The Surprising Method I Use to Recreate Sara Lee’s Iconic Espresso Cake (and Make It Even Higher)

For so long as I can bear in mind, my father has hosted Christmas brunch yearly. The menu has remained comparatively unchanged: My dad all the time fries up a pile of crispy bacon and my aunt Zapote all the time bakes her signature quiche Lorraine. The one factor lacking these days is the Sara Lee pecan espresso cake my grandmother introduced when she was alive.

With its tender crumb, candy cinnamon filling, and toasted pecan topping, the cake was a scrumptious and far anticipated a part of our household’s vacation traditions, and nobody appeared to thoughts that it wasn’t do-it-yourself. What I bear in mind most about that Sara Lee cake, which is made within the model of Danish brunsviger—a evenly sweetened yeasted espresso cake that’s usually eaten for breakfast or alongside a cup of espresso—is its delicate, pillowy texture. Since my grandmother’s dying, no person else has introduced the beloved cake to our Christmas gathering.

Although the traditional Sara Lee cake was as soon as simply discovered within the freezer aisle of most grocery shops, it’s a lot tougher to return by right this moment. I searched excessive and low for it in nearly each main grocery retailer in my hometown of Seattle with no luck. I discovered the cake on the market on Amazon—however solely in a pack that retailed for $86. If I needed to take pleasure in my favourite Sara Lee espresso cake once more, I’d both should shell out huge bucks or recreate the recipe at dwelling myself. I opted for the latter, and took it as a possibility to make a fair higher model of the unique with the assistance of my father, a fellow Sara Lee fanatic. The result’s a pastry I’d be pleased to serve at my very own vacation brunch every year: tender, subtly candy, with a delicate, springy crumb, and cinnamon-scented brown sugar and pecan filling.

4 Key Strategies for the Finest Yeasted Espresso Cake 

For the Ultimate Crumb, Incorporate a Tangzhong 

My first checks took inspiration from traditional Danish yeasted cake recipes. The dough is enriched with butter, eggs, and sugar, then kneaded briefly and baked right into a barely bready cake. I liked the simplicity of those desserts, however they finally lacked the moisture and tenderness of the traditional Sara Lee pecan espresso cake. For a softer cake, I made a decision to include a tangzhong, a Taiwanese strategy of cooking flour and water right into a paste, which supplies baked items an excellent plush texture. Bakers typically use tangzhong (and the associated Japanese yudane and yukone) to arrange shokupan (Japanese milk bread), giving it its signature loft and tender crumb, and Severe Eats has a few Western recipes that additionally incorporate this method, together with  babka and crusty dinner rolls.

To make a tangzhong, you whisk collectively a slurry of milk and flour over medium warmth till it thickens right into a stretchy paste. This helps the starches within the flour gelatinize, permitting the flour to carry onto extra water than if it was unheated. “As a result of a gelled combination of flour and water is drier in texture than an equivalent ungelled one, it means that you can make a dough with extra water in it than it might in any other case include—with out it turning to soup,” Severe Eats contributor Andrew Janjigian wrote in his shokupan recipe. “The additional water is there, however you may’t see or really feel it within the dough.” This implies the dough can embody loads of liquid with out turning into unworkably moist, and lends the cake a delicate, plush crumb that stays recent for longer.

Enrich Your Dough

Like brioche, the dough for my yeasted espresso cake is enriched with butter, egg yolks, sugar, and milk, producing a wealthy, tender pastry paying homage to a large cinnamon bun. These elements have an essential position within the dough’s construction: The butter and egg yolks coat the gluten proteins—glutenin and gliadin—in fats. This makes it tougher for them to bond, minimizing gluten growth. Just like the butter and yolks, sugar additionally has a tenderizing impact on the dough. As a substitute of coating the gluten proteins, nonetheless, the sugar attaches itself to water molecules earlier than the water has had an opportunity to bond with the gluten proteins and inhibits extreme gluten growth. The result’s a espresso cake that’s wealthy, tender, and toes the road between bread and cake.

Attain for Bread Flour

Whereas we need to keep away from extreme gluten growth, we nonetheless desire a cake with sufficient construction to help the air bubbles—or carbon dioxide—that’s produced by the yeast because the dough ferments. Flours have differing protein percentages, which point out their gluten potential. All-purpose flour usually has a protein proportion of 9% to 12%, whereas bread flour tends to have 12% to 14% protein. Utilizing bread flour could seem counterintuitive, for the reason that goal here’s a tender cake, however on this recipe, it helps help the dough’s construction and rise. Through the use of bread flour mixture with gluten-limiting elements comparable to butter, egg yolks, and sugar, we’re in a position to strike a stability and produce a loaf that’s each delicate and has construction.

