This Almond Coffee Cake Ring or tea ring is a slightly sweet yeast bread filled with almond paste and cream cheese and made into a wreath-shaped pastry. It’s baked until golden and then drizzled with icing. This recipe feeds a crowd and is perfect for brunch, and Christmas and Easter mornings.
Almond Coffee Cake Ring
For years my dad has raved about the Almond Coffee Cake Ring that his mother would make for every Christmas and Easter morning. When I stumbled across a recipe for a Coffee Cake Ring, I just knew I had to make it!
This homemade pastry is a bit time-intensive, but it’s worth it! It’s just the special breakfast pastry that your holiday spread needs! If you can’t find almond paste in the stores, then you can use my recipe for Homemade Almond Paste to make your own!
COOK’S NOTE – ALMOND COFFEE CAKE RING:
- This recipe makes two coffee cakes that serve about 12 people each. So definitely make this recipe when you’re expecting a crowd! I also like making this for breakfast potlucks. I have made this coffee cake for bake sales, too. I just simply slice it and wrap individual slices in plastic wrap.
- If you’re not looking to feed a crowd, and you only want to make one coffee cake, then prepare the recipe until step 8 and freeze one of the rings BEFORE it rises the second time. When you’re ready to bake the frozen dough, just let it thaw and rise until almost doubled in size before continuing with the rest of the recipe. This thawing and rising can take upwards of 5 hours. You can also thaw the dough in the refrigerator overnight, and then let the dough rise at room temperature or in a warm oven for about 1 1/2 – 2 hours.
- To dress this almond coffee cake up the old fashioned way, place drained maraschino cherries on top of the icing before serving.
COOK’S TOOLS AND INGREDIENTS:
- mixing bowls
- hand mixer
- large measuring cup
- baking sheet
- wire rack
- almond paste
Almond Coffee Cake Ring
people
This Almond Coffee Cake Ring or tea ring is a slightly sweet yeast bread filled with almond paste and cream cheese and made into a wreath-shaped pastry.
Equipment
- mixing bowls
- hand mixer
- large measuring cup
- baking sheet
- wire rack
Ingredients
FILLING:
- 1 7-ounce tube almond paste
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- ½ cup confectioner’s sugar
DOUGH:
- 1 ⅓ cups warm milk heated to 110°F
- 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled
- ⅓ cup honey
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 4 ¾ cups of all-purpose flour you may need an additional 1/4 cup, later on, depending on how sticky the dough is
- 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast
- 2 teaspoons salt
TOPPING:
- 3 large egg whites lightly beaten
- ½ cup sliced or slivered almonds
ICING:
- 1 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar
- 2 ounces cream cheese softened
- 2 Tablespoons milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
MAKE THE FILLING:
- In a medium bowl add the almond paste, softened cream cheese, and sugar. Beat with a handheld mixer on medium speed until smooth. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.
MAKE THE DOUGH:
- In a large measuring cup whisk together the milk, melted butter, honey, egg yolks, and vanilla, and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a hook attachment, add 4 3/4 cups of flour, yeast, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add the milk mixture and mix until the dough comes together, about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl halfway through mixing.
- Increase the mixer speed to medium and knead until the dough is smooth and shiny about 5 to 7 minutes. Add up to ¼ cup of flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, if the dough is not clearing the sides of the bowl after 5 minutes.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand to form a smooth round ball, about 1 minute.
- Place the dough in a lightly oiled large bowl and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. If your kitchen isn’t very warm, then preheat the oven to 170º and then turn it off. Put your dough in the oven to rise.
FORM THE DOUGH:
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, and set aside. On a large lightly floured piece of parchment paper, divide the dough into 2 equal pieces. Working with one piece of dough at a time, roll it out into an 18 x 9-inch rectangle. Spread half of the filling in a 1-inch wide strip just above the bottom edge of the dough.
- Roll the dough into a tight log, and pinch the seam closed. Transfer the log, seam side down, to one of the prepared baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.
