The Most Perfect Cinnamon Fruit Crumble Cake from the Eat In My Kitchen Book
Guest post by Half Baked Harvest / Tieghan Gerard
Who’s up for cake today?
Cool, because I may just have the best cinnamon apple crumble cake in all the land. All you need to decide is whether to eat it for breakfast, lunch or dinner? Because really, when is cake not the most perfect thing ever? Truth… it’s always perfect, any time of day! But especially this cake, it’s loaded with apples, is crazy buttery, and topped with the most cinnamony crumble ever.
I’m not sure if you guys know this or not, but it’s officially fall cookbook season, and well… there are just so many great new cookbooks being released! I’m really excited to share this recipe with you today because it comes from Meike Peters' new cookbook, Eat in My Kitchen.
Ever since embarking on this journey of writing a cookbook, I’ve realized just how much work goes into writing a book. You guys, it’s no joke!! I am currently working through all the edits, and while I am so excited to be getting closer to sharing the book with you all, it’s also crazy scary…and well, my eyes are slightly tired. Basically I am just praying that when the book is released you guys will all love it to pieces! (Tieghan's first cookbook will be published in 2017)
It’s so awesome that I have the opportunity to help others celebrate their cookbook release by sharing a recipe from their book with you guys! It’s fun for me, and such a great way to let you all in on the books I am loving! SO. Today we are talking about Eat in My Kitchen. Oh man, this book is just packed to the brim with recipes I love, so many great ones and so many that I know you will all love. But when I stumbled on this most perfect cinnamon fruit crumble cake, I knew that this was the recipe I needed to make and share with you all.
Let me just start off by saying that this cake is all kinds of incredible, AND that Meike made it really adaptable to all of the seasons by suggesting three types of fruit you can use – plums, rhubarb or apples. Seeing as I am obsessed with all things fall, and all things honeycrisp apples, I went with apples as my fruit… so, so, so good! What I love most about this cake is that while some fruit cakes can be on the dry side, this cake is anything but. It’s moist, buttery and almost even doughy in the center if you cook it for just under and hour…which I did…and it was perfection.
This cake is somewhat broken up into three layers. The base cake layer, the apple layer and then the crumble layer. All three layers are delicious, but together they truly make for the most perfect cake, and all of that cinnamon sugar crumble atop of those crisp apples… beyond amazing!
This is the perfect cake to serve warm, dusted lightly with powdered sugar. And yes, I do think this cake is acceptable, not only for dessert, but also as a very special (i.e. something to look forward to) breakfast or mid-day snack.
Bottom line: cake like this is great anytime, and since weekdays are usually in need of a little pick me up, you should totally be making this cake after work… It’s the right thing to do – trust me.
Pictures and introduction from Tieghan Gerard, recipe from the Eat In My Kitchen book. Tieghan lives in the mountains, in Colorado, she's the 22 year old founder of the popular food blog halfbakedharvest.com. Visit her and find lots of inspiration in her huge recipe archive! She's currently working on her own cookbook, The Harvest Table, which will be published in Fall 2017.
Thank you Tieghan for taking over the Eat In My Kitchen blog for a day!
The Most Perfect Cinnamon Fruit Crumble Cake
from the Eat In My Kitchen book, published by Prestel, October 2016
Serves 8 to 12
For the cake base
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon (125 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup (125 g) granulated sugar
1/4 vanilla pod, split and scraped
3 large eggs
2 cups (260 g) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
Choose one of the fruit fillings
2 1/4 pounds (1 kg) pitted plums, cut in half
or 1 3/4 pounds (800 g) trimmed rhubarb, cut into 1 ½-inch (4 cm) pieces
or 5 large sour apples, peeled, cut in half, and cored, the outside of each apple half scored lengthwise (5 times) Tieghan chose apples for this recipe, unpeeled and thinly sliced
For the crumble
1 1/2 cups (200 g) all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
2/3 cup (125 g) granulated sugar
1/4 vanilla pod, split and scraped
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon (125 g) unsalted butter, melted, plus more as needed
For the topping
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) (preferably convection setting). Butter a 10-inch (25 ½ cm) springform pan.
