet and chill to firm up. Do not let it freeze.Starting in the middle of the pan, coil the roll around towards the outer edge of the pan.\u00a0\u00a0Press it down to flatten and fill the pan.Cover with a towel and let rise until doubled in bulk. Because everything is cold, this could take 4 to 4 \u00bd hours to rise. This step can be sped up by placing the covered coffee cake on a rimmed baking sheet and placing in the oven. Turn the oven on to 350\u00b0F for exactly 1 minute. Turn the oven off. Leave the light on in the oven and check back in about an hour. Make sure the oven is no hotter than about 85 to 90 degrees max. If it is, prop the door open with a wooden spoon. The coffee cake should be risen in about 2 hours or so.Remove the cake from the oven and heat it to 375\u00b0F. When the coffee cake is full risen, brush it with the beaten egg and distribute the almond paste crumbs evenly over the brioche. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes until the top is browned. A tester is difficult here because the filling stays moist and clings to the tester. Truth to tell, I turned one into concrete before I figured it out. If the top begins to brown too quickly, tent it with foil.Cool until barely warm and release the cake. Dust with powdered sugar to serveStore covered at room temperature for up to 4 days. It can also be made and frozen, without the powdered sugar for several months well wrapped. Thaw completely at room temperature. Refresh by wrapping in foil, leaving a small hole in the top, for about 5 to 30 minutes. <\/p>\n
NotesThere is always an abundance of photos to guide you in the post above
\nAs always, I recommend using\u00a0a scale for accuracy and consistency.\u00a0 Flour, in particular, is difficult to measure by volume. \u00a0For my recipes, I use\u00a0140 grams per cup of unsifted\u00a0 all-purpose, bread or whole wheat flour and 125 grams of cake flour.\u00a0Others may use different weights so use whatever they suggest.
\n___________________________________________________________
\nFor additional information see my post, 60 Second Brioche\u00a0\u00a0and How to Make Almond Paste or Not.
\nEvery component of this recipe is really easy to make and can be made ahead. The apricot filling can be made a week ahead, the crumb filling 3 or four days ahead and the brioche up to 3 days ahead. In fact, the coffee cake itself can be made, baked and frozen. Thaw at room temperature and refresh in a 350\u00b0F oven, well wrapped in foil, for 20 to 30 minutes.
\nAny leftover almond paste can be frozen to use later in other desserts.
\nThe brioche should be very cold when working with it. If at any point it starts to become warm, place it on a parchment line baking sheet and refrigerate or freeze briefly to harden the butter again.
\nA sponge is made for the brioche because the high percentages of fat and sugar in yeast doughs inhibit fermentation. For this reason, most rich yeast doughs are mixed by the sponge method\u00a0so it gets a head start in the fermentation process by mixing a small amount of yeast, water and flour together.\u00a0This small amount is allowed to rise and then added to the remaining ingredients allowing the yeast which has multipled many fold to work more quickly.
\nIt is easiest to fill and work if it is rolled out with the long, horizontal side facing you.
\nUse the oven proofer to speed the rise of the shaped coffee cake. It should double in a couple of hours. If rising at room temperature, it will take at least that long or longer.
\nThis is a show stopper of a coffee cake. And while usually served in the morning or early afternoon with coffee or tea, this can be served anytime, anywhere.
\nThe coffee cake lasts at room temperature for days as long as it is covered.
\n\u00a0
\nNutritionServing: 12servingsCalories: 545kcalCarbohydrates: 65gProtein: 8gFat: 29gSaturated Fat: 16gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 127mgSodium: 170mgPotassium: 432mgFiber: 3gSugar: 36gVitamin A: 1867IUVitamin C: 0.3mgCalcium: 60mgIron: 2mg<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
This Apricot Crumb Coffee Cake is one of the most amazing coffee cakes I have ever made.\u00a0\u00a0An almond paste crumb topping teams up with an apricot filling in a rich, 60 Second Brioche that keeps moist for four or five days at room temperature as long as it is covered.\u00a0\u00a0You read that right, no 20 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":263,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-262","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-snacks"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sanabaking.snipsglow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/262","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sanabaking.snipsglow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sanabaking.snipsglow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sanabaking.snipsglow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sanabaking.snipsglow.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=262"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sanabaking.snipsglow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/262\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sanabaking.snipsglow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/263"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sanabaking.snipsglow.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=262"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sanabaking.snipsglow.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=262"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sanabaking.snipsglow.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=262"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}