Dusted with confectioners’ sugar and flavored with coffee, this cake is reminiscent of beignets and café au lait.
Café au Lait Kugelhopf
Makes 1 (10-Cup) Kugelhopf Cake
Ingredients
- ½ cup warm whole milk (105° to 110°)
- ½ cup granulated sugar, divided
- 1 (0.25-ounce) package active dry yeast
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour, divided
- ⅓ cup sliced almonds
- ⅔ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 2 egg yolks
- ½ cup strong hot coffee (105° to 110°)
- Garnish: confectioners’ sugar
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine warm milk, ¼ cup granulated sugar, and yeast. Add ¾ cup flour, and beat at low speed until well combined. Cover and let stand until mixture starts to bubble, about 30 minutes.
- Butter and flour a 10-cup kugelhopf pan. Sprinkle bottom and sides of pan with almonds.
- Add butter, salt, vanilla, and remaining ¼ cup granulated sugar to yeast mixture, and beat at low speed until combined. Beat in egg and egg yolks. Add remaining 1¾ cups flour in three additions alternately with hot coffee, beginning and ending with flour, beating just until combined after each addition. Increase mixer speed to high, and beat until smooth, shiny, and elastic, about 8 minutes.
- Spoon dough into prepared pan. Using wet fingers, gently press dough even and flat. Tap pan on counter a few times. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place (75°) until dough almost reaches top of pan, 2 to 2½ hours.
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Bake until golden and an instant-read thermometer inserted near center registers 190°, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Invert cake onto a wire rack. Serve warm, or let cool completely. Just before serving, dust with confectioners’ sugar, if desired.