For the cake base, in a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the butter, sugar, and vanilla for a few minutes or until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, incorporating each egg before adding the next one, and beat for 2 to 3 minutes or until creamy.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to the butter-sugar mixture and mix with an electric mixer for 1 minute or until well combined. Scrape the batter into the buttered springform pan and arrange the fruit of your choice on top. Plums and rhubarb work best arranged vertically; apples should be scored side up. Push the fruit gently into the batter.
For the crumbles, whisk together the flour, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Add the melted butter and use the dough hooks of an electric mixer to mix just until it crumbles. If the crumbles are too moist and sticky, add more flour; if they’re too small and don't form large crumbles, add more melted butter. Immediately spread over the fruit, using your fingers to separate any large crumbles.
For the topping, in a small bowl, whisk together the sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the crumbles. Bake for about 50 to 60 minutes (slightly longer if using a conventional oven) or until golden on top. If you insert a skewer in the center, it should come out almost clean. Let the cake cool for at least 15 minutes before taking it out of the pan.
Apricot Cinnamon Crumble Tart - my best cake ever!
According to a friend, this is the best cake I have ever made. However, although I feel flattered by this compliment, his statement should be handled with care. Overwhelmed by a homemade sweet treat, he tends towards such passionate judgements, it wasn't the first time. But I have to agree, it was an extremely good cake!
Let's start with the base, the buttery short crust was crisp and slightly flaky, exactly how I love it. I also used this pastry for my Raspberry and Blueberry Tart with Bavarian Cream, it's a classic for summer tarts. Fruit was next, apricots cut in half sprinkled with a little sugar to help them release their juices without taking away their natural fresh and sour sweetness. They were still in pieces when I took the tart our of the oven, soft but not mushy like a compote. For the cinnamon crumbles, I used the recipe from my old kitchen friend, my beloved rhubarb (or plum or apple!) crumble cake. The flavour of the spice is strong enough to stand up to the apricots, the crumbles stay beautifully in shape and you can taste that they are made with plenty of butter, they are pure crunchy bliss. Luckily, I made two cakes from the start, I had a strong feeling that this was going to be a luscious feast, but I didn't expect that we would empty the pans so quick, it was insane. Slice after slice we just continued telling each other how delicious this tart is and all of a sudden it was all gone!
Apricot Cinnamon Crumble Tart
One of my tart pans has a loose bottom which helps to cut out slices, it also worked in the other pan, just a few crumbs fell off but it still looked pretty.
For 2 tarts in 23cm / 9″ tart pans you need
apricots, cut in half and pitted, 1kg / 2 1/4 pounds / about 20 fruits
granulated sugar 2 tablespoons
For the short crust base
plain flour 390g / 14oz / 3 cups
granulated sugar 100g / 3 1/2oz / 1/2 cup
salt 1/4 teaspoon
butter, cold, 200g / 7oz
organic egg yolks 3
water 2 tablespoons
Combine the flour with the sugar and salt. Cut the butter with a knife into the flour until there are just little pieces of butter left. Continue with your fingers and rub the butter into the flour until combined. Add the egg yolks and water and continue mixing with the hooks of your mixer until you have a crumbly mixture. Form 2 thick discs, wrap in cling film and put in the freezer for 20 minutes.
Set the oven to 200°C / 390°F (top/ bottom heat).
Roll out the dough between cling film and line your tart pans with the flat pastry. Prick with a fork and blind-bake in the hot oven for 12 minutes. Melt the butter for the crumbles while the tarts are in the oven (see recipe below).
Take the pans out of the oven, arrange the apricots (cut side up) in circles on top of the pastry, sprinkle each tart with 1 tablespoon of sugar and prepare the crumbles immediately.
For the crumbles / The tart
plain flour 200g / 7oz / 1 1/2 cups (you might need more if the crumbles are too sticky)
granulated sugar 130g / 4 1/2oz / 2/3 cup
vanilla, scraped, 1/4 pod
ground cinnamon 2 teaspoons
butter, melted, 125g / 4 1/2oz (you might need more if the crumbles are too fine)
Have some extra flour and butter to melt close at hand so that you can add some immediately if necessary.
Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. Pour the melted butter on top and mix quickly with the hooks of your mixer, stop as soon as it crumbles. If the crumbles are too moist and sticky add a little more flour (1-2 tablespoons). If they are too fine and don’t form bigger crumbles add more melted butter.
