Spiral Coffee Cake with Nuts and Orange Marmalade
It’s hard to describe the sheer awesomeness of this coffee cake, with its beautiful spirals and layers of brown sugar, pecans, walnuts and orange marmalade. But for you, I will try. Imagine the aroma of warm sugar and nuts, think about the sensation of fresh, fluffy bread melting in your mouth. That is this coffee cake.
I decided to play around with this recipe yesterday afternoon, even sharing some of my progress on Twitter. I was hoping, really hoping, that the finished product would resemble what I had in mind – namely, those mini, spiral coffee cakes my dad used to munch on with his morning coffee when I was kid. He bought them at the local grocery store but my version would be homemade. And jumbo sized. With lots of nuts. And orange marmalade! When I pulled the coffee cake out of the oven and inhaled its cinnamon and nutmeg spiced aroma I knew I was onto something. Dad would love this coffee cake.
Perhaps the best way to convey my enthusiasm for this recipe is to tell you that I took the photos shown here IN THE RAIN. I felt it was that important to share this cake with you before I leave on vacation tomorrow. After snapping a few shots I brought it back inside, cut a large slice, then took a bite that proved so satisfying I actually did a little jig in my kitchen. I looked dorky I’m sure and if my husband had been around he would have laughed at me, but hot diggity, was I pleased. If this coffee cake could sing it would probably belt out the chorus to Pitbull’s “I Know You Want Me.”
This bread is a little tricky to put together, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do it, cause you totally can. The challenge arises right after you’ve cut the dough into strips and are assembling them into spirals. There are two things to keep in mind while doing this:
- Any loose nuts will fall off once you lift the strip of dough (darn gravity!) so make sure you press most of them into the dough with your rolling pin first, see instructions in the recipe below.
- Don’t rush through this step. Take your time, rotating the springform pan so you can easily start the next strip of dough where the other left off and gently pressing each strip onto the ones that came before it. The dough should look like this when you’re done.
That’s about it!
My husband and I are leaving on a Caribbean cruise tomorrow so I’ll be MIA for the next 10 days while we visit Bermuda, Puerto Rico, St. Thomas and St. Maarten. (I’m so excited!!) But never fear, all shall not be quiet on the Baking and Books front. Two fabulous bloggers – Zoë of Zoë Bakes and Susan of Wild Yeast – will be guest posting while I’m away. They are talented ladies and I’m thrilled they’ve agreed to share their knowledge and recipes with you. Zoë’s post will be published on May 31st and Susan’s will be up on June 3rd, so stay tuned and please show them your love. 
Spiral Coffee Cake with Nuts and Orange Marmalade
Adapted from The Good Housekeeping Step-by-Step Cookbook
Ingredients: Makes 1 coffee cake
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup pecans, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup walnuts, finely chopped
- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided use
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 2 1/4-ounce packages active-dry yeast
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 to 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole milk
- 3 large eggs, divided use
- 1/2 cup orange marmalade, melted
Spray a 10-inch springform pan with PAM or another baking spray.
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large bowl by heating it in the microwave for about 30 seconds. (You could also melt it in a saucepan on the stove). Add the chopped pecans and walnuts, then the brown sugar and 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon. Mix well, then set aside.
Cut remaining 4 tablespoons of butter into small pieces, then combine with the milk in another large bowl. Microwave for about 1 minute, until very warm. (Again, stove top is fine if you prefer). If the milk is hot let it cool off a bit before proceeding – it should be about the temperature you would put in a baby’s bottle.
When the milk/butter mixture is warm – not hot – pour it into a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the yeast, stirring once with a spoon. Allow mixture to rest (proof) for 5 minutes.
Add 1 cup of flour to the yeast mixture and mix until blended. Add 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, the nutmeg, sugar, salt, and 2 eggs, mixing well. Add remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time until you have a soft dough that pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Using a stand mixer, knead for 8 minutes, sprinkling with flour as needed until you have a smooth dough. If kneading by hand, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes, adding additional flour as needed. Allow dough to rest for 10 minutes.
While the dough is resting melt the marmalade in a small saucer, stirring constantly.
Roll the dough out to an 18×10 inch rectangle. Brush the melted marmalade all over the surface of the dough, then sprinkle your pecan-walnut mixture on top. Press the nut filling into the dough by lightly rolling over it with a rolling pin.
