Sheri Kratcha, of Avoca, Wisconsin, provided this recipe to taste of home at https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/danish-coffee-cakes/print/.

Danish Coffee Cake is more than a staple in Wisconsin, it is found in restaurants, groceries and made in homes throughout the state. Some recipes add cream cheese, almond, blueberry, raspberry or strawberry filling … and more. Last Thanksgiving, there was a pumpkin filling.

The first recipe is the simple iced cake with a cream cheese and poppy seed filling.

The second is a Butter-Pecan Kringle Recipe by King Arthur Baking at https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/butter-pecan-kringle-recipe.

Danish Coffee Cake Ingredients:

1 pkg. (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast

1/4 c. warm water (110° to 115°)

4 c. all-purpose flour

1/4 c. sugar

1 t. salt

1 c. shortening

1 c. warm 2% milk (110° to 115°)

2 lg eggs, lightly beaten

Filling:

1 pkg. (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

3/4 c. sugar

2 T. all-purpose flour

1 lg egg, lightly beaten

1 t. poppy seeds

1 t. vanilla extract

1/2 t. lemon extract

Icing:

1 c. confectioners’ sugar

2 T. milk

1/8 t. vanilla extract

Directions:

Dissolve yeast in warm water. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt; cut in shortening until crumbly. Add the yeast, milk and eggs; beat until smooth (dough will be soft). Do not knead. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

For filling, in a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar and flour until smooth. Add egg, poppy seeds and extracts; blend.

Punch dough down. Turn onto a well-floured surface; divide into thirds. Return two portions to the refrigerator. Roll remaining portion into a 14×8”. rectangle; place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Spread a third of the filling down center of rectangle.

On each long side, cut 3/4”wide strips, about 2 1/4”. into the center. Starting at one end, fold alternating strips at an angle across filling. Pinch ends to seal. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 min. Preheat oven to 350°.

Bake 20-25 min. or until golden brown. Cool on pans on wire racks. Combine icing ingredients; drizzle over coffee cakes.

Butter-Pecan Kringle

Butter Pecan Kringle Ingredients:

Base

8 T. unsalted butter, cut into pats

1 c. flour

1/2 t. salt (reduce to 1/4 t. if using salted butter)

1/4 c. cold water

Pastry

1 c. water

8 T. unsalted butter

1/2 t. salt (reduce to 1/4 t. if using salted butter)

1 c. flour

3 lg eggs, room temperature

1/2 t. butter-rum flavor, eggnog, or vanilla-butternut flavor, optional but delicious

Topping

12 oz.s caramel, cut from a block (about 1 c., packed); or about 3 doz. individual fres (not hard) caramel candies, unwrapped (add a couple of T. milk or cream when melting, to keep them soft on the kringle)

2 c. toasted pecan halves

Glaze

1 c. confectioners’ sugar or glazing sugar

2 T. heavy cream, half-and-half, or milk, enough to make a thick but pourable glaze

1/8 t. butter-rum flavor, eggnog flavor, or vanilla-butternut flavor, optional but good

Pinch of salt

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) a baking sheet that’s at least 18″ x 13″; or a 14″ round pizza pan.

For the base: Mix together the butter, flour, and salt in a medium bowl until crumbly. Add the water, a T. at a time, mixing in between until you’ve made a soft, sticky dough. 

Wet your hands, pick up the dough, and shape it into a 12″ x 8″ oval ring on the sheet pan; or a 10″ ring in the pizza pan. This will be messy, keep wetting your fingers and pushing it into a ring. An easy way to approach this is to first divide the dough into four pieces; roll each piece into a 9″ rope, then connect the ropes and shape them into a ring.

For the pastry: Place the water, butter, and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the flour all at once and stir vigorously until the mixture is cohesive and forms a ball. Transfer the batter to a mixing bowl and beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating until each egg is absorbed before adding the next. Add your choice of flavoring at the end.

Spread or pipe the pastry over the ring, to make an oval of pastry that completely covers the oval of dough. Bake for 50 to 60 min., until deep golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool.

For the topping: Melt the caramel in a heatproof measuring cup at half power in the microwave in 30-sec. bursts, stirring after each round, until the caramel is smooth. Pour the caramel over the pastry and immediately top with the toasted pecans. Cool.

For the glaze: Whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, salt, flavoring, and enough cream (or milk) to make a pourable glaze. Drizzle over the kringle before serving.