Shabbat Coffee Cake with Red Wine-Soaked Prunes
- Level: Easy
- Yield: 12 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 12 servings
- Calories
- 618
- Total Fat
- 22
- Saturated Fat
- 13
- Carbohydrates
- 98
- Dietary Fiber
- 1
- Sugar
- 46
- Protein
- 7
- Cholesterol
- 85
- Sodium
- 329
- Total: 3 hr 15 min (includes cooling time)
- Active: 1 hr
Ingredients
Prunes:
10 ounces pitted prunes
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 cups dry red wine
1 cinnamon stick, optional
Streusel Topping:
1 1/2 cups (190 grams) all-purpose flour, such as King Arthur
3/4 cup (140 grams) packed dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
8 tablespoons (114 grams) unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cake:
8 tablespoons (114 grams) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
2 1/4 cups (273 grams) all-purpose flour, such as King Arthur
2 teaspoons (8 grams) baking powder
1/2 teaspoon (3 grams) baking soda
1 teaspoon (3 grams) kosher salt, such as Diamond Crystal (if using Morton’s, use 1/2 teaspoon)
1 1/2 cups (281 grams) granulated sugar
1 tablespoon (11 grams) vanilla extract
Seeds of 1 vanilla pod
2 large eggs
1 1/3 cups (304 grams) full-fat sour cream
3 tablespoons powdered sugar, to garnish
Directions
Special equipment:
a 9-inch springform pan- For the prunes: In a small pot, combine the prunes, granulated sugar, wine and cinnamon stick if using. Bring it to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the wine reduces by about a quarter and the mixture becomes syrupy, 15 to 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the prunes cool to room temperature. Transfer to a container, cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to make the cake. (You can do this up to a week ahead of time and keep them chilled until ready to use.)
- For the streusel topping: Combine the flour, dark brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in a mixing bowl. Break up any lumps of sugar with your hands, and then mix to evenly distribute all the ingredients. Add the melted butter and vanilla, and with a fork, gently mix the mixture together until large crumbles form. Use your hands and continue to gently mix until the topping is in crumbled bits ranging in size from a small marble to a lentil. Cover and place the streusel in the refrigerator to chill while you mix the cake.
- For the cake: Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line a 9-inch springform pan with a circle of parchment paper and then butter the bottom and sides with 1 tablespoon of the softened butter. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and baking soda. Mix in the salt and set aside.
- In another mixing bowl, cream together the remaining 7 tablespoons of butter with the granulated sugar, vanilla extract and vanilla seeds. I like to do this with a large, stiff spatula, or a wooden spoon, beating the mixture for 2 minutes. Add the eggs and mix to fully combine. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the butter mixture, and gently fold them together until uniform. Last, add the sour cream and gently fold it through the batter until just combined. A few streaks is ok; you don’t want to overmix it.
- Remove the prunes from the red wine syrup, straining off the liquid. Save the liquid for later! It’s great drizzled on fruit or ice cream. Roughly chop the prunes and set aside.
- Transfer half of the batter to the prepared pan, and smooth it out into an even layer with a spatula. Add the chopped prunes in an even layer and then cover with the remaining batter, smoothing it out into an even layer. Remove the streusel from the fridge and gently break up any large clusters with your hands. Top the cake with the streusel crumbles in an even layer.
- Bake until set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with just a few moist crumbs, 50 to 55 minutes.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan on a heatproof surface for at least 1 hour. Release the outer ring of the springform pan, running a butter knife around the edges if the cake seems to stick in any areas. I like to leave the cake on the bottom round of the pan for easy serving.
- Place the coffee cake on a serving platter or cake stand and using a small, fine strainer, dust the powdered sugar all over the top of the cake. Slice and enjoy. Shabbat Shalom!
Cook’s Note
Save the syrup from the prunes — it’s delicious! You can make the streusel the day before, cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to top the cake.