Cut the dough lengthwise into 2-inch-wide strips. Take one strip and roll it around itself before placing it in the center of your springform pan, cut side down. Now, one at a time, wrap the remaining strips around the center strip, until you have a mass of shaped dough that looks like this. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm spot for 30 minutes or until doubled in bulk.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
In a small bowl beat the yolk from the remaining egg with a fork, then brush the coffee cake with it. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until golden. If the middle of the coffee cake browns faster than the outer portions of dough, cut a small square of aluminum foil and place it over the part of the cake that is browning faster.
Cool coffee cake for 5 minutes before running a butter knife around the edges and removing the sides of the springform pan. Serve warm or at room temperature.
59 Responses to “Spiral Coffee Cake with Nuts and Orange Marmalade”
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What a fun coffee cake! It’s like a GIANT cinnamon roll sort of thing.
Have a great time on your cruise!!
Lori @ RecipeGirl´s last blog post -> Veggie Burgers with Cilantro Mayonnaise
I am in awe! The cake looks SO good! Thanks for sharing the recipe. Have fun on your trip. Enjoy the sun!
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That looks incredible! Your creations are always so beautiful to look at. Have fun on your vacation
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That pic is so enticing, I can almost smell it from here!
brilynn´s last blog post -> Rhubarb, Rhubarb, Rhubarb
Love what you did with it Ari. I can almost, just almost inhale the aromas here. Re tweeted it for you. YUM!!
Looks like a huge cinnamon roll, and I’m all for that! Have a great time on your cruise!
This coffee cake looks sinfully delicious! Can’t wait to try!
Sarah (Coffee Beans and Curry Leaves)´s last blog post -> Let me introduce myself…
Just one word that comes to my mind… YUMMMMYYY. My list of recipe to try keeps increasing day by day but that’s fine i love cooking and trying new things especially if it looks and sure taste yumm.
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Wow they look so so beautiful and so perfect.
I love rhese rolls for morning. We have them on sundays from the baker near by.
I should make these once and surprise my family.
Happy Cook´s last blog post -> Announcing Strawberry Feast
This looks amazing. Seriously amazing!
Have fun on the trip!
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That coffee cake looks fantastic! Have a great time in the Caribbean and see you in 10 days!
Cheers,
Rosa
Wow. That’s even more awesome than I was expecting. What a cool technique!
Have a great vacation!
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Have a great vacation and come back with lots of inspiration from your travels. I look forward to hearing from your guest bloggers.
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Oooh, maybe I’ll use this recipe to christen the new oven. I have pecans and I’ll have most of the other ingredients on hand (don’t remember what my marmalade situation is). Definitely delicious looking!
Seanna Lea´s last blog post -> day 2 (packing) still not queen
Oooh! That’s so gorgeous. I adore cinnamon rolls, so the idea of tucking into a 10-inch one is just heavenly.
Hope you have a wonderful vacation!
K x
this looks absolutly divine! have an awesome vacation.
Wow! That coffee cake looks absolutely incredible! Great pictures! Sounds like it tastes as good as it looks. Have a great vacation
Jayme´s last blog post -> Daring Bakers – Apple Strudel
Oh, this looks wonderfully delicious!
I need to make this asap.
What a fantastic idea — that is one prodigious roll-cake. Have a fabulous relaxing fun- and sun-filled vacation!
Susan/Wild Yeast´s last blog post -> Rolling the Rhubarb
You’re making me drool! What a fabulous coffee cake.
Have fun on your trip (I know you will)!
Janel´s last blog post -> Book Review: The Book of Unholy Mischief
Oooo, i’m going to try this tomorrow, i think i’ll try it with ginger preserves though…
Have a wonderful vacation — and thanks for leaving us with this big giant cinnamon bun!
Lydia (The Perfect Pantry)´s last blog post -> Sriracha sauce (Recipe: Asian broccoli slaw)
This cake is absolutely stunning!
Zoë Fançois´s last blog post -> Apple Cherry Strudel (how to get paper thin pastry)
The coffee cake looks fabulous… Have a nice trip…
This cake caught my eye. It is my kind of cake! I will be attempting this over the weekend hoping my results will be as good as yours.
Have a fantastic vacation!
What a fun recipe, thank you! Have fun on the trip!
