For brunch, the girls and I made a crumb coffee cake flavored with chestnut purée, and a streusel topping made with cinnamon and brown sugar for a rich, caramel flavor. Buttermilk gives a moist texture to the coffee cake; the result was just divine. Chestnut may not be a common flavor for coffee cake, but I guarantee that after tasting it, you’ll be hooked.
I served the coffee cake with a big pot of masala chai. We all enjoyed ourselves. Hope your weekend is as relaxing and peaceful as ours!
1. Info for Chestnut Crumb Coffee Cake
- Cook Time: unavailable
- Total Time: unavailable
- Servings: 10
- Calories: unavailable
2. Ingredients for Chestnut Crumb Coffee Cake
- 2-½ tablespoons brown sugar
- 7 tablespoons walnut powder (see tips)
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon extract (or ground cinnamon)
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 eggs
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon rum extract
- 1-½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup potato flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1-¼ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 8-½ tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ cup canola oil (or any neutral oil)
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 1 Meyer lemon, freshly zested
- 10 ounces chestnut spread, (3 small 100-gram tins)
3. Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Using a pastry blender or the back of fork, combine the brown sugar, 3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour, ground ginger, 1/8 teaspoon of salt, 2-½ tablespoons of cold diced butter and walnut powder until it forms coarse crumbs of butter, walnuts and flour. Add the ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon extract. Do NOT over-mix. Set aside.
- Separate the egg yolks from the whites.
- Beat the egg yolks in a mixing bowl with 1/3 cup of granulated sugar until they’re pale, yellow; the texture of the egg yolks will be thicker. Add the rum extract.
- In a separate bowl, sift the flours, baking powder and baking soda.
- Combine the egg yolk mixture, zest of a lemon and the dry ingredients. Add the buttermilk, the rest of the melted butter and canola oil gradually until the cake batter is formed. I actually alternated the liquid ingredients and the dry ingredients.
- In another bowl, add the remaining 1/8 teaspoon of salt to the egg whites and whisk for about 2 minutes at a low speed. Add the rest of the granulated sugar, increase the speed of your mixer and keep beating for another 2-3 minutes until it forms stiff peaks. Don’t over-beat or the texture will become grainy.
- Using a silicone spatula, mix 1/3 of the whipped egg whites into the egg yolk mixture to soften it. Add the rest of the whipped egg whites and fold in gently to get an airy batter.
- Grease and slightly flour a non-stick (8-inch) square cake pan. Pour in 1/3 of the cake batter. Spread a layer of chestnut spread and cover with the rest of the cake batter. Top with the streusel crumb topping.
- Bake for 5 minutes at 375°F; lower the temperature to 350°F and bake for another 35-40 minutes. A skewer or a toothpick inserted into a coffee cake should come out clean. Remove from the oven. and allow to cool completely.
- Bon appétit!
