This Copycat Sara Lee Butter Streusel Espresso Cake is like the unique recipe—solely higher! The wealthy, buttery filling is good with a touch of heat spice. The pastry is tender and lightweight, with moist layers that soften in your mouth. On high, the crumbly, buttery streusel provides simply the correct amount of crunch. When you cherished Sara Lee’s espresso cake, you’ll love this recipe much more!
This can be a visitor publish from Stacy and Jordan over at FoodPrepGuide.com.
Copycat Sara Lee Butter Streusel Espresso Cake
Christmas morning traditions are one thing particular in each household.
For mine, one custom that was at all times on the breakfast desk was the enduring Sara Lee Butter Streusel Espresso Cake.
That wealthy, buttery cake topped with candy, cinnamon-streusel goodness turned synonymous with the vacation season in our house.
Sadly, a number of years in the past, Sara Lee discontinued this beloved espresso cake, and we have been unreasonably disillusioned.
However the place there’s a will, there’s a method!
Decided to maintain the custom alive, I got down to recreate this espresso cake at house.
Whereas it’s not a precise duplicate (Sara Lee used imitation butter for that salty, signature taste), this selfmade model is completely scrumptious and brings all of the consolation and vacation nostalgia again.
One of the best half?
It’s really very easy to make, and you may freeze it forward of time for baking on Christmas morning.
Let me stroll you thru find out how to make this mouth-watering espresso cake, which makes two smaller espresso muffins—excellent for sharing or saving some for later.
Additionally, for the file, this isn’t only a Christmas dish.
We additionally make it for the occasional Saturday or Sunday brunch!
Why You’ll Love This Sara Lee Butter Streusel Espresso Cake Copycat Recipe
This recipe brings the magic of the basic Sara Lee Espresso Cake proper to your kitchen. Right here’s why you’re going to like it:
- Wealthy Buttery Filling: This cake is loaded with a candy dough and a wealthy buttery filling that’s candy and warmly spiced.
- Scrumptious Streusel Topping: The buttery, crumbly topping is made with brown sugar and simply the appropriate contact of spice. It provides a pleasant crunch and melts in your mouth.
- Impressed by a Traditional: When you’ve ever cherished the unique Sara Lee Butter Streusel Espresso Cake, this copycat recipe will deliver again all of the recollections. However right here’s the most effective half—it’s made with out sodium benzoate, excessive fructose corn syrup, or any synthetic taste!
- Nice for Any Event: Serve it heat from the oven for breakfast, as a day snack, or because the centerpiece for a vacation dessert unfold.
When you’re making this for Christmas like we do, then make sure you strive our 5-ingredient Christmas Cookies!
Substances for Copycat Sara Lee Butter Streusel Espresso Cake
Right here’s what it’s essential to make this Copycat Sara Lee Butter Streusel Espresso Cake recipe.
Yow will discover measurements and directions on the recipe card on the backside.
Dough Substances
- Milk: Ensure it’s at room temperature so the yeast can do it’s factor.
- Cream cheese: Provides a luscious texture and refined tang for a cake that tastes wealthy and irresistible.
- Butter: Use actual butter at room temperature for the most effective, most genuine taste.
- Sugar: This sweetens the dough good and balances out the flavors.
- Egg: A complete egg helps bind the elements and retains the dough tender and easy.
- Immediate yeast: Will get the dough rising shortly, creating these ethereal, moist layers that make this cake so scrumptious.
- Salt: Enhances the flavors and retains the sweetness completely balanced.
- Flour: You need to use all-purpose flour for this recipe.
Filling Substances
- Brown sugar: Provides a scrumptious, caramel-like sweetness to the filling.
- Flour: Retains the filling collectively so it stays put whereas baking.
- Cinnamon: Brings a heat, comforting taste.
- Pumpkin pie spice: Including pumpkin pie spice provides a contact of fall flavors.
- A little bit of milk: Brushed over the dough to assist the filling stick and preserve all the things moist.
Streusel Topping
- Flour: Kinds the bottom of the scrumptious, crumbly topping.
- Brown sugar and sugar: An ideal mix of sweetness that crowns the cake superbly.
- Cinnamon: Provides that basic espresso cake taste.
- Butter: Actual butter creates the wealthy, crumbly texture that’s a trademark of an ideal butter streusel espresso cake.
Learn how to Make a Butter Streusel Espresso Cake
Make the Dough
- Begin by mixing milk, cream cheese, butter, sugar, and egg in a big bowl.
- Add within the immediate yeast, salt, and flour. Combine all the things till you get a shaggy dough. If it feels a bit sticky, sprinkle in a bit extra flour till it’s simpler to deal with.
- Knead the dough till it’s easy and has a tender dough texture. When you’re utilizing an electrical mixer at medium velocity, this may take about 4 minutes.
- As soon as prepared, place the dough in a bowl, cowl it with plastic wrap, and let it rise in a heat spot for about an hour.
For a heat proofing spot, strive placing the bowl within the oven with simply the sunshine on—no want to show it on!
Put together the Filling & Streusel
- Whereas the dough rests, it’s time to make the filling and the crumb topping.
