Christmas Tree Coffee Cake Recipes

Steps:

• In large mixing bowl throughly mix 2 cups flour, sugar, salt& dry yeast. Set aside.
• In small saucepan combine milk, water and butter.
• Heat to 130ºF (butter does not need to melt).
• Slowly add liquid to the above dry ingredients; beat for 2 minutes with electric mixer, scraping bowl occasionally.
• Add egg and 1 cup flour.
• Beat at high speed additional 2 minutes.
• Stir in enough remaining flour to make stiff dough (approx. 1 cup).
• Cover tightly.
• Refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 3 days.
• When ready to make rolls, prepare filling.
• In large mixing bowl combine cream cheese, sugar, salt, nutmeg and vanilla.
• Beat just until well blended.
• Stir in drained pineapple.
• Grease 2 large cookie sheets.
• Divide dough in half; keep one half in refrigerator while working with other half.
• On lightly floured surface roll first dough half to an 11" x 10" rectangle.
• Spread with half of the cream cheese pineapple filling.
• Roll up on 11" side- pinch seams to seal.
• Cut into 1" slices and arrange in shape of Christmas tree on cookie sheet.
• Cover lightly with plastic wrap.
• Repeat with remaining dough and filling.
• Let arranged slices rise approximately 1 hour in draft free warm place.
• Preheat oven to 375ºF- Bake 15 minutes; cover with aluminum foil to prevent browning.
• Bake additional 5-10 minutes.
• Remove from oven and allow to cool.
• Place cherries, cut side down in center of each roll.
• Combine powdered sugar with milk and drizzle over the rolls.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray and line with parchment a 9-by-9-inch baking pan; spray the parchment as well.
• For the crumb topping: In a medium bowl, mix the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, instant coffee powder and salt. Add the melted butter and mix until crumbs form that you can clump together in your hand. Set aside.
• For the cake: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and cardamom. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the coffee and sour cream until smooth.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until each is well combined. Then add the vanilla extract and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.
• Starting and ending with the dry ingredients, alternate adding the flour mixture and the coffee mixture to the stand mixer; mix each addition well, scraping the bowl each additions.
• Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and top with crumb topping, spreading it evenly. Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
• Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool for 20 to 30 minutes before cutting and serving.

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the first five ingredients; mix well. Set aside. Drain cherries on paper towels. In a bowl, cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla; mix well. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream. Fold in cherries., Pour half of the batter into a greased 9-in. springform pan; sprinkle with half of the pecan mixture. Top with remaining batter and pecan mixture. Bake at 350° for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen. Remove sides of pan just before serving.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the baking mix, sugar, cinnamon and allspice. Combine the eggs, bananas, milk and vanilla; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Pour into a greased 9-in. square baking pan. , Place the cranberry sauce in a bowl; stir. Spread over batter. Combine topping ingredients; sprinkle over cranberry sauce. Bake at 400° for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove to a wire rack.

Steps:

