Yeasted Sugar Cake

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup warm milk
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 6 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar

Directions

1. Combine the yeast and 1 teaspoon of the sugar with 1/4 cup warm water in a small bowl; set it aside until it turns foamy, about 10 minutes. In a mixing bowl, whisk the flour with the remaining sugar and the salt. Pour in the yeast mixture, milk, and eggs, then beat the batter until smooth; a wooden spoon works just fine. Add 4 tablespoons of the butter and beat with some energy until the mixture looks glossy and silky. Scrape the bowl, cover it, and let the batter rise until it has doubled, about 45 minutes.
2. Lightly coat a 9-inch cake pan with butter. Deflate the dough by stirring it, scrape it into the prepared pan, and press it into an even disk. If you can, make the remaining 2 tablespoons butter extra-soft in the microwave or by setting it on top of a hot stove for 1 minute. Spread that soft butter across the dough, then scatter the brown sugar over it. If the butter is still too firm to spread, pinch it into little pieces and dot them over the dough before adding the sugar. Set the dough aside for another 30 minutes, and preheat the oven to 400.
3. Bake until the cake has risen well and the sugar on top is starting to melt and brown, about 25 minutes. Look for cracks across the top. If you use an 8-inch cake pan, it may still be a bit underdone at 30 minutes, even when the surface is very brown and crackly. Let the cake cool for a short time, then remove it from the pan and serve it warm. To reheat, split the cake and warm it in a 400 degree oven for about 5 minutes.