(Gulp.)
Hello.
I guess I’ve been a little MIA lately, haven’t I? Sorry about that… Remember that secret I told you about? Well…it’s been keeping me kind of busy. I still can’t tell you what it is yet, but don’t be mad. I’ll share soon enough.
But suffice it to say, this juicy little tidbit has only underscored one of my personality traits: my tendency to “quest.” Try as I may, I can’t help myself. Whether we’re talking about dresses, apartments, recipes, furniture — in my brain, I have a near perfect image of what I want. The problem is, said “image” doesn’t always exist. And so the quest continues.
There is one recipe in particular that I have been questing after since college: Lithuanian Coffee Cake from Claire’s Corner Copia in New Haven, CT. Nearly everyone on campus went gaga for it, and I cannot recall more than a handful of birthdays or parties at which this cake did not appear.
What made it so special? Hard to explain. The cake was moist, tender and über dense. I’m sure the fact that the staff slathered the top with buttercream helped too, but even without any icing, the cake was ridiculously, almost indescribably addictive.
Claire Criscuolo, the owner of Claire’s, has written a few cookbooks, so years ago when I spotted the book containing the recipe for Lithuanian Coffee Cake (or “Lith,” as my friends and I came to call it), I snatched it up. I made the cake, prepared myself for bliss and then…ehhh? Something wasn’t right. The cake was light and airy — nothing like the heavy duty slices we were served at Claire’s. And the cake looked so…unimpressively small.
Shortly after that, I found Claire in her restaurant and asked her what she did differently to make her cake come out so moist and dense. “Just what I say in my book!” she replied. LIES. There’s no way the recipe in her book is the recipe used in the restaurant. Sorry, I’m not buying it.
So for years, I’ve been on a quest to recreate that cake. But none of the recipes I tried were quite right. Most were delicious, but they weren’t The Lith.
Then I came across Sherry Yard’s recipe for her Campton Place Coffee Cake. She describes it as the “densest, moistest coffee cake you will ever eat.” BINGO. With a few tweaks, I could turn it into Claire’s Lithuanian Coffee Cake.
So did I successfully recreate the legendary Lith? I came close — really close, and by far the closest I have come to the real thing. I still can’t put my finger on what is missing in terms of flavor, but it’s very minor. I’ll keep questing for that mystery touch, but in the meantime, enjoy this version. It’s dynamite.
Lithuanian Coffee Cake
Adapted from Sherry Yard’s Desserts by the Yard and Claire’s Corner Copia
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 tablespoon brewed coffee, chilled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups sour cream
Filling:
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/4 cup toasted chopped walnuts
1/4 cup moist, plump dark raisins (soak in boiling water if they are too dry)
Center the rack in your oven and preheat to 350ºF. Spray a 10-cup bundt or kugelhupf pan with non-stick spray.
Mix all of the filling ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl and hand mixer or the work bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the coffee and vanilla and mix to combine.
Add the flour mixture and sour cream in 3 additions each, alternating between the flour and sour cream. The batter will be very thick.
Scoop 1 1/2 cups batter into the prepared pan and spread with a spatula to even out the surface. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of the filling. Scoop 2 cups cake batter over the filling and again smooth with a spatula. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup filling. Scoop 2 cups more of the batter over the top, smooth, and sprinkle with the remaining filling. There will only be a little batter left, but scoop it out evenly over the cake and smooth out the surface so that it is even.
Bake the cake for 30 minutes. Rotate pan from back to front and bake for 20-25 minutes more, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool the cake for 30 minutes in its pan, then invert on a wire rack and allow it to cool completely.
Yield: 10-12 servings
Oh, that’s disappointing 😦 She will probably fight you to the death on the veracity of her recipe though 😀
In any case, that cake looks really, really good 🙂
the inside of the cake looks so moist and fluffy! this is why i love coffee cake. it’s that sour cream that gives it it’s moistness. And that’s just not nice that the chef was holding out on you. but I find that when cookbooks come out from famed bakeries/restaurants, they never come out the way they do when they make it. It’s completely frustrating.
How wonderful of you to share your quest and this delicious result with us!
So when do you tell the blog-o-verse the big secret, Miss Thang? 😉
You know I am the Lith’s biggest fan and so jealous I cannot sample a piece of your version over the internet…hopefully this one doesn’t create alien babies…
Dynamite is right! What an interesting story about your quest for the perfect coffee cake. I’m like this too. I always try to “clone” food items.
I will use this recipe next time I need a coffee cake. I like the pan shape. I just have a classic Bundt.
The cake looks so moist and flavorful! Can’t wait to read about your secret!! Shameless plea for you to tell your blogger god-mother ahead of the world!!!
manggy – I know, but I guess I can sort of understand. That cake is her bread and butter — the rest of the food at Claire’s is so-so, but that cake is what keeps the business rolling in…
amanda – I’ve totally found the same thing — it’s so unfair! But Sherry’s recipe is damn good. I’ve never had Campton Place coffee cake, but if its texture is anything like this…YUM.
