Chocolate Cinnamon Coffee Cake

I don't normally like coffee cake. Good coffee cake yes. But let's face it, not all coffee cake is good. The stuff with the brown sugary looking crumbles on top? While it's just not my personal taste, although I have had some that were really good, I usually will pass on it. Mention 'coffee cake' and I'm out.


This one caught my attention though as it doesn't have the crumbles on top. It has chuncks of chocolate and nuts instead. It was featured on the homepage of Yahoo! and linked to the page for it on Bon Appetit.


I haven't tried it yet, but I will soon. It looks too good to pass up.


Chocolate Cinnamon Coffee Cake


If you like, serve this with whipped cream or an extra dollop of yogurt. Servings: 12 


INGREDIENTS
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan 
½ cup blanched hazelnuts, chopped 
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped  
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon 
1 cup sugar, divided
2 cups all-purpose flour 
¾ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 cup plain whole Greek yogurt 


PREPARATION
8" square baking pan


Preheat oven to 350°. Butter 8” square baking pan; set aside. Toss hazelnuts, chocolate, cinnamon, and ¼ cup sugar in a bowl. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat butter and remaining ¾ cup sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in vanilla. Add eggs one at a time, beating to blend between additions and occasionally scraping down sides of bowl. With mixer on low speed, add dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with yogurt in 2 additions, beginning and ending with dry ingredients.


Pour half of batter into prepared pan and smooth top; top with half of hazelnut mixture. Spoon remaining batter over and smooth top; top with remaining hazelnut mixture. Bake cake until top is golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 40–45 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack; let cake cool in pan before turning out.


DO AHEAD: Cake can be made 1 day ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.
Recipe by Duane Sorenson

Finding new things

Potica, or for those who know it's correct Slovenia pronounciation Po-teet-sah, looks like a tasty treat.  I found the following link for Potica for sale on the Gourmet Slueth website on the side of the recipe for the Vietnamese Salad Rolls.  I had a look, thought it looks tasty and went in search of a recipe.

Part of the problem with finding new things as stated when I found one for this, is the correct spelling and the pronounciations of the word(s). Sort of like another dish I will be trying for the first time and posting here too.  Once you know the spelling, looking it up is easy. 
From the AllRecipes.com website-

I give you Potica

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup milk, lukewarm
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 6 egg yolks
• 1 1/3 cups milk
• 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter, melted
• 1 cup honey
• 1 1/2 cups raisins
• 1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Directions

1. In a small mixing bowl, dissolve yeast, 1 teaspoon sugar, and 3 tablespoons of the flour in warm milk. Mix well, and let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
2. In a large mixing bowl cream the butter with the remaining sugar. Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the yeast mixture, remaining milk, 4 cups of flour and the salt; mix well. Add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
3. Lightly grease one or two cookie sheets. Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into two equal pieces and roll Out to 1/4 to 1/2 inch thickness. Spread each piece with melted butter, honey, raisins, walnuts and cinnamon. Roll each piece up like a jelly roll and pinch the ends. Place seam side down onto the prepared baking sheets. Let rise until double in volume. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for about 60 minutes or until the top is golden brown.