Fruity Crumb Cake

Hi Everyone!  I’m alive.  Apparently once again the slacker half of this team.  I have been cooking some but one thing I really liked was a delicious summery cake I happened across.  Lately I’ve been baking more because really, that’s my favorite thing to do.  And then I can take it to work and let other people eat it for me! Too bad summer is almost over but I’m sure there are some spare summer fruits hanging around at home or in the store!

This cake is yummy; it’s a pretty simple buttery cake with some fruit compote in the middle and a crumbly, nutty topping.  It’s also very pretty, mostly because it’s got a lovely layer of fruit tucked in the middle not because I’m good at decorating.   It also reminds me of a muffin in the form of a slice of cake therefor making it a breakfast cake.



Fruits before and after

 

Fruity Crumb Cake

Filling
4 oz. fresh raspberries
4 oz. Fresh cherries pitted
2 medium peaches, peeled and sliced
1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch
¼ cup sugar

 

In a saucepan toss the raspberries, cherries and peaches with the cornstarch to coat.  Stir in the sugar and cook over medium until it’s bubbly and thick.  Remove the pan from the heat, mash the fruit a bit and set aside to cool.

Cake
1 egg
½ Cup sour cream
½ Cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 ¼ Cup all-purpose flour
¾ Cup sugar
¾ Cup butter cold & diced
1/3 Cup sliced almonds
½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. salt

Coarse sugar for sprinkling on top

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare a 10-inch tart or spring form pan.  (I think mine was actually 9 inch if it matters)

Stir together the wet ingredients.  In a separate large bowl combine the flour and sugar.  Cut in the butter like you would a pie dough until it creates a coarse meal. 

Remove ½ cup of this mixture and put it in a small bowl and mix it with the almonds.  Set aside.

With the remaining flour mixture whisk in the baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry and use quick stirs until just combined (It will be thick but light like a muffin batter).

Spread about 2/3 of the batter in the bottom and about 1 inch up the sides of the prepared pan. Spoon the reserved fruit mixture over the batter, spreading to cover but leaving a ½ inch border from the sides.  Dollop mounds of batter on top of the fruit mixture and then spread together to make a top layer.  It’s ok if there are some gaps – mine didn’t look too pretty.  Sprinkle the crumb topping over it and then sprinkle with coarse sugar.

Place on baking sheet and bake for about 35 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean, the cake pulls away from the edges of the pan, and it’s a nice golden color on top.  Cool for about 15 min and then remove the sides of the pan.

 

Yum!  I should make this again before there aren’t any more peaches.  I imagine this cake would go well with most fruits.  I can’t really think of winter fruit right now but I’m sure there are some you could cook up and throw in there. (Apologies for the formatting and somewhat large pics, this computer and I still do not get along)