Cream Puff Coffee Cake

Growing up, our family hairdresser worked out of her home. At Christmastime she would bake special treats for her clients. Our favorite treat was something she called Swedish coffee cake. This recipe is adapted from her recipe, but somewhere along the line I started calling it Cream Puff Coffee Cake.  It really isn’t a cream puff, but it uses Pate a Choux or Choux pastry which is what cream puffs are made out of and so I have always called it cream puff coffee cake. Choux pastry is a dough made from melted butter, boiling water, flour and eggs. It puffs up from the steam created by the water and the eggs.

This coffee cake is made from simple ingredients that are found in your pantry and can be put together quickly, but note that it takes 45-50 minutes to bake, so it is not something to make on a busy morning. I like to use toasted slivered almonds on top, but the original recipe used chopped pecans. The pecans are really good too.

Cream Puff Coffee Cake

Bottom Layer

1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter, Melted

2 Tablespoons Water

1 Cup Flour (I use white whole wheat.)

Middle Layer

1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter

1 Cup Water

1 teaspoon Almond Extract

3 Eggs

Icing (Top Layer)

1 1/2 Cups Powdered Sugar

2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, Melted

2 Tablespoons Water

1 1/2 teaspoons Almond Extract

1/2 Cup Slivered Almonds, Toasted **See Note for Toasting Instructions**

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

For the Bottom Layer- Mix ingredients for bottom layer, (melted butter, water, and flour) in a medium bowl. It will quickly form a ball. Separate the dough into 2 equal portions. Place the portioned dough side by side on a large rimmed baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Using your fingers, spread each portion into a large rectangle approximately 12 x 5 inches. It will be very thin. Set aside.

For the Middle Layer (Pate a Choux) – In a large saucepan, bring water and butter to a boil. Turn off the heat and add the flour all at once. Mix until the dough forms a ball. Add the eggs one at a time. Whisk each egg in completely before adding the next egg. After all three eggs have been mixed into the batter, spread half of the batter over each of the dough rectangles on the baking sheet. Use a spatula to spread the batter to the edge of the rectangles. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45-50 minutes. The top layer will puff up and then fall as it cools.

For the Icing- Mix the powdered sugar, melted butter, water and almond extract together in a small bowl to make a smooth glaze. Divide and pour over the cooled pastry. Top with toasted slivered almonds, slice, and serve.

***Note*** The easiest way to toast the almonds is in the microwave. Place the almonds on a microwave safe plate in a single layer. Cook on High for 3 minutes. Stir the almonds. Continue to cook in 30 second increments until you just begin to see a little browning. The nuts will continue to cook after they are removed from the microwave. I keep my almonds in the freezer and it takes 4 – 5 minutes to toast them in the microwave.