Patricia – Enjoy!
mandi – You know, maybe what was missing was that buttercream frosting… And I’ll share soon — next post!
Emiline – I used the kugelhupf pan I bought like 9 months ago…and still haven’t used. It was totally an impulse purchase, and I felt bad that I hadn’t used it yet!
Tartelette – Stick around until next post — I’ll tell all, I promise!
That’s why I *love* all the Rick Bayless cookbooks–he writes the recipe so you can actually make food that actually tastes the way you remember things tasting at his restaurants. Sherry’s so nice to have stuck such a great recipe in for you. 😉 I worked a Share our Strength meal in Chicago a few years ago that she was guest chef-ing at (general starstruck panic) and still wish I’d known so I could’ve joined the throngs of chefs and commis requesting she sign their books.
I’m a first-time visitor to your blog and I want to say it looks great. Long ago, I xeroxed a recipe from one of Maida Heatter’s books for a Hungarian coffee cake. It’s yeast-raised and includes 6 (!) yolks. I dream of making it, but I fear it could be too delicious. This might be a lame suggestion, but I find myself adding a bit of nutmeg to so many baked goods and even savory dishes sometimes too; would that be an appropriate addition here?
I feel the same way about recipes… sometimes it’s hard to find the exact results you know are out there. I just finished looking through Sherry Yard’s new book and I remember the picture of the coffee cake, and I have to say the picture of the one you have is looks more appetizing than hers!
Chou – That’s so cool that you were at an event with Sherry!! I’m so jealous :).
xk – Thanks for the kudos :). Nutmeg definitely works in coffee cakes, but in this case, that’s not the flavor that’s missing. I can’t tell if it’s more coffee in the batter…or more vanilla…or what.
emma – Aw, thanks!
I know we’ve just *met* (in the digital sense), but I tagged you on balance today. If you’ve got time, join in. The Share our Strength event was really cool–I just wish I’d known who I’d get to meet before I went! Sherry was extremely gracious and patient with us wanna-be pastry chefs, a trait that seems rare at times in celebrities.
Could the missing ingredient be cardamom? That’s what I would expect from a coffeecake from this part of the world.
Thanks for the recipe!
Chou – Thanks!
djyee100 – A few people have suggested spices in their comments (nutmeg, caraway, cardamom, etc), but it isn’t a spice that is missing. It’s more of an essence — like more vanilla or coffee, or perhaps brown sugar instead of all white… Someone did suggest prunes in the filling, which I think is a great idea. But as much as I *adore* cardamom (love.it.), I don’t think that’s what is missing…
>>It’s more of an essence — like more vanilla or coffee, or perhaps brown sugar instead of all white…
now I’m intrigued
could it be that the bakery uses coffee extract or another coffee concentrate product instead of brewed coffee (which is what I would expect the bakery to do)? if so, there would be other flavors from the extract base, such as (cheap) alcohol and possibly sugar.
I know you’re trying to be exact in recreating the recipe, but does the mystery flavor add to the coffeecake, or is the cake better off without it?
Coffee extract – or something like it – could, in fact, be the missing ingredient… Hmm…
Ever consider using tofu in your recipe? I feel as if that would be a very typical ingredient claire’s would add and account for the density of the cake
kate – I’ve never used tofu, and I don’t think she used it in her cake (though it might be worth a try at some point). I think the density comes from a whoooole lot of sour cream and butter…
Hello from Florida! I’m sitting here at 4 am looking for Claire’s recipe and I found your website! Ureka!! My daughter is coming to Fl from CT and all she wants is this cake for her birthday! Have you by any chance duplicated the buttercream recipe?? Thanks a million! I’m off to start baking. M
Hi, I’ve also been searching for the true Claire’s coffee cake receipe and am hugely grateful for your rendition, but now I need the icing recipe! That’s such an integral part! Does anyone have it? Unfortunately, I don’t have the book.
In the book, her recipe for the frosting is as follows:
4 tablespoons butter (room temperature)
4 tablespoons margarine (room temperature)
2 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla
Beat together butter and margarine with an electric mixer until light and creamy, about 3-4 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl and add the confectioners sugar, half a cup at a time, beating about 2 minutes after each addition, until light and creamy. Beat in the vanilla until well combined.
I saw Claire’s recipe here:
http://www.recipelink.com/mf/35/17
and I noticed you left the tablespoon of ground coffee out of the filling in your version. I haven’t tried your recipe yet, but the ground coffee seems like a nice unusual touch, and I wondered why you decided to leave it out.
I’ve made that version of Lithuanian coffee cake before (it’s the first recipe I tried, mentioned in the post). I found the ground coffee gave a bitter flavor to the filling. That said, I used freshly ground coffee, not instant; maybe with instant, the effect would be different.
