# Moravian Sugar Cake



## SharonT (Oct 25, 2006)

Has anyone ever made - or eaten - Moravian Sugar Cake?  I'm not much of a bread maker - but I'm testing this recipe and need some help on how it should look - what is the exact size and configuration of the cakes?  I'm picturing a large, flattish loaf spread onto a sheet pan.  What do you think?
Moravian Sugar Cake
1 cup sugar
½ cup Crisco or ¼ cup Crisco and ¼ cup butter
2 eggs, beaten
1½ teaspoons salt
1½ packages yeast, dissolved in 1 cup potato water
1 cup unseasoned hot mashed potatoes
4 cups all purpose flour
Topping:
2 sticks butter
1 pound light brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ cup whipping cream


Instructions: In a large bowl, cream sugar and Crisco.  Add mashed potatoes, mixing well.  Add eggs, and dissolved yeast.  Add salt and enough flour to make a soft dough (the last portion of flour should be stirred in by hand).
Turn out onto lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic.  Spread evenly onto two large, greased baking pans.  Let rise until doubled in bulk.  
Make indentations with thumb and forefinger and fill with pieces of butter and light brown sugar.  Dust with cinnamon and drizzle cream over surface. 
Bake in 350-degree oven for about 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.


Comments:     Makes 2 large cakes.


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## Barbara L (Oct 30, 2006)

I have never tried this, but it does sound good. I love anything with a brown sugar and cinnamon topping!

 Barbara
P.S. I have looked and have only found one picture:


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## SharonT (Oct 31, 2006)

Oh! thank you.  That photo does help - and in a timely way.   Still have to try this again before Friday.  Will let you know if it comes out well on second go-round.


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## Barbara L (Oct 31, 2006)

I'm like you--I like to know what something is supposed to look like!  I hope it turns out great for you.  I will try it soon too.

 Barbara


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## Mel! (Oct 31, 2006)

What is Crisco?

Mel


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## kyles (Oct 31, 2006)

Crisco is like Cookeen, a hard white fat used in baking. (I am assuming you have Cookeen in Ireland, like we have in England)


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## Gretchen (Oct 31, 2006)

It is a DElicious coffee cake. I would advise you to use all butter throughout the recipe--definitely!!
It should be a pretty thin coffee cake (as made by the Winkler Bakery in Winston-Salem). It is probably no more than 2" and saturated with butter and sugar!!

This recipe is fine for ingredients but a bit low on proper technique. I would go ahead and use 2 packs of yeast.
The batter is very soft--like a cake batter. Beat the first additions of dry ingredients in a mixer and if you need to, do the last by hand, but I do it in the mixer also. It helps develop the gluten in the dough. (I could NEVER knead this dough by hand--it is STICKY!).
Let it rise in a buttered bowl *TWO* times before you bake it. It rises quite quickly.
Spread in your baking pans. Mix the dry topping ingredients and sprinkle over the top. Let it rise a bit, until puffy. I don't let it double. Melt the butter and drizzle evenly over the top. Poke the dough all over quickly with your finger to make the indentations. Don't go all the way to the bottom so it makes a hole (which is what I'm trying to describe by "quickly"). OH, I have never seen a recipe that has cream. And we live in Moravian country. I can't vouch for that as an ingredient or pouring it on top!! I can't imagine.
Bake.

This is the cake that is served at Moravian love feasts, particularly at Christmas time--in church. The potato dough is absolutely lovely and light.
I'll post my recipe for a comparison. Enjoy.

Here is mine. As you see it uses instant potato flakes but don't be put off by that. And I do see a good bit of difference between the two now (particularly in the amount of flour) so you can use what you want (of course), but I do recommend the additional rises

Moravian Sugar Cake
2Pkg. dry yeast
1/3C sugar
1C warm water
2TBS dry milk powder
2TBS instant potato flakes
3/4 tsp salt
2 3/4C flour
2eggs
1/3C butter, melted
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2C or more butter
Sprinkle yeast on warm water. Stir to dissolve. Add dry milk, potato flakes, sugar, sat\lt and 3/4C flour. Beat 2 minutes on medium speed. Add eggs, 1/3C butter and 1 C flour. Beat 2 minutes on high speed. Add 1C flour. Beat by hand with wooden spoon to make a very soft dough. Cover. Let rise until doubled--about 1 hour. Beat down. Let rise again and beat down. Let rise a third time. Stir down. Spread in a greased 12X17 pan. Let rise until very puffy but not doubled.
Make a mixture of brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle over the top of dough. Make deep indentations with your finger over surface of dough. Drizzle melted butter over dough. Bake at 375* for 15 minutes or until golden.


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## Mel! (Oct 31, 2006)

Hello Kyles

Thanks for the info.
So crisco would be like lard. I think i know it. 
But i have been living in Germany,for the last  4 years, so have forgotten the brand names of things in Ireland.

Mel


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## Gretchen (Oct 31, 2006)

Crisco is really not quite like lard.  If you want a sub, I would use butter or margarine, not lard.  Lard is great for pie crusts and some other goodies, but I don't think cakes is one of them. It is probably possible--but I would look for something else I believe.


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## SharonT (Oct 31, 2006)

Gretchen!  Thank you so much for the wealth of detail on this!   I know I'll make a success of it now and have lots to say about the recipe!


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## Gretchen (Oct 31, 2006)

I have made this for probably 30+ years. I give a pretty good number as gifts on Christmas and we eat a pretty good number if the children are home. It is a lovely cake because it isn't so very sweet--a real coffee cake.


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## Mel! (Nov 1, 2006)

Thanks Gretchen

I will do that.

Mel


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