Proof Twice to Make It Further Good

Like many yeasted doughs, this cake requires two rises: a bulk fermentation and a closing proof. The majority fermentation, or first rise, occurs within the mixing bowl, after the dough has been kneaded, with the ultimate rise occurring after the dough is stuffed and formed.

Giving the cake sufficient time to proof is essential to attaining its delicate, mild texture and permits the dough to develop extra taste. Below-proofing can result in a dense crumb, because the yeast wants time to digest the sugars and produce the carbon dioxide so important to the cake’s rise. To check in case your dough is absolutely proofed, gently poke the cake with the tip of your finger. Your finger ought to depart an indent and the dough ought to gently spring again.

After the dough is formed, it’s then lined and set to rise a second time. Whereas it’s completely acceptable to let the cake rise on the counter till puffy and bake it on the identical day, letting the cake rise in a single day within the fridge helps the dough develop extra taste, and means you may take pleasure in a stress-free morning full with a recent, heat cake for breakfast.

Once you’re able to bake the cake, take away the cake from the fridge and let it end rising at heat room temperature till it’s puffy, which can take one to 2 hours. Use the identical poke take a look at as earlier than to inform if the dough is absolutely proofed. This time, you’re on the lookout for the dough to very slowly spring again when pressed. It’s key to not let this dough rise too lengthy at this stage or it might overproof and find yourself flat—you’ll know you’ve taken it too far if the dough begins to deflate when poked.

Fill and Kind the Espresso Cake

Working with a delicate dough is usually a bit tough. Whilst you don’t need to incorporate an excessive amount of flour whereas kneading, it is best to use sufficient flour when dealing with and forming the dough to forestall extreme stickiness. Keep in mind that dough sticks to itself, so in case your fingers or rolling pin are lined in dough, issues will solely proceed to get stickier—and messier. Generously dusting your work floor and rolling pin with flour will assist stop an infinite cycle of sticking. And if in case you have extra flour remaining on the dough, simply take a dry pastry brush and gently brush your dough to mud it off.

To type the cake, I roll the dough right into a 9- by 16-inch-sized rectangle, scatter the cinnamon-pecan filling excessive, then roll the dough into a protracted log. Subsequent, I coil the log round itself to make a circle that’s then rolled out into a bigger circle that may match the scale of the cake pan—very like how a scallion pancake is shaped. In my testing, I’ve discovered  this forming course of to be the easiest way to include swirls of the candy filling evenly all through the cake.

Earlier than baking, I firmly press pecan halves into the floor of the dough. Be sure you cram as many as you may, because the nuts add a satisfying crunch to the in any other case pillowy cake. Brushing the cake with melted butter provides it a luscious sheen and helps preserve the skin of the cake delicate. For the reason that cake itself doesn’t include loads of sugar, a beneficiant layer of vanilla glaze provides an additional layer of gooey sweetness and is actually the icing on the cake for this particular breakfast deal with.

Serve It Heat

Technically, you’re supposed to attend till yeasted breads and desserts are utterly cooled earlier than chopping into them. This permits all of the starches to set and makes for the very best texture. That mentioned, this cake is actually greatest loved whereas it’s nonetheless a bit heat. Don’t serve it straight from the oven, because the cake can have an disagreeable gummy texture when scorching. As a substitute, let the cake cool for about 45 minutes earlier than serving it.  This can make sure the cake is tender and fluffy, however nonetheless a bit gooey and heat.

Prepare dinner Mode
(Hold display screen awake)

For the Tangzhong:

• 80g complete milk (about 2 3/4 ounces; 1/3 cup)

• 16g bread flour (1/2 ounce; 2 tablespoons)

For the Dough:

• 60g complete milk (about 2 ounces; 1/4 cup), chilly

• 256g bread flour (9 ounces; 2 cups)

• 56g unsalted butter (about 2 ounces; 4 tablespoons), softened

• 3 massive egg yolks

• 30g granulated sugar (1 ounce; 2 tablespoons)

• 1 1/2 teaspoons yeast

• 1 1/2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for desk salt, use half as a lot by quantity

For the Filling:

• 71g mild brown sugar (2 1/2 ounces; 1/3 cup)

• 16g all-purpose flour (1/2 ounce; 2 tablespoons)

• 1 1/2 teaspoons floor cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for desk salt, use half as a lot by quantity