For this version, I used the ratios and ingredients from Sherry Yard’s book, and I really liked the result — though I should add, I still felt there was *something* missing from the cake. I’m wondering if the batter needs more brewed coffee?!?!?
[…] I found this recipe here, adapted/tweaked it a bit for European ingredients and my own personal taste. Also, as I live in […]
[…] mentioned in my Introduction: Part II. I found this recipe here, adapted/tweaked it a bit for European ingredients and my own personal taste. Also, as I live in […]
I’VE BEEN LOOKING FOR THIS FOR SO LONG!!!
i’m going to try it in cupcakes…
This was FANTASTIC. I baked it tonight and felt like I was back in Nueva Haven. Thanks for posting this!
So glad you enjoyed it!
My friend tried making it and posted her results at the link below. We were both Y ’09, so we loved it dearly – I was just back up for the 2011 commencement and made sure to get a slice before leaving!
http://madhaoguru.blogspot.com/2010/10/claires-cornercopia-lithuanian-coffee.html
I live in New Haven and am enjoying a slice of the cake right now. It is so addictive!! Thanks for trying to replicate the recipe as i know I wont always live here and I know this is something I’ll crave for the rest of my life.
My 88 year old mother saw a story this fall on Claire’s coffee cake, and being 1st generation American Lithuanian was intrigued and asked me to research it for her. Came across your blog and had to try it for our New Year’s Eve dessert. WONDERFUL! My sister and I are 2nd generation Amer/Lith (both sides) but my 1/2 Italian/1/2 Texan husband and Dutch and Scot-Irish/German neighbors all adored this! (My family and friends have a running joke about my baking; if it’s a hit, one or more will say “You may make this again.” I definitely will!) Thanks for a terrific recipe!
I used to work at Claire’s Corner Copia as a cook and a baker. I can tell you and your reader’s for a fact that we never used instant coffee or any other less than first class quality ingredients (pure vanilla extract! Williams & Sonoma offer a great product, Nielsen-Massey Vanilla) .The brown sugar was only used in the filling. Here is some suggestions I have to improve upon your quest. As far as the bitterness of the ground coffee, I suggest you may want to use espresso as it is much more finely ground. Similar to cooking with wine, you should use a coffee that you would want to drink. If you don’t drink coffee I can not help you! If you would like an additional (yet not overpowering) flavor try a hazelnut or dark roast or other such deliciousness.
When it comes to the moisture and denseness of the cake you already have your answer. The secret for which you search is in the sour cream, as well as the creaming process (softened butter, chilled coffee). Try 12oz sour cream, or as much as 16oz.
Good Luck and Enjoy!
– Christopher
I used to work at Claire’s Corner Copia as a cook and a baker. I can tell you and your reader’s for a fact that we never used instant coffee or any other less than first class quality ingredients (pure vanilla extract! Williams & Sonoma offer a great product, Nielsen-Massey Vanilla). The brown sugar was only used in the filling. Here is some suggestions I have to improve upon your quest. As far as the bitterness of the ground coffee, I suggest you may want to use espresso as it is much more finely ground. Similar to cooking with wine, you should use a coffee that you would want to drink. If you don’t drink coffee I can not help you! If you would like an additional (yet not overpowering) flavor try a hazelnut or dark roast or other such deliciousness.
When it comes to the moisture and denseness of the cake you already have your answer. The secret for which you search is in the sour cream, as well as the creaming process (softened butter, chilled coffee). Try 12oz sour cream, or as much as 16oz.
Good Luck and Enjoy!
– Christopher
What about the icing, is it a cream cheese icing or just butter and confectioners sugar?
I’ve been using this recipe for years! And I absolutely love it! I make it all the time. My sister and I just got back from a backpacking trip and the first thing she requested on our drive home was lithuanian coffee cake! So I ran to the store right now (9:13pm) to get the rest of the ingredients to make it! It’s literally a staple in our house. Thank you so much for such an incredible recipe! My family and all my friends that have had it are always amazed at how delicious it is! Many thanks from our happy tummies : )
Claire is a good friend of mine, I see her every time I go back to CT, we even graduated high school together. If she says it’s in the recipe she published, you can take that to the bank. It may be the quality of ingredients she uses – the roast of the coffee, the source of cinnamon and cocoa. I’m wondering how it would work if you soaked the raisins in boiling water with a little vanilla added to plump them up. I do that for my oatmeal cookies and it’s amazing that way. Think I’ll try that when I make this. Claire is an amazing person, one of the finest I’ve ever met.
So I just found this blog entry when I googled Lithuanian Coffee Cake because my friend in CT told me that her wife got her one for her birthday and I didn’t know what it was. Next time I am up in CT I will definitely be going to Claire’s to experience this… But I also might have to try this recipe because it looks amazing. Thanks for sharing!