This is my maternal busia's recipe for coffee cake or placek z kruszonka, literally "cake with crumbs."
I remember all 5 feet of busia using a wooden spoon and an enamel miska (pan) to beat the dough until it made a clacking noise and blistered. She never used raisins but you can add them, if you wish. If you have a strong arm and wrists, I invite you to try making this by hand with a Batter Blender
, otherwise a stand mixer will do nicely.
Here's a larger picture of Busia's coffee cake.
Makes 2 (9x5-inch) loaf pans of Polish Coffee Cake - Placek z Kruszonka
I remember all 5 feet of busia using a wooden spoon and an enamel miska (pan) to beat the dough until it made a clacking noise and blistered. She never used raisins but you can add them, if you wish. If you have a strong arm and wrists, I invite you to try making this by hand with a Batter Blender
, otherwise a stand mixer will do nicely.
Here's a larger picture of Busia's coffee cake.
Makes 2 (9x5-inch) loaf pans of Polish Coffee Cake - Placek z Kruszonka
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Ingredients:
- Dough:
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 4 ounces (1 stick) softened butter
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 2 packages active dry yeast
- 5 large eggs beaten with 1 teaspoon salt
- 6 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla (optional -- my grandmother didn't use it)
- 1 1/2 cups dark raisins (optional -- my grandmother didn't use raisins)
- .
- Topping:
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 8 tablespoons sugar
- 4 tablespoons butter
Preparation:
- Place sugar and butter in a large bowl or stand mixer. Scald the milk, and pour it into the bowl with sugar and butter. Stir until butter is completely melted. Let cool to 110 degrees.
- Add yeast and mix well. Add egg-salt mixture and half the flour, stirring constantly. Add the vanilla and raisins, if using, and mix well. Add the remaining flour and mix well. The dough will be sticky.
- Turn out into a greased bowl and cover with greased plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled. Grease two (9x5-inch) loaf pans and make the crumb topping in a medium bowl by combining flour and sugar, and cutting in the butter with your fingers. Set aside.
- Using slightly dampened hands, punch down dough and divide it in half. Place in prepared pans. Sprinkle half the crumb topping on each cake. Place on a baking sheet (to catch any crumbs that fall off while baking), cover with greased plastic wrap, and let rise until dough mounds slightly over the top.
- Heat oven to 300 degrees and bake 50 minutes or until instant-read thermometer registers 190 degrees. Remove from oven. Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then turn out and cool coffee cakes completely on their side on a wire rack. Best if eaten within a few days of making, but freezes nicely.
