Meringue Filled Coffee Cake

The weather here in Scotland is so dreary today that I'm not motivated to go to far from the flat. So, I thought, why not give another Daring Baker's challenge a go. After browsing through old challenges, I settled on one from March 2011: Meringue Coffee Cake. Basically I choose this recipe because I had all of the ingredients on hand and didn't have to go out to the grocery store haha And, this cake looks pretty. I like pretty baked goods.

Let's get started.

What you'll need: 

For the Coffee Cake Dough

1/2 cup all purpose flour

2 Tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/8 tsp dried active yeast

2 Tbsp water (doesn't matter what temperature; I used cool water)

5 Tbsp whole milk

1/4 salted butter 

1 egg

For the Filling

1/2 cup chopped nuts (pecans, walnuts; I used hazelnuts)

1 Tbsp sugar

1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 cup chopped chocolate (I used semi-sweet)

For the Meringue

1 1/2 egg whites 

1/8 tsp salt

1/4 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup sugar

Egg Wash

1 beaten egg

In a large mixing bowl, combine 3/4 cup of the flour, the sugar, salt, and yeast, and stir with a wooden spoon. 

In a small saucepan, combine the milk, water, and butter over medium heat until warm and the butter is melted.

Now, using an electric mixer, gradually add the warm wet mixture to the dry mixture. Beat on low speed until well blended. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat the mixture for another 2 minutes. 

Add the eggs and 1/2 cup of the flour. Beat the mixture on medium speed for 2 more minutes.

Now, use a wooden spoon to stir in the remaining flour (3/4 cup). I kept adding flour gradually. It should form a dough that holds together and is no longer sticky. Put the dough onto a floured surface and knead with your hands for 8-10 minutes. Add additional flour as needed. Eventually your dough should be soft and smooth. 

Lightly grease a bowl with oil (I used olive oil). Place the ball of dough into the bowl and coat all sides with oil. Cover the bowl with saran-wrap and place a tea towel over the bowl. The original recipe said to let the dough rise for 45-60 minutes until the dough has doubled in size; however, it actually took my dough ~1 1/2 hours to double in size. 

While the dough is rising, you can prepare the filling. In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon and sugar. Measure out the nuts and chopped chocolate, and place in a separate bowl. Alternatively, you can mix everything together in one bowl, but I decided to put the sugar mixture and nuts/chocolate on separately. 

Once the dough has doubled in size, you can make the meringue. In a small mixing bowl, beat the egg whites and salt on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to high speed and beat until the mixture is foamy and opaque. Add in the vanilla then gradually add in the sugar while continuing to beat the mixture. The meringue is done when stiff, glossy peaks have formed. 

Now, the fun part: assembling the coffee cake. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper 

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a 20 x 10 inch rectangle. Spread the meringue over the rectangle of dough so that it extends evenly across the dough (keep 1/2 inch from the edges clear of the meringue). Sprinkle the filling over the meringue. I alternated between the sugar mixture and the nut/chocolate mixture.

Once you have spread the meringue and filling onto the dough, roll up the dough into a log. Start from one of the long sides. Pinch the seam to closed to seal. Place the log of dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. The seam should be facing down. Seal the two ends of the log together so that it forms a ring. I found that it worked good when I tucked one end into the other and then lightly pinch the dough together so that it was sealed. 

Use a knife or kitchen scissors to make cuts along the outside edge of the dough ring. These cuts should occur at ~1 inch intervals.

Cover the coffee cake with saran-wrap and allow it to rise again for 45-60 minutes. 

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Beat the egg with a splash of cream (if you have it on hand), and brush onto the coffee cake. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the coffee cake is risen and golden brown. Cool the coffee cake on a wire rack. If you like, you can dust the coffee cake with icing sugar and/or cocoa powder.

Enjoy warm —I had two warm slices and they were delicious :)