Christmas Coffee Cake Ring
This coffee cake recipe is all dressed up for the holidays with spices, candied fruit, and walnuts.
Recipe sponsored by Red Star Yeast.
What do you make for breakfast Christmas morning?
I usually obsess about it for weeks. Should I make something sweet or savory? Do I do something complicated and prep it the night before, or keep it simple to whip it up that morning? Pancakes or french toast? Bacon or sausage?
So many options.
This yeast Christmas Coffee Cake is a great option, and deserves your consideration for the big morning this year. It’s filled with cinnamon and nutmeg, nuts and candied fruit. I chose to use candied cherries, pineapple and golden raisins, thought what you use can be completely up to you.
It’s a delightful cross between a sweet bread and a traditional coffee cake, and it’s sure to please everyone come Christmas morning.
Christmas Coffee Cake Ring
Ingredients
- ¼ cup unsalted butter (56 grams)
- 1 cup whole milk (237 ml)
- 2 ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast (7 grams, 1 envelope)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (50 grams)
- 1 large egg
- 3 ½ cup all-purpose flour (420 grams)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup candied fruit (150 grams)
- â…“ cup walnuts , chopped (43 grams)
For the glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar , sifted (227 grams)
- 2 tablespoons milk
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
- Heat the butter and milk in a small saucepan over low heat until butter is melted. Remove and cool for about 5 minutes, until 120-130°F. Pour mixture into a large bowl and add the yeast, sugar and egg.
- Mix in 1 ½ cups of the flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, candied fruit and walnuts. Add the remaining flour 1 cup at a time, mixing after each addition until incorporated. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set in a warm place. Let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a rectangle. Starting with a long end, roll it up tightly. Place rolled dough on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and shape into a ring.
- Use a sharp knife to make cuts two-thirds of the way into the dough every 2 inches. Twist each section so that it lies parallel to the sheet pan. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled again, about 30-45 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake coffee cake until golden brown, about 25-30 minutes. Let cool.
- To make the icing, stir together the sifted powdered sugar, milk and almond extract. Drizzle over cooled cake. Garnish the cake with additional candied fruit and walnuts.
Notes
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Red Star Yeast. All opinions are my own, as always. Thank you for supporting partnerships with brands I believe in, making it easier to bring you more great recipes like this one.
Hi If I use 1 percent milk is that ok for this coffee cake? You mention whole milk but was wondering if 1 percent would make a big difference
You can use 1%, but since it has a lot less flavor and fat it can affect the outcome of the cake. More fat means a richer, softer and more flavorful yeasted cake, which is why whole milk is listed here and in other similar recipes. I haven’t tested using 1% milk myself to say how big of a difference it will make. If you try it, I’d love to hear how it turns out!
I am a big fan of Christmas and I can say that now for me there are a few constant things for this holiday, namely your holiday recipes and the fantastic drama “A Christmas Carol”.
I made this coffee cake yesterday as a between Christmas and New Year’s treat. My final result looks beautiful, like yours. It is a little bigger than I expected, but that’s great. I needed to put it on my 11.5″ round plate.
I followed your recipe and instructions exactly, except used candied cherries, candied orange peel, and dark seedless raisins with walnuts. That combo is yummy, too, and looks pretty. See mine at https://m.imgur.com/a/GM5cVys
The amount of spices and sugar in the recipe is just perfect to my taste, along with the candied fruit, but I find it slightly dry, despite baking it no longer than indicated. My husband thinks that’s fine, but I might add a bit more butter with a little less milk the next time. I did use whole milk. That is important, I think.
Thanks for the lovely recipe!
I’m sorry, I included the wrong photo link. I’m sure no one is interested in my spice cabinet. Whoops! ? The photo of my completed coffee cake is here: https://imgur.com/a/356Esk9
Does the yeast need to be proofed before adding to egg, sugar, etc?
Hi Christine! You do not need to proof the yeast first, the warm water mixture is plenty warm enough to activate it when you add it all together. I learned this method from the experts at Red Star Yeast (learn more if you like) – so much easier!
Is that 1.4 t cinnamon or 1/4 t cinnamon?
1/4 teaspoon, thanks for catching my type-o!
HUGE HUGE HUGE fan of coffee cake. This one is a beauty!
I am all over this! Yum!
Yum. I can not think of anything better than this fruit loaf and a warm morning coffee. Thank you for the shaping tips!