Tuscan Coffeecake

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Tuscan Coffeecake

star rating (17) rate this recipe »
Published prior to 2008

I developed this recipe after enjoying a wonderful yeast-raised Tuscan-style coffeecake at Pane E Salute, a lovely Italian bakery in Woodstock, Vermont. This high-rising yeasted coffeecake is surprisingly tender. The sugar topping drizzled on top before baking gives it a pretty, crunchy sugar glaze. And, unlike American-style coffeecakes, this isn’t super-sweet; the glaze on top, and the fruit inside, are a wonderful complement to the bread itself, which truly isn’t sweet at all. My son, an avowed hater of desserts and all things sweet, finds this a palatable substitute for birthday cake.

Follow our step-by-step photos for making this coffeecake at 
our blog, Baking Banter. 


STARTER
1 cup King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/2 cup cool water
1/16 teaspoon instant yeast

Mix the starter ingredients in a small (about 1-quart) bowl, and let rest overnight at room temperature.

DOUGH
all of the starter
2/3 cup water
2 3/4 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1 large egg
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 1/4 teaspoons salt

FILLING
1 cup toasted walnuts, very coarsely chopped
3/4 cup chopped dates
3/4 cup raisins, golden preferred

TOPPING
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon water

Combine the dough ingredients, mixing and kneading to form a smooth, supple dough. It’ll be very slack; for this reason, I suggest kneading in a bread machine, or with a mixer, rather than by hand. Place the dough in a bowl, and let it rise about 1 hour. It may not double in bulk; that’s OK.

Gently deflate the dough, and knead the nuts and fruit into it. Shape the dough into a flat ball, and place it in a 9-inch round cake pan. Cover the pan with a proof cover or lightly greased plastic wrap, and allow the loaf to rise for 30 minutes, or till it barely crests over the top of the pan.

Combine the sugar, vanilla and water, and drizzle this mixture over the top of the risen coffeecake. Bake it in a preheated 350°F oven for 35 minutes, or until it’s golden brown and the internal temperature registers 190°F. Remove it from the oven, and after 5 minutes, carefully turn it out of the pan. Allow it to cool on a rack. Yield: 1 cake, about 8 to 10 servings.

www.BakingCircle.com
December 30, 2003

Reviews

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  • star rating 01/16/2012
  • kaf-sub-twobits52 from KAF Community
  • I Cooked this recipe and subed fruit cake mix and almonds. Gave to several and they all enjoyed saying they like it and the sugar content was what set this apart. I am new to baking and the recipes are great!!
  • star rating 11/18/2011
  • kristigoldston from KAF Community
  • I used the recipe on the flour bag, added dried apricots and received rave reviews. Made French toast with the last dribble of leftovers and drooled over each bite.
  • star rating 11/18/2011
  • kristigoldston from KAF Community
  • I used the recipe on the flour bag, added dried apricots and received rave reviews. Made French toast with the last dribble of leftovers and drooled over each bite.
  • star rating 12/06/2010
  • afalco4224 from KAF Community
  • ...can I let this rise overnight in the refrigerator...then bake in the am? So if I mix it all...pan it and let it rise slowly --let come to room temp then bake?
    Yes. Give it a try. Frank @ KAF.
  • star rating 10/24/2010
  • tlcookman from KAF Community
  • I just finished baking the bread, and everyone loved it - four out of four! I used my own starter along with walnuts, cranberries, apricots, blueberries and prunes. I also doubled the sugar to four tablespoons. I will make it again, and look forward to trying it toasted! I think it would make wonderful Christmas gifts. Thanks for the recipe.
  • star rating 06/27/2010
  • Judy from Windermere, FL
  • Fabulous - I made this recipe exactly as directed without altering the ingredients in any way. I used my bread machine to knead the dough and let it rest for 1 hour still in the machine, then I started the kneading cycle to add the fruit and nuts and let it knead for about 5 minutes before I removed it to the cake pan. We LOVED this - it's sort of a cross between a sweet bread and coffee cake. We will have this again and again...
  • star rating 02/27/2010
  • Karen R from Locust Grove, VA
  • I too was looking for directions on how to prepare this bread in a bread machine. Thanks for the tip, Molly, on adding a little less yeast. It worked great - the bread is delicious.
  • star rating 01/17/2010
  • Louise from New York
  • I've made this coffee cake with the recipe on this site and then with the recipe on the back of the Artisan Flour bag. This recipe was very dense and heavy and did not rise while the recipe on the flour bag (no starter) was much lighter. We love this bread!
  • star rating 12/10/2009
  • Donna from Georgia
  • I made this in my bread machine with the raisin setting (it beeps when to add fruit & nuts). It rose over the top of the pan but didn't quite push open the top (which has happened to me before). I used dried cherries instead of dates and pecans instead of walnuts becuse that's what I had at hand, and it was delicious. I think it will make excellent toast when it's "aged" a little. I will definitely make it again--next time I think I'll half the recipe for my machine--the only problem there is half an egg, but it probably won't hurt to put the whole thing in there.
    Try decreasing the yeast by a quarter, that will help the overrising. Molly @ KAF
  • star rating 12/07/2009
  • Cathy Breit from Wisconsin
  • Made this a day ago and love it! I subbed in my sourdough starter for the starter in the recipe(as my starter was already at the same hydration) Lovely results! added dates, apricots, dried cranberries and shaped into two eight inch pans for slightly smaller breads. , and walnuts...Pretty crumb and nice rise! browned perfectly! I loved that this was a festive bread without being so overly sweet. Just the wholesome goodness of fruit and nuts.
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