By I made tamales — not for an order, not for a holiday. Just because. Because the kitchen needed Rosa's presence and the tamales are how Rosa visits. Each tamale is a minute of meditation. Spread, fill, fold, steam. The rhythm is the prayer. The prayer is the tamale. And the tamale is the day.
The tamales brought Rosa back, and the kitchen held that feeling long after the steam had cleared. I needed to keep my hands moving, keep the rhythm going — so I turned to this lemon pull-apart coffee cake, because pulling it apart layer by layer felt like the same kind of prayer. It’s not fancy, and it’s not fast, but that’s exactly the point. When you need to stay present, you bake something that asks you to stay.
Lemon Pull-Apart Coffee Cake
Prep Time: 30 min | Cook Time: 35 min | Total Time: 1 hr 5 min | Servings: 10
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, divided
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (1 standard packet)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup whole milk
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tbsp lemon zest (from about 2 lemons)
- Lemon Sugar Filling:
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp lemon zest
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- Lemon Glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 2–3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Activate the yeast. In a small bowl, combine warm water (about 110°F) and warm milk. Sprinkle in the yeast and a pinch of sugar. Let sit 5–7 minutes until foamy.
- Mix the dough. In a large bowl, whisk together 2 cups of flour, sugar, and salt. Add the yeast mixture, softened butter, eggs, and lemon zest. Stir until a shaggy dough forms, then gradually add remaining flour until the dough is soft but not sticky.
- Knead and rise. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place in a greased bowl, cover with a clean towel, and let rise in a warm spot for 1 hour or until doubled.
- Make the filling. Stir together the 3/4 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons lemon zest in a small bowl until fragrant and combined. Set aside with the melted butter.
- Shape the layers. Punch down the dough and roll it out on a floured surface into a 12x20-inch rectangle. Brush the entire surface with melted butter, then sprinkle evenly with the lemon sugar mixture.
- Cut and stack. Cut the dough crosswise into 5 equal strips. Stack the strips on top of each other, then cut the stack into 6 equal sections. Stand the sections cut-side up in a greased 9x5-inch loaf pan, fanning them slightly so the layers show.
- Second rise. Cover loosely and let rise 30–45 minutes until puffy and nearly to the rim of the pan.
- Bake. Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake for 30–35 minutes until deep golden brown on top. If the top browns too quickly, tent loosely with foil in the last 10 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
- Glaze and serve. Whisk together powdered sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla until smooth. Drizzle over the warm cake. Serve immediately — pull apart the layers at the table.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 340 | Protein: 5g | Fat: 10g | Carbs: 58g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 140mg