Sunday Brunch: Yeasted Sugar Cake Recipe

1. 1

   Stir the yeast and 1 teaspon of the sugar into 1/4 cup warm water in a small bowl and let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.

2. 2

   In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, remaining sugar, and salt. Add the yeast mixture, milk, and eggs and beat until smooth; I just used a wooden spoon. Add 4 tablespoons of the butter and beat vigorously until the batter is silky. Scrape down the sides, cover, and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.

3. 3

   Lightly butter a 9-inch cake pan. Stir down the dough, scrape it into the pan, and pat it into a disk of uniform thickness. If possible, soften the remaining two tablespoons butter even more in a microwave or by letting them sit atop a hot stove for a minute. Rub this softened butter all over the dough and then sprinkle with the brown sugar. (My butter was not soft enough to rub, so I pinched it into small lumps and dotted the dough with butter before sprinkling with sugar.) Leave the dough to rise 30 minutes more and preheat the oven to 400.

4. 4

   Bake the cake until well risen and the sugar has begun to melt and brown, about 25 minutes. The surface should be covered with cracks. (I was using an 8-inch cake pan and it was still a little underbaked at 30 minutes, despite a very brown and crackly top.) Let cool briefly. Unmold and serve warm. (Cake can also be split and reheated in a 400 degree oven for 5 minutes or so.)

* Per serving · 4 servings · Values may vary.

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