Valentine Coffee Cake Recipes

EASY VALENTINE'S DAY CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8x8-inch square pan and an 8-inch round pan.
• Beat white sugar and 1 cup butter together in a bowl with an electric mixer until creamy and smooth. Mix eggs, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, and almond extract into creamed butter mixture. Stir baking powder and baking soda into butter mixture until just combined.
• Stir 1 cup flour into butter mixture until just combined. Add 2/3 cup milk into butter-flour mixture; mix well. Continue adding 1 cup flour and 2/3 cup milk, alternating until all the flour and milk are used and batter is smooth. Pour batter into the 2 prepared pans.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes. Cool cakes completely before removing from pans, at least 2 hours.
• Beat confectioners' sugar, 1 cup butter, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract together in a bowl with an electric mixer until icing is fluffy and smooth.
• Remove cakes from pans and slice round cake in half. Lay the square cake on a work surface so it resembles a diamond-shape. Lay 1 round cake half on the top left side of the 'diamond' cake. Lay the second round cake half on the top right side of the 'diamond' cake, creating a 'heart-shaped' cake on top. Spread icing over the assembled cake.

VALENTINE COFFEE CAKE

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine 1-1/2 cups flour, sugar, salt and yeast. Heat milk, water and 4 tablespoons butter to 120°-130°. Gradually add to dry ingredients; beat on medium for 2 minutes. Add eggs and 1/2 cup flour; beat on high for 2 minutes. By hand, add enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. , Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. , Punch dough down. Divide in half. Roll each half into a 26-in. x 8-in. rectangle. Melt remaining butter; brush over dough. Combine filling ingredients; sprinkle over butter. Roll up jelly-roll style form long end; pinch to seal. Place seam side down on greased nonstick baking sheets or baking sheets lined with parchment. Shape each roll into heart; seal ends. Cut from outer edge two-thirds through cake every 1 in. and turn each section out. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour. , Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes or until golden. Remove immediately from baking sheets to wire racks. Cool completely; remove parchment if used. For glaze, cream sugar and butter. Stir in milk and vanilla until smooth. Drizzle over hearts.

COFFEE COFFEE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray and line with parchment a 9-by-9-inch baking pan; spray the parchment as well.
• For the crumb topping: In a medium bowl, mix the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, instant coffee powder and salt. Add the melted butter and mix until crumbs form that you can clump together in your hand. Set aside.
• For the cake: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and cardamom. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the coffee and sour cream until smooth.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until each is well combined. Then add the vanilla extract and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.
• Starting and ending with the dry ingredients, alternate adding the flour mixture and the coffee mixture to the stand mixer; mix each addition well, scraping the bowl each additions.
• Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and top with crumb topping, spreading it evenly. Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
• Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool for 20 to 30 minutes before cutting and serving.

VALENTINE COFFEE CAKE

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the milk, yeast, and 1 tablespoon of the sugar. Let stand for 5 minutes until the yeast foams. Whisk in the salt and egg. Set aside.
• Measure the flour into a large mixing bowl or into the work bowl of a food processor. Cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
• Pour the liquid ingredients over the flour mixture. Mix lightly with a fork or use short pulses if using the food processor, until the flour is just moistened. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours or up to 2 days.
• When you're ready to shape the cake (you can shape the coffee cake, cover, refrigerate overnight, and bake it in the morning; or you can shape it, let it rise, and then bake it), remove the dough from the refrigerator.
• Lightly grease a baking sheet or cover with parchment paper.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll it out to make a 15 inch circle about 1/3 inch thick. To fill the cake, brush with the melted butter. Mix the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and sprinkle over the dough. Sprinkle with the nuts.
• Roll up jelly roll fashion. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Fold the roll in half so that one half is on top of the other. Seal the open ends together. With a sharp knife, make a cut from the folded end lengthwise down the center of the roll, cutting from the top roll through to the bottom to within 2 inches of the sealed end. In so doing the folded end of the roll will separate out to form the two lobes of a heart shape. Spread out the two sides to expose the filling.
• Let rise, lightly covered, until puffy, about 45 minutes, or cover and refrigerate over night. If refrigerated, remove from the refrigerator 1 hour before baking so that the coffee cake can rise and come to room temperature.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until light brown. Remove and cool on a wire rack.
• In a small bowl, combine the icing ingredients. Drizzle over the warm coffee cake.
• Makes 1 heart shaped coffee cake.
• B. Ojakangas' Great Holiday Baking Book.