Monkey Bread With A Side Of Monkey Toes

A friend of mine, Maranda of Jolts & Jollies, gave birth to a beautiful baby boy last Monday, August the 8th. Mr. H and I went to visit her in the hospital the very next day when her little man, Baby N, was just one day old (go here to see Baby N). I was so excited to meet him. I got there, smelled him and and held that little bundle of deliciousness in my arms. Then I was told to check out his feet because his toes were incredibly long and "monkey" like. They were and I teased that when he got older he was going to pick things up with his feet. ha ha! Just 3 days later, I went to the doctor and got an ultrasound. We didn't get any clear pictures of his face, but we got a good one of his foot. As soon as the ultrasound tech saw them, she said, "he's got monkey toes!"

This month, for The Cake Slice Bakers, we baked a Hungarian Coffee Cake, also known as Monkey Bread. Because of this months selection, I thought it was perfect timing to share those stinky toes with you all. This Monkey Bread also marks the end of baking from Cake Keeper Cakes from Lauren Chattman. We've been baking from this book for nearly a year already and soon we will bake from a new cake cookbook. It's a secret for now, but I hope to share it with you all next month. I hope it's a good one!

On to this cake...it's Monkey Bread. You've all had it right? Little cakey or yeasty balls of dough, coated in butter and cinnamon sugar all baked together into a Bundt. The end result is a delicious smelling and tasting cake perfect for lazy weekend mornings. I especially liked this cake because it sat out on the counter all day and it was just to easy to walk by and pull a piece off. On the other hand, maybe that's not such a good thing. I halved the recipe and baked it into a 6-cup Bundt rather than making the entire cake, after all it is just the two of us eating for now. My only complaint is that is wasn't so fresh tasting on day two, but that's okay because we ate most of it anyway while it was still warm and gooey straight out of the oven. This version incorporates chopped nuts and raisins into the cake, but it would be equally delicious without them.

Monkey Bread from Cake Keeper Cakes

Printer Friendly Version

For The Topping:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar

For The Cake:

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 9 Tbsp. unsalted butter, chilled
• 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 Tbsp. baking powder
• 3/4 tsp. baking soda
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. buttermilk, plus more if necessary
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, optional
• 1/4 cup raisins, optional

For The Topping: Whisk together the melted butter and light brown sugar. Set aside.

For The Cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a nonstick 12-cup Bundt pan and dust with flour.

Combine the granulated sugar and cinnamon in a sipper-top bag. Cut the butter into a 1/4-inch dice. Place the butter in a small bowl and set it in the freezer while you gather the rest of the baking ingredients.

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the chilled butter pieces and, with an electric mixer , mix on low speed until the mixture resembles coarse meal. (I incorporated my butter into the flour using a pastry cutter.)

Stir in the buttermilk until the mixture just comes together, adding an extra tablespoon or two if the mixture is too dry.

Use a small ice cream scoop or spoon to scoop up balls of dough and transfer them to the zipper top bag. Shake the bag to coat the balls with cinnamon sugar. (I only did about 3 balls of dough at a time, otherwise they stuck together.)

Place the coated balls of dough in the prepared pans, sprinkling nuts and raisins (if using) over them as you go. Pour the melted butter/sugar mixture over the cake.

Bake until the cake is firm and well risen and the caramel is melted, 35 to 40 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan, on a wire rack, for 10 minutes. Invert onto a serving platter and serve immediately.

Store uneaten cake in a cake keeper or wrap in plastic and store at room temperature for up to a day.

NOTE: If halving this recipe, bake in a 6-cup Bundt pan for 35-40 minutes.