Coffee Cake #2

This old-fashioned yeast coffee cake belongs to a tradition that predates the boxed-mix era by a century. Where modern coffee cakes use baking powder for fast lift, this one relies on yeast for fermentation, which gives the finished cake a tender, slightly chewy crumb closer to brioche than to pound cake.

The payoff is a richer, more complex flavor that’s worth the wait.

The scalded milk technique is the procedural detail that makes a real difference. Heating the milk to just below boiling denatures the whey proteins, which would otherwise weaken the gluten structure and produce a heavier, denser bread.

Pouring the hot milk over the sugar, flour, and salt also begins activating the gluten before the yeast even joins the party. Once cooled to lukewarm, the yeast (dissolved separately in warm water) gets stirred in to begin its slow rise.

The topping is the showstopper: heavy cream mixed with sugar and cinnamon gets spooned over the risen dough just before baking. As the cake bakes, the cream sets into a custardy, almost cheesecake-like layer on top, while the cinnamon sugar caramelizes into a fragrant crust.

Pro Tips

• Use a thermometer for the scalded milk: 180°F (82°C) is hot enough to denature whey proteins without curdling.
• Cool the scalded milk to between 105°F (40°C) and 115°F (46°C) before adding the dissolved yeast. Hot milk kills yeast.
• Apply the cream topping just before baking, not after the rise. Doing it earlier deflates the dough.
• Best eaten the same day. The custardy topping softens overnight.

Variations

• Sprinkle pecans or walnuts over the cinnamon sugar topping for extra texture.
• Add a half teaspoon of cardamom to the cinnamon for a Scandinavian-style coffee cake.
• Stir a quarter cup of plumped raisins or dried cranberries into the dough before the second rise.