Eric Stendal

I recently bought a recipe book recently and while combing through its pages I came across a recipe that reminded me of something Farmor used to bake once in a while.

It was a delicious ‘not quite cake, not quite bread’ cinnamon ‘n sugar coffee cake that was simply delicious. It was light; not ‘bready’ but its consistency was very coffee cake like. It was time to make it!

Here’s how to make the Old Fashioned Tea Cake

Ingredients

6 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
4 tsps instant yeast
1/2 tsp salt
1-1/2 cups lukewarm milk
2/3 cup lightly salted butter, melted
2 large eggs, room temperature

Topping Ingredients

7 tbsps lightly salted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus a little more for sprinkling
1-1/2 tbsp ground cinnamon

Method

1. In a large bowl, combine (whisk) the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Making a well in the middle of these dry ingredients, add the lukewarm milk, eggs, and melted butter.

2. Mix the wet and dry ingredients together until all the dry ingredients are moistened and well blended. The dough should be somewhat wet.

3. Cover with a damp tea towel and let this rise in a warm location for about 1 hour, or until it has doubled in size.

4. Meanwhile, for the topping, combine the butter and the sugar in a bowl and cream together.

5. Once the dough has doubled in size, preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with some parchment paper.

6. Place the dough on the prepared sheet. With slightly wet hands you spread the dough out to form a large rectangle that is roughly 13 x 11 inches. With your finger, poke deep holes throughout the dough. Using a spatula, spread the butter and sugar topping over the dough, going all the way to the edges. Sprinkle the cinnamon on top, making a crisscross pattern if desired, and let this rise, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

7. Bake for 18 – 20 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown. Sprinkle with 1 to 2 tbsps of sugar on top, cut into diamond shapes, and serve warm. Keep leftovers at room temperature in an airtight bag for 1 to 2 days…..if you can actually not eat it all up the first day!