• To make the frosted leaves and cherries, whisk the egg white with a fork until frothy. Tip the sugar onto a plate. Brush the egg white onto the bay leaves or dip them, then sprinkle the sugar over the leaves and half the cherries to coat. Leave to dry on a sheet of parchment for 6 hrs or until the frosting has completely dried.
• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. For the sponge, butter and line a 30 x 20cm traybake tin with parchment. Beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl with an electric whisk until creamy. Whisk in the eggs, one by one, then sieve and fold in the flour, spices and baking powder. Fold in the yogurt, vanilla and chocolate chips. Tip into the tin, smooth over and bake for 30-35 mins until the sponge is golden and springs back when pressed. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 mins, then turn out onto a wire rack, remove the parchment and leave to cool completely. Or, to make a round cake, see our tip below.
• Reduce the oven to 120C/100C fan/gas ½ and leave the door open briefly to make sure the temperature drops low enough. To make the meringues, whisk the egg white in a large bowl with an electric whisk, or in the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, until stiff peaks form. Continually whisking, add the sugar, 1 tbsp at a time, until it's completely combined. Once it's all added, beat for another 3-4 mins until you get a stiff, shiny meringue. Transfer the mixture to two small piping bags fitted with star and round nozzles. Use a cocktail stick, knife or spoon dipped in the food colouring to paint the inside of the bags in stripes up the length, painting each bag with a different colour and leaving the area nearest the nozzle uncoloured, then fill with meringue. Cover a baking sheet with parchment, using a little of the meringue on the underside to stick it to the tray. Pipe blobs onto it, well spaced apart, to make meringue kisses - they will come out plain first. Bake for 30 mins, then turn off the oven and leave the meringues inside to cool to room temperature. Decorate them with gold leaf or glitter, if you like.
• Press the jam firmly through a sieve to remove any large chunks and stir what's left in the sieve back into the jar. Stir in a few pinches of glitter, if you like, then transfer to a piping bag fitted with a small round nozzle.
• Beat the buttercream ingredients together using an electric whisk until you get a pale, fluffy icing. Transfer to a large piping bag with a wide, round nozzle.
• To cut the sponge into a tree shape, first split the cooled cake into two layers using a cake cutter or serrated knife. Using a ruler or a sheet of baking parchment the same width as the cake, mark a halfway point at the top end of the cake. At the bottom end of the cake, mark it into thirds. Using these as a guide, cut squares from the bottom end of the cake, leaving a centre section for the tree stump, then cut from your middle mark at the top down to the bottom edges to create a Christmas tree shape. Use the off-cuts to make cake pops, or in trifle. Carefully lift off the top sponge using a baking sheet, and pipe blobs of buttercream all over, starting from the outside edge. Chill for 20 mins to firm up. Pipe some of the jam between the buttercream blobs, except the outer edge.
• Position the remaining cake on top, and pipe more icing blobs all over. Add the frosted leaves, frosted and plain cherries, ginger biscuits (see our recipe) and meringues, sprinkle a little glitter over the un-frosted cherries, and pipe on the remaining jam in blobs. Add the biscuits, putting a star-shaped one at the top, and add gold leaf, if you like. Will keep, well covered in the fridge, for two-three days.

Steps:

• Beat together butter (or margarine) and sugar.
• Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Add other ingredients (except pie filling)& combine thoroughly.
• Spread about 1/2 the batter in a 10x15x1" cookie sheet that has been lightly sprayed with cooking spray (pan must have at least 1" sides).
• Place pie filling on top of batter; top the pie filling with remaining 1/2 of batter, spreading it out so that most of the fruit is covered.
• Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes.
• Let cool in pan on wire rack.
• Frost with powdered sugar icing, if desired.

Steps:

• In the bowl of an electric mixer, stir together warm water, yeast, and a pinch of granulated sugar. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, heat 3/4 cup milk in a small saucepan until just steaming. Remove pan from heat. Add saffron; cover, and let steep 5 minutes.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together saffron-milk mixture, butter, eggs, remaining sugar, and salt. Add to yeast mixture. Using the dough-hook attachment, beat until combined, about 1 minute. With mixer on low speed, add flour, 1 cup at a time, until dough pulls away from side of bowl but is still slightly sticky (you may not need the fifth cup of flour). Add raisins, cherries, and zest. Mix until elastic and smooth, 7 to 8 minutes.
• Place dough in a large, lightly oiled bowl, and loosely cover with oiled plastic wrap. Let dough rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour, or refrigerate overnight (let dough come to room temperature before proceeding).
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees, with rack in center. Punch down dough; divide into three equal pieces. Gently roll each into a rope, 18 to 20 inches long and about 1 1/2 inches thick. On a lightly floured work surface, lay ropes vertically in front of you. Working toward yourself, braid ropes; form into a circle, and pinch ends together to seal. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet; loosely cover with lightly oiled plastic wrap; let rise 20 minutes.
• In a small bowl, whisk egg yolk and heavy cream. Brush dough with egg wash. Bake 15 minutes; reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Continue baking until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes more. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool.
• When ready to serve, make icing: In a small bowl, stir together confectioners' sugar and remaining 2 tablespoons milk until smooth; drizzle over cake.

Steps:

• Spoon 1/2 cup vanilla frosting into a bowl. Spread a thin layer over the top of each cupcake with a knife. Refrigerate cupcakes for 30 minutes to make decorating easier.
• Combine remaining 2 cups of vanilla frosting and green food coloring in a bowl; stir until frosting is uniformly green. Add more green food coloring, 1 drop at a time, until your frosting is the color you like.
• Transfer frosting to a piping bag. Working perpendicular to the top of each cupcake, pipe the green frosting around the edge, working inwards in a circular motion to create a tree shape. Repeat with remaining cupcakes.
• Decorate Christmas trees with sprinkles, colored sugar, or candies as the "ornaments" on the trees.