Hungarian Coffee Cake

Hungarian Coffee Cake
(Lorene Burkhart from Home on the Farm: If Chickens Could Talk)

For coffee cake:

• 3/4 cup lukewarm milk
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup soft shortening
• 1 package active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup lukewarm water
• 1 egg
• 3 1/2 to 3 3/4 cups sifted flour
  

For toppings/accents:

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup finely chopped nuts
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1/2 cup raisins, divided
  
  Mix together lukewarm milk, 1/4 cup sugar, salt and shortening.
  Soften contents of yeast package in lukewarm water; let stand for five minutes. Stir gently, add to the milk mixture, add 1 egg, mix well.
  
  Add sifted flour (just enough to make dough easy to handle), mixing first with a spoon and then by hand.
  
  Turn onto a lightly floured board, cover and allow to rest for 10 minutes; knead until smooth and elastic. Shape into a ball and place in a greased bowl. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise until doubled (about 2 hours). Punch down, shape into ball and let rise once more until not quite doubled, about 45 minutes. Punch down, shape and place on board; cover and let rest 15 minutes.
  
  Cut dough into walnut-size pieces and form into balls.
  
  Combine 3/4 cup sugar, cinnamon and nuts. Roll each dough ball in butter, then in the sugar/cinnamon/nut mixture. Place one layer of dough balls in a greased 9-inch tube pan so they barely touch; sprinkle with 1/4 cup raisins. Add another layer of balls and sprinkle with the remaining raisins, pressing them into crevices. Cover with damp cloth and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.
  
  Bake at 375 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately loosen sides of cake from pan with a spatula. Invert cake on a plate. Break apart and serve.