• 30g finely chopped pecans (1 ounce; 1/4 cup)

• 14g unsalted butter (about 1/2 ounce; 1 tablespoon), melted

To End:

• Nonstick spray

• 100g pecan halves (3 1/2 ounces; 1 cup)

• 14g unsalted butter (about 1/2 ounce; 1 tablespoon), melted

• 100g confectioners sugar (3 1/2 ounces; 1 cup)

• 1 tablespoon (15ml) complete milk, plus extra as wanted

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• Pinch kosher salt

1. For the Tangzhong:

   In a small saucepan, whisk milk and flour to mix. Prepare dinner over medium warmth, whisking continuously, till combination thickens to a stretchy pudding-like consistency, 2 to three minutes.

2. For the Dough:

   Utilizing a versatile spatula, scrape scorching tangzhong into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment; let cool till simply heat to the contact, about 10 minutes. Add chilly milk to tangzhong, adopted by the flour, butter, egg yolks, sugar, yeast, and salt. Combine on low velocity till dough is easy, supple, and elastic, 12 to fifteen minutes. (The dough ought to move the “windowpane” take a look at: Pull off a golf-ball-sized piece of dough and, utilizing two fingers, stretch it as skinny as you may with out the dough ripping. In the event you can see by it, the dough is able to relaxation. If not, proceed kneading for one more 2 to 4 minutes or till the dough passes this take a look at.)

3. Loosely cowl bowl with plastic wrap or a moist towel, and let sit at heat room temperature (75 to 80ºF; 24 to 27ºC) till practically doubled in measurement, 60 to 90 minutes.

4. In the meantime, put together the filling:

   In a small bowl, whisk brown sugar, flour, floor cinnamon, and salt to mix. Add pecans, adopted by the melted butter, utilizing your fingers to toss and gently press till the combination is sandy. Put aside.

5. Grease a 9-inch aluminum cake pan with nonstick spray. Line the pan with two 15-inch by 3-inch strips of parchment paper, overlapping them to type an “X” within the backside of the pan. (There must be about 3 inches of overhang on the sides.)

6. When dough has risen, evenly flour prime of dough and switch to a lightly-floured work floor. Roll dough right into a 9- by 16-inch rectangle. Scatter the filling evenly over the floor of the dough, and beginning with the lengthy finish, roll the dough up as tightly as doable. Rigorously pinch dough collectively alongside the seam to seal, and gently pat log to make sure even thickness; brush off any extra flour from the dough.

7. Gently coil dough round itself to create a round form. Cowl with a clear, damp kitchen towel and let dough relaxation for five to 10 minutes to permit gluten to calm down. Roll dough right into a 9-inch extensive circle about 3/4-inch thick, then switch dough to ready pan. Loosely cowl with plastic wrap or damp kitchen towel and let rise at heat room temperature till dough seems barely puffed, about half-hour. Tightly wrap cake pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate no less than 2 hours and as much as 12.

8. When able to bake, take away dough from fridge and let rise at heat room temperature till roughly doubled in measurement, dough is about 1 3/4-inches tall, and bounces again slowly when gently pressed, 1 to 2 hours.

9. To Bake:

   Regulate oven rack to center place and preheat to 350ºF (175ºC).

10. Firmly press pecan halves into the floor of the dough, arranging them in a round sample across the dough. (Dough will deflate barely—that is tremendous.)

11. Bake till mild golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the middle of the cake registers 190°F (88ºC), 20 to 25 minutes. Take away cake from oven and, utilizing a pastry brush, instantly brush cake with melted butter. Carry the parchment to take away the cake from the pan and switch it to a wire cooling rack. Let cool till barely heat, 30 to 40 minutes.

12. In a medium bowl, whisk confectioners sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and salt till easy. Glaze must be thick however pourable; if glaze appears too thick, whisk in milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, till glaze is the precise consistency.

13. Utilizing a spoon, drizzle glaze evenly over cake. Let set for 10 minutes earlier than slicing with a serrated knife and serving.

Particular Gear

Whisk, versatile spatula, stand mixer with dough hook attachment, 9-inch aluminum cake pan, parchment paper, rolling pin, pastry brush

Make-Forward and Storage

This cake is greatest loved the day it’s made, however leftovers may be saved in an hermetic container at room temperature for as much as 3 days or wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and frozen for as much as 2 months. To thaw cake, let sit at room temperature in a single day.

To reheat, loosely wrap cake in foil, and place in a 350ºF (175ºC) oven till warmed by, 5 to 10 minutes.