Spread quickly on top of the apricots, if you have bigger lumps of crumbles you may have to separate them with your fingers. Bake in the oven for about 35 minutes or until the pastry base and crumbles are golden brown. The fruits should start to release their juices, they will soften while the tart cools. You can serve the cakes with ice cream or whipped cream for tea time in the garden (or on your balcony) but we didn't even have that - which allowed us to eat more of the tart!
Plum Cinnamon Crumble Cake
Here is the final of my crumble cake trilogy, the wonderful, Plum Cinnamon Crumble Cake! I started this series in winter, I began with my Apple Crumble, which was one of the first cake recipes on the blog, before I welcomed spring with my Rhubarb Crumble. I love all three of them, I think there is no other sweet recipe I've used more often in my life! These three fruits are my classics but you could easily replace them with gooseberries, peaches, pears or whatever comes into your mind and that fits to cinnamon (which is almost every fruit in my opinion). The base of this cake is spongy but strong enough to carry the juiciest of fruits.
My absolute highlight of this cake are the crumbles, the best buttery crumbles you can imagine! I know I'm repeating myself, but if you find something so perfect in your kitchen you just can't talk about it enough. So, the next layer, the fruits, are as important. I use 2 pounds of fruity juiciness to balance out the two pastry layers of crumbles and the bottom. No matter what fruit you choose they always add a different feel to this cake. The rhubarb's sourness gives it a lighter touch and the plums and apples are perfect for a cosy Sunday afternoon cake in autumn. Relaxed on the sofa, with a cup of tea and a book in my hands, I can't think of a better cake!
Plum Cinnamon Crumble Cake
Prepare the dough for the base first, the plums afterwards and the crumbles at the end.
For a 26cm /10″ springform pan you need
plums, cut in half, 1kg / 2 pounds
For the cake base
butter 125g / 4.5 ounces
granulated sugar 125g / 4.5 ounces
a pinch of fresh vanilla
organic eggs 3
plain flour 250g / 9 ounces
baking powder 2 teaspoons
a pinch of salt
For the crumbles
plain flour 200g / 7 ounces (you might need some more if the crumbles are too sticky)
granulated sugar 125g / 4.5 ounces plus 2 teaspoons to sprinkle over the crumbles
a pinch of vanilla
ground cinnamon 2 teaspoons plus a pinch to sprinkle the crumbles
butter, melted, 125g / 4.5 ounces (plus more if the crumbles are too fine)
Set the oven to 180°C / 355°F.
For the base, beat the butter, sugar and vanilla until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time and continue mixing for a few minutes. Add the flour mixed with the baking powder and salt and continue mixing until well combined. Scrape the dough into a buttered springform pan and arrange the plums vertically in circles pushing them into the dough.
The crumbles need good preparation as you have to make sure that the mixture is neither too moist nor too dry. Have some extra flour and melted butter close at hand so that you can add some immediately if necessary.
Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. Pour the melted butter on top and mix quickly with the hooks of your mixer, stop as soon as it crumbles. If the crumbles are too moist and sticky add a bit more flour (1-2 tablespoons). If they are too fine and don’t form bigger crumbles add more melted butter. Spread quickly on top of the plums. If you have bigger lumps of crumbles you may have to separate and spread them.
Mix 2 teaspoon of sugar with a pinch of cinnamon and sprinkle on top of the crumbles.
Bake in the oven for around 60 minutes or until golden brown on top. Check with a skewer, it should come out clean. Let the cake cool for at least 15 minutes.
You can serve the crumble cake with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
meet in your kitchen | Cristina's crunchy Gooseberry Crumble
It was mid July, a few days before I changed my Berlin kitchen for the one in the Mediterranean, when I got an unexpected message from Cristina. She said she would be in Berlin for a few days and asked if I would like to bake together with her. She is a very close friend of my Maltese sister Emma, both of them love to bake and I have seen the two girls working on delicious cake and cookie creations quite a few times. Whenever I met Cristina in the kitchen we used to talk about German food as her mother is from the south of Germany and her cooking is influenced by both the Maltese and the German cuisine.
Emma and Cristina became friends on a film set a few years ago, they were booked for a few scenes in a big film production on the island and they bonded straight away. They are both exceptional beauties, so it didn't take too long for them to become well known models in Malta, and against all clichés, their friendship managed to survive this business.
