Best Big Daddys Coffee Cake Recipes

SUPER-CRUMB COFFEE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Generously spray a 9-inch springform pan* with cooking spray or grease with butter. Sprinkle the bottom of the pan with 1 Tablespoon of flour and tap out the excess.
• Whisk the flour, sugar, and salt together in a large mixing bowl until combined. Cut in the butter in very small pieces using a pastry blender or mix with a fork until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Place 1 cup of the butter/flour mixture in the refrigerator until ready to use in step 4.
• Using a handheld or stand mixer with a paddle attachment, mix the baking powder and baking soda into the remaining flour mixture. Add the room temperature buttermilk, egg, and vanilla and beat on medium speed until smooth. The batter is very thick. Spoon the batter into the prepared springform pan, smoothing the top.
• Add the brown sugar and cinnamon to the reserved flour mixture. Toss with a fork until well blended. Sprinkle the crumbs over the batter, pressingly lightly so they stick.
• Bake the cake until the center is firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45-55 minutes. Baking time varies, so begin checking at 45 minutes and don't be alarmed if your cake takes longer. Mine usually takes the full 55 minutes.
• Cool cake for 10 minutes before removing the sides of the springform pan. For neat slices and best flavor, cool cake completely at room temperature before serving.

BIG DADDY'S CAKE

Steps:

• 1. Adjust a rack one-third up from the bottom of the oven and preheat to 350°. Very generously butter a 10-inch bundt pan (even if it has a non-stick finish). Coarsely break up half the pecans and set them aside. Chop the remaining pecans finely (or use the pre-chopped pecans sold in the baking aisle). Pieces should be about the size of rice. Reserve a few tablespoons of chopped nuts for garnish. Place the finely chopped nuts in the buttered pan, then turn the pan and shake it to coat it completely with nuts. Allow the excess nuts to stay in the bottom of the pan. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt, and set aside. Melt the chocolate with the coffee in the top of a double boiler. (See sidebar for detailed instructions if you've never used a double boiler.) Remove from heat and whisk briskly with a small wire whisk until smooth, then whisk in cream until it is fully incorporated and the mixture is once again smooth. Set aside. Beat the butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until soft and smooth, then beat in vanilla and Amaretto (or almond extract) and sugar and beat for an additional 2 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time. Beat in milk, then gradually add dry ingredients, beating on low speed. Note: after adding the milk, and even after adding dry ingredients, batter will have a curdled appearance. That's fine. Turn batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Drag a large spoon around the center of the batter to form a trench about 1/2" deep and 1 1/2" wide. Spoon the chocolate mixture into the trench, making sure it doesn't touch the sides or the tube. Sprinkle the reserved coarsely broken pecans all over the top of the batter (they can touch the sides). The fudge trench will sink while baking and disappear from the surface of the batter. Bake for 50 minutes, then cover loosely with foil and bake another 15 minutes, or until a long wooden skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. During baking, a big crack will form in the center where the trench was. Cool 20 minutes. Then cover it with a large, flat plate and invert and remove bundt pan. If it doesn't come off on its own, you can re-invert it and very carefully loosen the cake from the pan with a flexible blade. Be very careful or the pecan crust will break away from the cake. While the cake is cooling, use the chocolate bowl over the double boiler to melt the glaze ingredients until smooth. Pour over the top of the cake, allowing the glaze to run down the sides unevenly. Serve at room temperature.

OLD FASHIONED COFFEE CAKE WITH CINNAMON-STREUSEL TOPPING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish; set aside.
• Prepare cinnamon layer by stirring brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon together in a small bowl until well combined; set aside.
• Prepare streusel topping by combining brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl. Add butter and stir with a fork until mixture is crumbly; set aside.
• Prepare cake by whisking together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
• Beat sugar and butter in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl, then turn the mixer on low speed and beat in eggs until well blended. Gradually mix in flour mixture and milk. Add sour cream and vanilla and beat for 30 seconds.
• Pour 1/2 of the batter into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the cinnamon layer over the batter, then pour the remaining batter over top. Spread streusel topping evenly over the cake, pressing very lightly so it adheres to the batter.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before serving, about 30 minutes.