Recipe(tried): Cinnabun Coffee Cake for Bread Machine

Here's a recipe that makes your kitchen smell like the cinnamon bun shop in the mall! I would make a couple of small changes in the topping. My husband says to leave out the oats. I hate to agree with him because he knows NOTHING about baking, but .the oats do offer a texture in the topping that I wasn't too keen on. I would also use a little LESS topping. There's quite a bit and makes the coffee cake overly sweet. Otherwise perfect! From time to time I make homemade cinnamon rolls and this is a nice, easy alternative.

I think this cookbook is my new very favorite. The book is easy to use, chock full of information, filled with terrific sounding recipes and although there are no photos, the layout and drawings are nice.

Cinnabun Coffee Cake
(makes one 13x9-inch coffee cake, serves 6)

This is a coffee cake with all of the flavors of a cinnamon bun, but conveniently made in a cake shape for ease. It is topped with light oat and nut crumbs, and tastes best warm from the oven or reheated.

For 1-1/2 or 2-pound loaf machines

For the dough:

7/8 cup milk

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 large egg yolk

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces

2-1/4 cups, unbleached all-purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons SAF yeast or 2-1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast

For the oat crumb topping:

3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

3/4 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon or apple pie spice

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

Confectioners' Sugar Icing

To make the dough, place all the dough ingredients in the pan according to the order in the manufacturer's instructions. Program for the Dough cycle; press Start. The dough will be soft and sticky, like a thick batter. Don't add any extra flour.

While the Dough cycle is running, prepare the topping. Combine the flour, sugar, oats, pecans, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Rub the butter in with your fingers to make clumped crumbs. You can also do this quickly in a food processor.

Grease a 13-by-9-inch metal or Pyrex baking dish. When the machine beeps at the end of the cycle, press Stop and unplug the machine. With a large rubber spatula, scrape the batter into the pan. Using floured fingers, spread the batter evenly to fill the pan to the edges. Sprinkle with the topping. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (350 degrees F if using a glass pan).

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Place the pan on a wire rack and prepare the icing. With a large spoon, drizzle the top in a back-and-forth pattern. Serve warm, out of the pan.

From The Bread Lover's Bread Machine Cookbook by Beth Hensperger, Harvard Common Press, 2000.