Rich Coffee Cake Dough Recipe

Directions:

1. Note: The finished cakes made from this dough freeze beautifully, so we like to make the full amount of dough, bake two smaller cakes (as the smaller pieces of dough are easier to work with), and freeze one for later. You can use the full quantity of dough to make one large cake if you prefer (increase the baking time to 35 to 40 minutes if you go this route), or the recipe can be halved, as it must be if you opt to mix the dough in a food processor rather than a standing mixer. Between rising, shaping, and proofing, preparing these cakes is time-consuming, though not at all labor-intensive. An early morning start will let you make, rise, shape, proof, and bake the dough all in one day. Alternatively, you can refrigerate the shaped, proofed loaf overnight and bake it the next morning for breakfast.
2. 1. Sprinkle yeast over warm water in bowl of standing mixer fitted with paddle; stir to dissolve. With mixer set on lowest possible speed, mix in sugar, eggs, milk, and vanilla until well combined. Add 3 1/4 cups flour and salt, mixing at low speed until flour is incorporated, about 1 minute. Increase mixer speed to medium-low and add butter pieces one at a time, beating until incorporated, about 20 seconds after each addition (total mixing time should be about 5 minutes). Replace paddle with dough hook and add remaining 1 cup flour; beat at medium-low speed until soft and smooth, about 5 minutes longer. Increase speed to medium and beat until dough tightens up slightly, about 2 minutes longer.
3. 2. Scrape dough (which will be too soft to pick up with hands) into straight-sided plastic container or bowl using plastic dough scraper. Cover container tightly with plastic wrap and let dough rise at warm room temperature until doubled in size, 3 to 4 hours. Punch dough down, replace plastic, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 4 or up to 24 hours. Alternatively, for a quick chill, spread dough about 1-inch thick on baking sheet, cover with plastic, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, about 2 hours.
4. 3. For the egg wash: Beat egg and cream or milk in small bowl until combined. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.
5. 4. For the streusel topping (optional): Mix brown and granulated sugars, flour, cinnamon, and salt in small bowl. Add butter; toss to coat. Pinch butter chunks and dry mixture between fingertips until mixture is crumbly. Chill thoroughly before using. (Can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 2 weeks).
6. 5. For the icing (optional): Whisk all ingredients in medium bowl until smooth. (Can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 1 week. Thin with a few drops of milk before using, if necessary.)
7. 6. For the filling: Beat cream cheese, sugar, flour, and salt with hand-held electric mixer or in workbowl of standing mixer fitted with paddle at high speed until smooth, 2 to 4 minutes. Add lemon zest, egg, and vanilla; reduce beater speed to medium and continue beating, scraping down sides of bowl at least once, until incorporated, about 1 minute. Scrape mixture into small bowl and chill thoroughly before using. (Can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 3 days).
8. 7. For the cakes: Turn chilled dough, scraping container sides with rubber spatula if necessary, onto lightly floured work surface. Roll, shape, and top or fill following illustrations for Lattice Top or Twisted Coil cakes.
9. 8. Cover loosely with plastic wrap on parchment-covered baking sheet and let cakes rise until slightly puffed (will not increase in volume as dramatically as a leaner bread dough), about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. (After this final rise, unbaked cakes can be refrigerated overnight and baked the next morning.)
10. 9. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Working with and baking one coffee cake at a time, brush Egg Wash evenly on exposed dough. Sprinkle evenly with streusel topping, if using. Slide baking sheet onto a second baking sheet to prevent bottom crust from overbrowning and bake until deep golden brown and/or an instant-read thermometer inserted in center of cake registers 190 degrees, 25 to 30 minutes. Slide parchment with coffee cake onto rack and cool at least 20 minutes. Drizzle icing over cake, if using, and serve
11. Notes: Coffee Cakes - Lattice Top
12. 1. Working with a half recipe of cold dough at a time, shape dough into a 5-by-6-inch rectangle, then roll into an 8-by-12-inch rectangle (dough should be about 1/3-inch thick). Straighten with a pastry scraper to keep the sides even.
13. 2. Place on a prepared pan. Spread a 3-inch-wide strip of filling down the center of the dough, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border at each short end.
14. 3. Using a knife, cut a 1 1/2-inch square out of each corner of the dough.
15. 4. Using scissors, cut a triangle with 1 1/2-inch sides in the center of each long side of the dough. Cut two more triangles (leaving a 1-inch strip of dough between each triangle) to the right and two to the left of the center triangle. Set aside dough scraps. Repeat with second long side.
16. 5. Fold the ends over the filling, pinching the corner edges together to seal.
17. 6. Bring the sections of dough from the long sides together in the center, overlapping the ends and pinching tightly to secure.
18. 7. Cover lightly with plastic and proof until slightly puffed, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle streusel topping down the center, leaving a 1-inch border down each side. Bake as directed.