Yeasted Sugar Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Sponge: In a medium bowl, whisk together milk and yeast. Stir in flour with a wooden spoon and set aside until mixture is fully alive with billions of beautiful bubbles, about 20 minutes.
• Dough: In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down bowl and add flour and salt. Beat on low until a crumbly dough forms.
• Scrape down bowl once more and add sponge. Switch to dough-hook attachment and beat on medium-low until dough gathers around hook and mostly cleans sides of bowl, 6 to 8 minutes. Scrape dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently to form a ball. Return to mixer bowl, cover with beeswax wrap or plastic, and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours. Meanwhile, play a few rounds of gin rummy.
• Filling: In a small bowl, whisk together oil and flour until combined to make the "pan goo". (This mixture can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 2 weeks). Generously brush a 10-inch tube pan with pan goo; set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together granulated sugar and cinnamon. In another small bowl, toss fresh blueberries with flour. With floured hands, punch down dough and transfer to a lightly floured surface. Dust top of dough with flour and roll out into a 14-by-18-inch rectangle, with a long side facing you. Brush with about 2 tablespoons melted butter and sprinkle evenly with cinnamon sugar, fresh and dried blueberries, and pecans.
• Starting on one of the long ends, roll dough into a tight spiral, lifting and tugging to capture all nuts and berries. Gently place in prepared pan, seam-side down, and overlap ends. Brush with remaining butter, including in area between overlapping ends of dough. Cover pan with beeswax wrap or plastic and place in a warm spot to rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
• At least 30 minutes before baking, preheat oven to 350°F, with a rack in lower third. Lightly beat together egg and salt. When dough has risen, brush top of cake with beaten egg and sprinkle liberally with pearl sugar. Cut slits in dough on the bias, about 1 inch deep, using kitchen shears.
• Bake until cake is deep golden brown and firm to the touch, and a thermometer inserted in center registers 200°, 60 to 70 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack. Let cake rest in pan 15 minutes, then carefully flip out and invert again onto rack; let cool completely.
• Glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together confectioners' sugar and about 1 tablespoon milk. Continue adding milk by the teaspoonful until it forms a glaze that coats the back of a spoon. Drizzle over cake in diagonal swaths. Slice with a serrated knife to serve.

Steps:

• To proof yeast, add a pinch of sugar to the yeast in lukewarm water (hot water will kill the yeast action). If it foams, it is good.
• In large mixing bowl, cream eggs, salt, sugar & shortening till smooth.
• Gradually add warm milk & mashed potatoes, stirring a bit. Then add yeast, mixing well. Add flour, a cup at a time, until dough is stiff enough to turn out on a floured board.
• Knead dough until soft & spongy (about 10-15 minutes by hand, or if done in a food processor, mix until it forms a ball). Place in large greased bowl in a draft free, warm place & cover with a damp towel. Let dough double in size (approx. 2-3 hours).
• Punch down and divide dough.
• Place in greased pie pans or large cookie sheets, cover & let double in size again (approx. 1 ½ hrs.).
• Spread melted butter on top of cakes, punching holes in dough about 1 inch apart with fingers. Be careful not to punch down to bottom of pan but only half way down. Mix the topping thoroughly & pour into holes in the dough.
• Sprinkle remaining crumbs over top & sprinkle with cinnamon.
• Bake in pre-heated oven at 350 for 20 minutes or until golden & fully baked on the bottom. Serve warm.

Steps:

• Butter 9 inch springform tart or cake pan. Dust with granulated sugar. Put 1/4 cup warm water in the bowl of an electric mixer. Stir in 1 teaspoon of the sugar and the yeast. Set aside to proof.
• In a separate bowl, whisk the warm milk with the egg and yolks, vanilla, remaining sugar and salt. When the yeast is foamy, with the mixer at low speed, beat in the milk and egg mixture.Start adding the flour 1/2 cup at a time and beat on medium speed until smooth.
• Once all the flour has been added and the batter is smooth, scrape down the bowl once or twice to make sure everything is incorporated, then beat in the soft butter. Raise the speed to medium high and beat until the batter is smooth and glossy, 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth it out.