- For the filling, mix brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice in a small bowl. Combine till easy to eliminate any lumps.
- Subsequent, make the streusel. In one other mixing bowl, stir collectively flour, brown sugar, sugar, and cinnamon. Pour in melted butter and blend till it varieties a crumbly texture.
Assemble the Espresso Cake
- As soon as the dough is prepared, flip it out onto a floured floor. Roll it right into a rectangle, about 14 x 12 inches. Don’t stress in regards to the precise measurement—simply intention for a protracted, flat form.
- Brush the dough with a bit milk to assist the filling stick. Unfold the filling evenly over the dough. Minimize the dough into 4 lengthy strips.
- Roll every strip up such as you would for cinnamon rolls, sealing the perimeters to maintain the filling inside. Then, coil the strips into two spirals and place them in greased cake pans. No cake pan? No drawback—any oven-safe dish will do.
- Sprinkle the crumb topping generously over every cake. Use your fingers to interrupt up any massive crumbs for that excellent, even texture.
Let Rise Once more & Bake
- Let the assembled muffins rise for one more half-hour in a heat spot.
- When you’re making these forward of time, you may freeze them at this stage and bake them later. In any other case, bake them straight away.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake the muffins for 30-35 minutes, or till they flip golden brown and your kitchen smells like heaven.
Different Desserts to Love
Serve & Get pleasure from
Take away the muffins from the oven and allow them to cool barely earlier than serving.
I like to pair this espresso cake with a cup of espresso and selfmade espresso creamer.
Recipe Variations
- Add a Candy Drizzle: As soon as your heat cake is prepared and cooled barely, add a powdered sugar glaze. Combine powdered sugar with a bit sizzling milk and a splash of vanilla extract for a candy topping.
- Add Nuts: Toss in some pecan halves or chopped walnuts into the streusel topping for added crunch.
- Swirled Filling: Use a swirl knife to softly mix the filling into the dough for a marbled impact.
Tricks to Make Forward and Freeze
When you’re getting ready these espresso muffins forward of time, you may freeze them proper after including the streusel topping.
Wrap the unbaked muffins tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil.
While you’re able to bake them, merely allow them to thaw at room temperature for an hour, after which enable them to rise for about half-hour earlier than baking as directed.
Whereas it might not be the precise Sara Lee espresso cake from years previous, this selfmade model comes extremely shut. We hope you like it as a lot as we do!
Go to Stacy and Jordan over at FoodPrepGuide.com the place they train conventional abilities like canning, gardening, pantry administration, and extra. Plus get their free week-by-week plan to construct up a 12 months’s value of shelf-stable meals.
Copycat Sara Lee Butter Streusel Espresso Cake
Dough Substances:
- 3/4 cup milk room temperature
- 6 tablespoons cream cheese room temperature
- 6 tablespoons butter room temperature
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 package deal immediate yeast or 2 and 1/4 teaspoons
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
Filling Substances:
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- A little bit of milk for brushing the dough
For the Streusel Topping:
- 1 1/4 cups flour
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup melted butter then cooled
Making the Dough
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Begin by combining the milk, cream cheese, butter, sugar, and egg in a bowl. Add within the yeast, salt, and flour. Combine all the things collectively till it varieties a shaggy dough.
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If it’s a bit sticky, don’t fear—simply add a small quantity of additional flour.
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Knead the dough till it’s tender and easy (about 4 minutes if you happen to’re utilizing a stand mixer with a dough hook).
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As soon as the dough reaches a pleasant, tender texture, place it in a bowl and canopy it. Let it rise in a heat place for about an hour or till it appears puffy and ethereal.
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I wish to put it in my oven with simply the sunshine on for a protected proofing spot.
Making ready the Filling & Streusel
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Whereas the dough rises, you may put together the filling and streusel.
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For the filling, mix brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice (or nutmeg) in a small bowl. Combine effectively to interrupt up any lumps.
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Subsequent, make the streusel topping by mixing collectively flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and sugar. Then, pour within the melted butter and blend till it varieties a crumbly combination.
Assembling the Espresso Cake
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After the dough has risen, flip it out onto a floured floor. Roll it out right into a rectangle, roughly 14 inches by 12 inches. You don’t must get your tape measure out—simply intention for a protracted rectangular form.
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Subsequent, brush the dough with milk. This helps the filling persist with the dough and retains it good and moist. Sprinkle the ready filling evenly throughout the dough, then lower the dough into 4 strips.
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Roll up every strip, pinching the perimeters to seal within the filling, similar to you’d with cinnamon rolls.
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Subsequent, coil the strips into two spirals (one for every espresso cake) and place them into greased pie pans. When you don’t have pie pans, you may make do with any oven-safe dish.
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High every espresso cake with the buttery streusel topping. For the most effective consequence, attempt to break up the butter into good, crumbly items as you sprinkle it on high.
The Second Rise & Baking
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Now, let the espresso muffins rise for one more half-hour in a heat spot.
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When you’re making them forward of time, you may skip this step, wrap them up, and freeze them for baking on Christmas morning.
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If baking straight away, after the second rise, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and bake for half-hour, or till golden brown and aromatic.