Barbara´s last blog post -> Choux ed éclairs
Have a wonderfull vacation!!!!
holy moly, i can’t believe the gorgeous-ness of this bun coffee cake! enjoy your vacation, i’m jealous
ttfn300´s last blog post -> The root of my desire?
it appears to be a giant cinnamon nut roll, and all for me.
i hope you have/had a blast on your cruise. you’d better believe i’m jealous.
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I love the coffee cake and Caribbean cruise.
Have a nice trip.
Enjoy yourself!!!
This looks so yummy! You could take pictures for a magazine. Have a wonderful time on the cruise!
That cake is awesome! I bet it is fun to eat…I love things in layers like that. Have a great time on your cruise!
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That looks nice and golden brown and light and flaky and good!
It does look amazing! And I’m sure it tastes amazing too
Enjoy your vacation!!!
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Ari, this looks so good! Enjoy your vacation
The Purple Foodie´s last blog post -> Dulce de Leche – Holy Yum!
Again, the marmalade is something that I wouldn’t have thought of, but I bet makes the cake wonderfully moist!
This is my first vs to your blog. Boy am I ever glad I came in! What a gorgeous recipe! This would be stunning at a brunch. Really love your blog! Steph
OH MY GAH. This looks amazing. Not only would your dad love it, I think almost anyone you shared this with would love it. Amazing! You know a sweet treat is special when it causes you to do the “yum-this-is-so-good” jig in the kitchen!
Elyse´s last blog post -> Challah ’bout a giveaway?
my goodness this looks yummy! another item on my must try list!
That looks gorgeous and of course delicious! I will definitely be holding on to this recipe for future use.
whooo–what an accomplishment. That looks like a professional bakery cake! and it looks soooooo delicious!!
Not as pretty as yours but it was delicious. http://www.flickr.com/photos/nanirolls/3581595376/
I found it easier to leave the strips on the counter and roll it up, rather than pick up each strip and wrap it around.
I think it looks pretty darn amazing! Good job!
Looks delish!
Sounds delicious
That looks spectacular. I know what I’ll be making for a lazy weekend brunch this week. I’ve a similar kind of baklava made with filo and shaped like a coiled snake- I think its mentioned in a Claudia Roden book
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I can imagine myself devouring the big chunk of this coffee cake first thing in the morning out of bed. Even before having a cup of espresso.
I love it! It’s like one giant cinnamon bun — really, what could be better?
This is one seriously gorgeous coffee cake and I so want to make one like it. I think there is something magical about orange marmelade and can imagine how wonderful a coffee cake made with it would taste!
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That looks fabulous! I just had lunch, but I’m hungry all over again.
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I made the cake this afternoon, and the only decision left is figuring out how to slice it. It’s such a beautiful cake – I just hope I don’t disfigure it! Any suggestions?
Well I assume you’ve dug into the coffeecake by now (no one can resist that long!) but no, I haven’t any suggestions except using a serrated knife and sawing through the cake instead of pressing down. The cake will become a little disfigured that way, but not too much. No one will mind with how good it tastes though.
looks great!! *drooling* =)
Hi Ari, my first time here….couldn’t help but gaze at that lovely ring of sublime coffee…smack!
Love it. Thanks for sharing the recipe…n giving me ideas already…;p
Navita´s last blog post -> "To cook or not to cook"…..with Sushi.
I… want to eat that right now!
Plain Jane´s last blog post ->
Hi Ari,
This is a gorgeous cake and must say lovely to look at..and am sure it must’ve tasted equally good.
This almost resembles…infact its very similar to my spiral bread made with walnuts and dill. Do check it out.
Just one thing I saw the same pic (the first one on this post) elsewhere on the internet and thought I should tell you about it. Don’t know if its the same…but quite exact..
http://urbandebris.typepad.com/urban_debris_journal/2009/06/marmaladepecan-spiral-coffee-cake—ingredients-14-cup-butter-softened-12-cup-packedlight-brown-sugar-1-cup-pecan-pieces1.html
Hi Ari,
just came across this site 1 hour ago and want to say congrats!
This coffee cake is baking in my oven right now, can’t wait to taste it. This picture above was so sonvincing…
Thanks,
Judy
I just found your georgeous coffee cake and thought I would offer a pointer! I make a coffee ring very similar to this to sell at my local farmers market, my filling is a bit different but the same gist. The key to having it NOT spill out as you are rolling the dough into the pan is to spritz it with water after you press it into the rectangle of dough. You don’t need much, just enough to keep it in place and it will cook right out when you put it in the oven!