as a kid, i always thought that coffee cake had coffee in it. i felt a little bit cooler when i'd eat it because i was having a form of coffee. you can imagine the disappointment on my face when i found out that coffee cake usually does not have coffee in it, but is intended to be served alongside coffee. makes me giggle.
apple cider & salted caramel creme fraiche coffee cake
you will need:
batter
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
6 tablespoons creme fraiche
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup apple cider
1 1/2 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons salt
2 egg whites
salted caramel
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
topping
3/4 cup almonds, chopped
3/4 cup light brown sugar
6 tablespoons flour
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled
*prepare the salted caramel before making the cake batter. pour an even layer of sugar in a heavy saucepan and cook over medium-high heat. once the sugar starts melting, begin whisking. ignore the clumps and continue to whisk until all of the sugar has dissolved. swirl the sugar in the pan until it turns amber in color. this happens quickly, so be careful not to burn! next, stir in the butter with a wooden spoon, remove from heat and whisk in the heavy cream. whisk until incorporated, then add the sea salt. set caramel aside to cool for 10 minutes.
preheat oven to 350 degrees. using butter or cooking spray, grease a 9 inch baking pan or oven-proof skillet. we used a cast iron skillet. heat apple cider in a small saucepan over medium heat. simmer until reduced by half then set aside to cool.
next, sift together cake flour, salt and baking powder. in the bowl of an electric mixer, whip egg whites until they reach soft peaks. set both bowls aside.
cream together butter, sugar and creme fraiche in large bowl. alternately add reduced apple cider and sifted flour mixture, stirring until combined. carefully fold in the egg whites. add half of the batter to your greased pan and then drizzle some of the salted caramel over top. spoon the remaining batter on top and smooth out with a spatula.
pulse the topping ingredients in a food processor until crumbly or feel free to use a pastry cutter if you do not have a food processor. distribute topping over the batter.
bake cake for 40 minutes or until set in the center and enjoy with some of the leftover salted caramel drizzled on top.
recipe adapted from here.