By April 2025. Dale Holloway died of a stroke. Seventy-seven. Newton. The phone call from the hospital. Kevin's face. The face I know — the face of someone receiving the news that changes the face. Kevin's father. Not a complicated man, not a dramatic man, a steady man who sold insurance and married Phyllis and had two sons and lived in Newton and died in April with the specific undramatic finality of a man whose life was quiet and whose death was quiet and whose absence will be quiet too, the way the Holloways are quiet, the way Kevin is quiet, the way a good life can end without fanfare and still be a good life.
I cooked. Of course I cooked. Casseroles for Craig and his family. Food for the funeral. The Iowa tradition — grief arrives with 9x13 pans. Kevin ate and didn't taste and I understood because I've been there, on the other side of the casserole, eating without tasting, the food going in and the grief staying put.
Roger called Kevin. The two men — the widower and the new orphan — talked for eight minutes. I don't know what they said. I know it was enough. Roger knows loss. Kevin is learning. The curriculum is the same. The teacher is the loss itself.
The casseroles went to Craig’s family, the way they’re supposed to — 9x13 pans, Iowa tradition, grief arriving in foil. But I wanted something different for Kevin, something that wasn’t about feeding a crowd but about sitting down quietly with a cup of coffee the morning after. Dale was a steady, undramatic man, and a Danish Coffee Cake felt right for that — something tender and a little sweet, the kind of thing you slice without ceremony and eat while the house is still. I’ve made it more than once since April, and each time it feels less like baking and more like keeping him company.
Danish Coffee Cake
Prep Time: 30 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 55 min | Servings: 12
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
- 1/2 cup cold butter, divided
- 1 cup water, divided
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons butter, softened
- 2–3 tablespoons milk or cream
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
Instructions
- Make the pastry base. In a medium bowl, cut 1/4 cup cold butter into 1 cup flour until crumbly. Sprinkle in 2 tablespoons cold water and mix just until a soft dough forms. Divide in half and press each half into a 3x12-inch strip on an ungreased baking sheet.
- Make the choux topping. In a saucepan, bring remaining 1/2 cup water and 1/4 cup butter to a boil. Remove from heat. Stir in remaining 1 cup flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time until glossy. Stir in almond extract.
- Top and bake. Spread the choux topping evenly over each pastry strip. Bake at 350°F for 22–25 minutes, until puffed and golden. Let cool completely on the pan.
- Make the glaze. Whisk together powdered sugar, softened butter, vanilla extract, and enough milk to reach a drizzleable consistency.
- Finish. Drizzle glaze generously over the cooled pastry strips. Scatter toasted sliced almonds on top. Slice crosswise to serve.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 265 | Protein: 4g | Fat: 12g | Carbs: 35g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 115mg