Apple Crumb Coffee Cake

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I will stop short of saying it's the best apple cake ever, but this crumb cake is awfully good and will give all the others you've tried a run for their money. The cake was developed by Rose Levy Beranbaum and the version I'm sharing with you tonight is an adaption that comes from the blog Big Girls Small Kitchen. A layer of fresh apples gives the cake a wonderful moist quality, and the substitution of applesauce for sour cream heightens the cake's apple flavor. This is not a difficult cake to make, but it is a bit more involved than most and you'll want to read the directions carefully before you undertake it. For starters, the crumb topping is actually refrigerated before it is used and the cake is baked in a two step process.The cake gains flavor if  the apples and nut topping are given the opportunity to ripen. I like to make this cake early on the day I plan to serve it, but others like to serve it  warm from the oven. I do hope you'll give this cake a try. It is a marvelous fall dessert and I know your families will love it. Here is how the cake is made.

Apple Crumb Coffee Cake...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Rose Levy Beranbaum and the blog Big Girls Small Kitchen

Ingredients:
Crumb Topping
1 cup pecans
1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup flour
4 tablespoons butter, melted
Cake
1 apple, peeled and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 eggs
2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-3/4 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, at soft room temperature

Directions:
1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously butter a 9-inch round cake pan with high sides. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper and butter it.
2) To make crumb topping: Combine nuts, sugar, and cinnamon in a food processor. Pulse to coarsely chop, then remove about 1/2 cup and set aside. Add 1/2 cup flour and 4 tablespoons butter to processor and pulse until it resembles crumbs. Refrigerate while making cake batter.
3) To make cake: Combine apple and lemon juice. Toss to coat and set aside. Whisk together eggs, 3 tablespoons of applesauce, and vanilla until combined. Set aside. Using a handheld or stand mixer, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add both softened butter and remainder of applesauce and mix for about a minute and a half, until dry ingredients are really well absorbed. Add egg mixture in two parts, beating for a minute in between. Scrape down sides of bowl and mix once more.
Scrape about 2/3 of batter into prepared cake pan. Sprinkle batter with the 1/2 cup of reserved nut/sugar mixture. Top with overlapping apple slices. Spread remaining batter on top of apple layer.
4) To bake cake: Transfer cake to oven and for 35 minutes. Remove crumb topping from refrigerator and sprinkle it over top of cake. Bake for another 20 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Let cake cool in pan for 10 minutes, then loosen sides, invert cake and let cool cool completely on a rack. Yield: 10 servings.

If you have enjoyed your visit here, I hope you'll take a minute to...

      

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Coffee Crumb Cake

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...The coffee cake we know today was not a unique creation.  It evolved in progressions that began with ancient honey cakes and galettes and  morphed into the yeasty sweet rolls, crisp Danish and quick breads that we've come to associate with our breakfast and morning coffee today.  The concept of a coffee cake, or sweet cake that is served with coffee, probably originated in Europe during the 17th century. We have the Germans, Dutch and Scandinavians to thank for them and immigrants from those countries brought their cakes with them to the new world.  The Scandinavians, however, were the group most responsible for making American's a nation of coffee drinkers and coming up with the kind of food that goes well with pots of the steaming brew. While German women brought the Kaffeeklatcsh, an occasion that combined gossip and coffee drinking to the new world, the pot of coffee brewing on the back of stoves in Scandinavian kitchens became synonymous with hospitality and became America's version of England's tea. Despite waves of immigration the term coffee cake  was not used until 1879 when it began to appear now historic cookbooks. Following World War II, promotional campaigns sponsored by organizations representing coffee importers highlighted coffee breaks and the assortment of plain cakes served during those breaks were renamed coffee cakes and  recipes for them became popular in home kitchens.  The recipe I'm featuring today is one of those recipes. It was developed by Nick Malgieri for Saveur magazine. It is a lovely cake and very easy to make.The cake layer is topped by a thick, almost obscene, layer of crumb topping that I think you will love. The crumb layer is so thick that it is hard to tell when the cake is done and I let mine bake for an additional 10 minutes. The next time I make this cake I plan to use a larger pan and cut back on the amount of streusel I place on top of it.  There is such a thing as wretched excess. Having said that, I must again say this cake is delicious and I think those of you try this recipe will be more than happy with the results. Easter is coming and this would be  a great addition to your breakfast or brunch table. Here is how the cake is made. 

Coffee Crumb Cake...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Nick Malgieri and Saveur magazine

Ingredients:
Crumb Topping
1-1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
Cake
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pan
2 cups flour, plus more for pan
1 tablespoon  baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4  cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
2/3 cup milk

Directions:
1) To make  crumb topping: Whisk together flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.  Add butter, and rub into flour mixture with your fingers until large clumps form. Stir in walnuts, and refrigerate until ready to use.
2) To make cake layer:  Heat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease and flour an 8 x 8-inch baking pan and set aside. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and set aside. Beat butter, sugar, and vanilla in another  bowl on medium-high speed with a hand mixer until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg; beat until smooth. Alternately add dry ingredients and milk in 3 batches, beginning and ending with dry ingredients and beating after each addition until just  combined. Scrape batter into pan. Smooth top. Break topping up into large clumps and sprinkle  evenly over batter. Bake until topping is lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in  middle comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Yield: 10 servings.