- Shape each dough cylinder into a ring. Make about 11 cuts around the outside of the dough using a paring knife. Each cut should be about 1 to 1 ½ inches apart. Twist each piece of dough cut side up.
- Lightly spray the coffee cakes with cooking spray, wrap loosely in plastic wrap, and let them rise in a warm place until they have nearly doubled in size and spring back slowly when indented with a finger, about 1 to 1 ½ hours.
TOP AND BAKE:
- Adjust the oven racks to the upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 375ºF.
- Brush the rings with egg whites and sprinkle with almonds. Bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes, switching and rotating pans half-way through baking. Remove the coffee cakes from the oven and place on a wire rack and cool for 1 hour.
MAKE THE ICING AND FINISH:
- Whisk the sugar, softened cream cheese, milk, and vanilla together in a small bowl until smooth, and then drizzle it over the cakes before serving.
Video
Notes
Makes two large coffee cakes that serve about 12 people each.
Nutrition
Serving: 1Slice | Calories: 229kcal | Carbohydrates: 34.84g | Protein: 5.19g | Fat: 7.72g | Cholesterol: 34mg | Sodium: 233mg | Potassium: 97mg | Fiber: 1.1g | Sugar: 15.52g | Vitamin A: 450IU | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 1.4mg
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Oh I ove to make this!!
I’m a guy and love to cook and bake and am going to try this. If it is even half as good as it looks it will be great!
Awesome! I hope you enjoy it and thanks for stopping by!
My daughter is a huge fan of almond croissants, but I am not a fan of buying them all the time 🙂 This sounds like the perfect substitute, and I love the fact that I can freeze it as well. Thanks for sharing this!
She just might love this recipe then. Enjoy! 🙂
Wow, these Coffee Cake are so cute! I would love to eat him for breakfast, lunch and dinner! Thank you for sharing this great recipe!
No problem. Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
This looks amazing! I’m a big fan of coffee cake and would love a slice right now!
🙂 You should definitely give this recipe a try then!
This almond filled coffee cake looks amazing – perfect for a holiday brunch!
Thanks so much, I’ll be making this for Easter!
This pastry looks so cute! I wish I could have a slice for breakfast tomorrow morning 😉
Thank you!
Yes please! I love almond!
Oh my gosh this cake looks absolutely delicious and perfect for weekend brunch!
Have you ever tried forming the rings and doing the second rise in the refrigerator over night? I’m trying to figure out how to work these into a 9:30 am brunch menu.
I haven’t, sorry. 🙁
If you try it, let me know how they work out for you.
iamgoing to try and make this cake wish me luck
Good luck, I hope you like it!
Can you Freeze these after they’ve been baked?
Yes, just make sure you wrap them in 2 layers of plastic wrap plus a layer of foil before sticking them in the freezer.
Your recipe vid adds sugar to the dough but sugar is not listed in the recipe itself.
The video should say salt and not sugar. Sorry about that!
I made this almond filled coffee cake, but wondering why mine turned out very hard both outside and inside! Only baked for 25 minutes, I didn’t feel it was over baked! Could i have over beat it! Thanks but it was delish anyway.
I’m sorry this didn’t turn out for you. It’s hard to say what went wrong without seeing pictures or being there. Did you let it rise enough?
Does this require Refridgeration after it is baked?
No, it doesn’t.
Can you cut the recipe in half?
Yes, absolutely!
I don’t have a stand mixer. Can I make it without the dough paddle?
Yes, absolutely.
Do I need to dissolve the instant yeast in water, or does it go directly in with the flour? Also, can I substitute active dry yeast instead of instant yeast?
Thanks!
You do not need to dissolve the instant yeat. If you’re going to use active dry yeast, then yes, dissolve it in the liquid.
Thank you!
Absolutely delicious!! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Looks yummy. I wonder if I could add some cranberries to make it Christmas festive?
Absolutely!