Traditional Coffee Cake

Submitted by Lavender Lynn

"This recipe is from my MIL. This is a yeast bread (German name: Schneeben) she has been making for all her family for years. It is loved by one and all. This has been passed down for at least 3 generations. The original recipe was some of this and some of that, and hands-on instruction to "add until it looks like this". It's been revised by my DH after a helpful review and some experimentation."

 

• Ready In: 3hrs 45mins
• Ingredients: 14
• Yields: 5 loaves

ingredients

• 3 cups milk
• 1 cup shortening
• 2 tablespoons yeast
• 1 cup water, lukewarm
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 10 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 1 1⁄2 cups sugar
• 2 tablespoons orange rind or 2 tablespoons lemon rind
• 1 cup raisins
• 1⁄4 cup butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1⁄4 cup sugar

directions

1. Scald milk and shortening. To do this, bring milk almost to a boil over low-medium heat and then stir in the shortening to melt it. Set aside to cool until lukewarm.
2. Dissolve yeast in lukewarm water and add 1 T sugar.
3. When yeast is foamy and the milk is lukewarm add the yeast mixture to the milk.
4. Add 4 C flour and salt.
5. Beat well, cover and set in warm place until double in size. It should be the texture of thick pancake batter. (This is a step in old recipes known as the sponge, used to cultivate the yeast.).
6. Punch Down. Add beaten eggs, 1&1/2 C Sugar, raisins, and orange rind.
7. Add just enough flour, approx 4-5 Cups, to make soft dough just stiff enough to knead.(this is a judgement call about how much is enough).
8. Knead for at least 5 minutes, using remaining flour to coat surfaces until dough becomes elastic enough to handle (might need a little more).
9. Let rise until double again and punch down.
10. Make into five round loaves and put into greased pie pans.
11. Spread with melted butter on top and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar mixture.
12. Let rise again.
13. Bake @375 degrees F for 35 min or until done. If it browns too quickly, turn oven down to 300 F midway through baking.
14. When cool, slice 1/2 inch thick to serve. Great toasted!
15. Same dough recipe without citrus rind makes good cinnamon rolls.

Reviews

[CulinaryQueen]

Photo Tag 2007 ~ I'm only giving this 3 stars as I had a heck of a time with it. I halved the recipe because I only wanted one cake, but I think the ratio of liquid to flour is a bit off as I didn't have a dough, but had liquid for the first rising, which obviously did not rise at all, but it did foam. In step 7 it says to add more flour to form a stiff dough. I must have added about 3 cups flour to get it to the right consistency and probably should have added a bit more. It did rise nicely once I had enough flour in it and it came out pretty good from the oven, although I think I should have baked it a bit longer as the bottom center seems a bit underdone. Would like to try this again with the corrected measurements. Sorry, but thanks Lynn.