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Sour Cherry Crumb Cake

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Fruits and berries that are grown in our area are late to market this year. Local strawberries began to appear in farm stands and green markets about 2 weeks ago, but they are still not prime. Each year, I play my own version of Russian roulette, and, to insure the most intense flavor, I postpone buying flats of them for as long as I possibly can. A few years back, I outsmarted myself and we ended up with no berries at all for the freezer or canning kettle. I must be a gambler at heart, because I've postponed going long in berries again this year. The upside to all of this is, that while I'm waiting for strawberries, I've been working on recipes that use sweet or sour cherries. Now, in keeping with my policy of complete disclosure, I must tell you these are not Oregon cherries. They are imported from Washington state to fill market shelves, and, while they are immigrants, they are especially delicious this year. The simple snack cake that I'm featuring today comes from a recipe I've adapted from Martha Stewart's website. The cake is really easy to make and the cherries give it a unique flavor. While I serve this for brunch, it would be a great cake for morning meetings where you would like to serve something new. The cake can be made with fresh or frozen berries. If you use frozen berries, they must be defrosted and drained before they are added to the cake batter. This is a great dessert for those who like their treats barely sweet. Here's the recipe.

Sour Cherry Crumb Cake...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Martha Stewart

Ingredients:
Topping
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for dish
1/3 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dish
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons packed light-brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Cake
1 -1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 1/2 cups (1 pound) fresh sour cherries, pitted

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch square baking dish, and dust with flour, tapping out excess.
2) To make topping: Stir together butter, flour, sugars, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
3) To make cakes: Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. With a mixer, cream butter and granulated sugar in another bowl until pale and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla and almond extract. Working in alternating batches, add flour mixture and buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat until just combined. Pour into prepared pan, and smooth with an offset spatula. Dot top with cherries, and sprinkle with crumb topping. Bake until golden and a tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Let cool before cutting. Yield: 9 servings.

Cook's Note: Frozen cherries, thawed and drained, may be substituted for fresh cherries.









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You might also enjoy these recipes:
New York-Style Crumb Cake - The Galley Gourmet
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Blueberry Crumb Cake, Fats Domino and Blue Monday

Blueberries - partie un: What sparked this meme? I knew I was under fire when the second volley of berries hit me. He was a two-something minx who'd been left sitting in the grocery cart and was using the alone time to raid the berry basket and have a little target practice. That would be me. He was awfully cute; chances are he'll grow up to become a gunnery sergeant - if his mother doesn't kill him first. I held my ground lest he try to stand in the cart before she returned. My 40 yard dash was once the envy of the neighborhood and I stood at the ready should my prowess be needed to prevent bashed brains or sundry injuries. The adrenalin coursed until Mom returned, confirming to me yet again that God takes care of fools, drunks and mischievous baby boys.

Blueberries - partie deux: Ah, the music. Saddle shoes. Poodle skirts. Sock hops. I was 14 when he - all 15 years of him - asked me to dance. This was the song. The path to the altar was neither smooth or straight but we eventually got there. By that time, folk music, protest movements and coffee houses had replaced rock and roll and sock hops had gone the way of the dinosaur. The Weaver's trumped Fats Domino and folks stopped dancing altogether, but it's lovely to sit here in my December and remember the world when it was very young.

Blueberries - partie trois: Finally, it's time to eat, so grab a fork and belly up to the bar. I'm trying to reach the bottom of the freezer before the start of the new berry season. In order to do that, I've decided to have a blueberry bonanza - the first ever theme week on One Perfect Bite. Over the course of the next 7 days you're bound to find something you'll like. So, I hope you share my love of berries and will visit everyday to see what we're up to. First up is a crumb cake based on one developed by Ina Garten. Let's get the berrython started.

Blueberry Crumb Cake

Ingredients:
Streusel Topping:
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
Cake:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature (3/4 stick)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Grated zest of 1 large lemon
2/3 cup reduced-fat plain or vanilla Greek yogurt
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup blueberries (if using frozen do not thaw)
Confectioners' sugar for sprinkling

Directions:
1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9-inch round baking pan.
2) To make streusel, place granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a bowl. Whisk to combine. Stir in melted butter. Add flour. Mix well. Set Aside.with fork to combine and then the flour. Mix well and set aside.
3) To make the cake, cream butter and sugar in bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until light and creamy, about 4 to 5 minutes. Reduce speed to low and add eggs, one at a time, just until incorporated. Add vanilla, lemon zest and yogurt. Place flour, baking powder,, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl. Whisk to combine. Slowly add flour mixture and beat on low speed just till combined. Fold in blueberries. Spoon batter into prepared pan, smoothing top with a knife or offset spatula. Crumble streusel topping over batter. Bake until a cake tester comes out clean, about 40 to 50 minutes. Transfer cake to a rack to cool. Let sit for 20 minutes. Remove from cake pan and cool to room temperature. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. Transfer to cake plate. Yield: 8 servings.