Bavarian Potato Coffee Cake

If you eat coffee cake at, say, 1 (or 3) in the afternoon…does that still count as “brunch”? Or is it just the most delicious snack ever?

I don’t think there’s ever an end to brunch time, but even if you do, this coffee cake makes a killer afternoon snack with a cup of tea or coffee or even dessert, warmed up a little.

bavarian brunch cake 2

This is another Dixie Crystals recipe I’ve been working on, making and updating from some of their older cookbooks and from my first bite, I was hooked.

This isn’t like any other coffee cake I’ve ever had. First of all, the dough has yeast in it, so you get that incredible flavor that you only get when you bake with yeast. Second, it’s layered and filled with melted butter and sugar and almonds and dried fruit, topped with more, baked, and then topped with a layer of whipped cream (crazy) that gets baked into a crispy shell on top.

I don’t even know how to describe that top layer of baked cream except that it’s like heaven spread on the top of your coffee cake.

bavarian brunch cake 1

I’ve already made this cake a few times – one for us, once for a shower at work – and there have been requests for it again soon.

I thought I loved coffee cakes and brunch cakes already, but this one….it just can’t even be compared to a regular old coffee cake. Maybe we need a new category for this? That might be the best idea.

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Bavarian Potato Coffee Cake
Makes: 16 servings

Ingredients:

  • 1 envelope active dry yeast
  • 2 tablespoons firmly packed Dixie Crystals Dark Brown Sugar
  • 1/2 cup lukewarm milk
  • 1 cup mashed Russet potato (loosely packed, about 1/3 pound, cooled to a lukewarm temperature)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 and 3/4 – 3 cups all purpose flour, plus flour for kneading
  • 2 ounces slivered almonds
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons dried cherries
  • 1 cup firmly packed Dixie Crystals Dark Brown Sugar
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2 cup dried apricots

Directions:

  1. Sprinkle yeast and 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar over the warm milk. Stir together and allow  mixture to sit until bubbly, 3-4 minutes. Beat together yeast mixture, mashed potato, salt, butter and egg.
  2. Gradually add flour and knead (with a mixer or your hands) on a lightly floured surface until dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Turn dough into a large greased bowl, cover and allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1-2 hours. Punch dough down, cover and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight, if desired.
  3. Grease a 10-inch springform pan. Divide dough in half and press one half lightly into prepared pan. Sprinkle dough with half of almonds and 2 tablespoons of dried cherries. Combine remaining 1 cup of dark brown sugar with melted butter and sprinkle half of this mixture over almonds and cherries.
  4. Top with remaining dough, almonds, 2 tablespoons of dried cherries and remaining brown sugar and butter mixture. Let cake stand, covered, at room temperature for 30 minutes.
  5. Preheat oven to 350°F and place pan over a piece of foil (to catch any drips). Bake cake, uncovered for 35 minutes. Beat heavy cream with vanilla until firm and spread whipped cream over the top of  cake. Arrange dried apricots and rest of dried cherries over cream and bake for another 15 minutes or until golden brown on top. Serve warm.

7 comments

  1. The description of this cake had my mouth watering! This looks SO good!!

  2. Yum!!! Loving this. Perfect for mothers day!

  3. This looks so delicious. Great for a Mother’s Day brunch! I am going to have to point my husband to this post and hint about it big-time! :)

  4. POTATO COFFEE CAKE??/ WHAT THE WHAT.

  5. brunch, lunch, whatever, I want this! I’ve never had a potato coffee cake. How interesting.

  6. Oh my, I love coffee cake :) this one looks fabulous!

  7. This cake sounds incredible!

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