Danish Coffee Cake

Total Time

Prep: 30 min. Bake: 30 min. + cooling

Makes

3 coffee cakes (6 servings each)

Updated: Oct. 15, 2022
My mother gave me this recipe when I was a teenager - it's something I treasure as a childhood memory. She made this tender, flaky pastry as part of a special breakfast on Sundays or holidays. I often bring these easy-to-fix pastries to ladies' meetings. They can't believe how good they taste with relatively few ingredients. -Lee Deneau, Lansing, Michigan

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
  • 1 cup cold butter, divided
  • 2 tablespoons plus 1 cup water, divided
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3 eggs
  • ICING:
  • 2 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons water
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

  1. Place 1 cup flour in a large bowl, cut 1/2 cup butter into flour until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons water; toss with a fork until mixture forms a ball. Divide into thirds. On a floured surface, roll each portion into a 9-in. x 6-in. rectangle. Place on greased baking sheets; set aside.
  2. In a saucepan, bring salt and remaining butter and water to a boil. Add remaining flour all at once; stir until a smooth ball forms. Remove from the heat; let stand for 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue beating until mixture is smooth and shiny.
  3. Spread over the dough. Bake at 400° for 30 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.
  4. For icing, combine the butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla and enough water to achieve desired consistency. Spread over warm coffee cakes. Sprinkle with walnuts. Store in the refrigerator.

Nutrition Facts

1 piece: 224 calories, 14g fat (7g saturated fat), 66mg cholesterol, 159mg sodium, 21g carbohydrate (10g sugars, 1g fiber), 3g protein.