Danish Coffee Cake

Name: Danish Coffee Cake
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 3 coffee cakes (6 servings each).
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

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

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.
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.
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.
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.

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Originally published as Danish Coffee Cake in Reminisce January/February 2001

Reviews

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Average Rating:

lisa

Aug 9, 2019

I loved how easy this was. The base pastry was tender and flaky and the topping a bit custard-like. I used sliced almonds send almond extract in the icing. It was delicate and delicious. Next time I may pipe a ribbon of seedless raspberry jam.
CookingjoyHumboldt

Jan 9, 2016

I thought I had lost this recipe till I went through my TOH recipe box. Our church has a predominantly Danish heritage. I made this for coffee hour and everyone raved about it and said it brought back memories. It is easy to make and all age groups liked it. I highly recommend it.