Kuchen ~ German Coffee Cake

My Mother

My Parents

Kuchen

Pronounced kooken, is the German word for cake. At my childhood home kuchen meant a sweet cream coffee cake. My mother made a sweet yeast dough. It had a slightly higher content of sugar than regular bread dough. The topping made it so special. Mother would put her dough into large loaf cake pans or several pie plates after it had risen once. It was patted down to a layer of maybe 1/2 inch and it would rise again. She made sure the dough came up the sides of the pan or plate to form a nice edging. The dough would rise one more time after she placed the dough in the baking pans and rubbed the dough with a soft or warmed butter. For the final step she would poke with her finger to make indentions into the risen dough. Next came the topping:

1 cup whipping cream

1 Tablespoon flour

1/4 cup brown sugar 

Mix thoroughly so no lumps remain. Pour over dough making sure to not run over the side walls of dough.

Sprinkle with cinnamon and brown sugar. Bake at 425 for 10 minutes and reduce oven to 350 for approximately 15 more minutes or until golden. I can taste the memory!