Generally, the concept of coffee cakes is a fairly limited one. The cakes are usually sweet, with a moist and somewhat dense crumb that holds up well to being eaten alongside a hot drink or just held in your hand - like a muffin. There are actually a lot of things that could potentially fall under the "coffee cake" umbrella if you consider it to apply to all breakfast breads, quick and yeasted, sweet and savory. Coffee Cakes: Simple, Sweet, and Savory has over 50 recipes for all kinds of coffee cakes and breads that are "perfect for breakfast, brunch, picnics, and desserts."
Honestly, the label of "coffee cake" doesn't really work for all the recipes in this book in my opinion. Ruby Grape Focaccia? Not coffee cake. That being said, the name is really the only problem with this book. Content-wise, it is very appealing for someone who likes to bake more than cookies because of the wide variety of cakes and breads if offers, most of which will be very appealing to family, friends or whoever you like to share with. The recipes - like Cranberry-Pecan-Orange Coffee Cake, Cinnamon-Apple Walnut Torte, Cheese-Swirled Chocolate Bundt Cake, Holiday Cranberry-Nut Bourbon Cake, French Prune Plum Cake and, on the savory side, Olive-Herb Potato Fougasse - are easy to follow and there are great color photos to tempt you as you try to pick out what to make first.
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