I was happy that Cristina got in touch to meet for a baking session, a meet in your kitchen changed to a meet in my kitchen! We decided to go for a fruity crumble. She suggested an apple crumble but in the end we went for gooseberries, they are in season at the moment and she had never tried these tart little berries before. I bought very ripe red berries as they are less sour than the green ones, I didn't want to shock her too much with her first gooseberry experience! She loved them and they were a perfect addition to her cinnamony crumbles, juicy and fruity at the bottom and crunchy on top!
While we were baking and chatting in the kitchen, I asked her a few questions about her modeling, her studies and her recent travels to Marrakesh. Cristina just finished her bachelor of Science in Earth Systems, the past years of studying influenced her consciousness about environmental issues and affected her lifestyle strongly.
Cristina's Gooseberry Crumble
gooseberries, cut in half or whole, 500g / 1 pound
plain flour 300g / 10.5 ounces
Demerara sugar 175g / 6 ounces plus 2 scant tablespoons for the berries
butter, at room temperature, 200g / 7 ounces
ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon
Set the oven to 180°C / 355°F and butter a 20cm / 8" baking dish.
Combine the flour and sugar, add the butter and mix with your fingers until you have a crumbly mixture.
Put the gooseberries in the baking dish and mix with 2 tablespoons of sugar mixed with the cinnamon. Spread the crumbles on top of the berries and bake for 45 minutes, turn the oven up to 200°C / 390°F and bake for further 15 minutes or until the crumbles are golden brown.
You live in Malta, your father is Maltese but your mother is from the south of Germany. How did these two cultures influence your life and personality?
I don't really feel closer to one or the other. Actually I do feel like I am properly half Maltese and half German. I feel inspired by both cultures, I tend to cook more Mediterranean when it comes to savory food. When we're in Germany I really enjoy how green it is and I spend more time outside in the countryside than I would in Malta.
What are your favourites from the Maltese and German cuisine?
From the Maltese cuisine, I love the typical Maltese Ftira bread with its filling (no fish). This is the food I really miss when I'm abroad, as the type of bread is so unique. From the German cuisine it would have to be the typical German dish called Milchreis.
What did you miss the most about Maltese food when you lived in Berlin? What did you discover here that you reallly enjoyed?
The Ftira. I love that in Germany, in Berlin in particular, there are little bakeries at every corner. I have a sweet tooth, so I love buying all kinds of pastries and cakes.
What was the first dish you cooked or baked on your own, what is your first cooking memory?
I don't remember, but my family makes quite a big deal about birthdays. Every year, we all bake a special birthday cake for each other and take time in finding the perfect cake to bake and also work a lot on the decoration and make sure each cake looks different from one we had already done.
What are your favourite places to buy and enjoy food in Malta?
I like places that promote fresh foods, preferably healthy ones also. The view and setting of the restaurant is also important. One of my favorite go to places for lunch, dinner or just any snack is Mint, in Sliema. They offer daily fresh options (and vegetarian ones too) and display their menu for the day in large refrigerators, so that people can see before hand what the food looks like. I recently also discovered the farmers market, where you can buy all sorts of local and fresh fruit and veg, straight from the farmer himself!
You've just finished your bachelor of Science in Earth Systems, can you explain what this is about? How did your studies effect your daily live and your environmental consciousness?
My course is an environmental based subject, which includes studying different branches of the environment, such as biodiversity, geology or hydrology. The course really changed how I think about a lot of things in our world. Apart from the obvious things such as being more environmentally aware, I am starting to reduce what I purchase, in terms of where things are produced, what I eat etc.
I know that you love to travel and you've just come back from Morocco, what were your strongest impressions? Did you make any new culinary discoveries?
Morocco was a wonderful place and very different to what I imagined. In the large cities, the people are not as conservative as you might think, and most citizens are super friendly. With regards to food, I felt that in the main cities such as Marrakesh, there was not much variation, particularly for vegetarian dishes. They mostly served couscous, vegetable tagine or omlettes. All meals however were always colourful in appearance and accompanied by a mix of olives and flat bread.
Besides being at university during the past few years, you also became a successful model. What do you like and what do you dislike about this job?
I just do some modeling in Malta as a hobby, and an easy way to make money rather than a job. Its fun to dress up for a while and play a different character, but I'm not someone that likes to spend time and money on clothes or new accessories. The industry also creates a large demand on animal trade, in particular furs or jewellery made from (for example) rhino horn. I am completely against this, and would refuse to model such items.
What or who inspired you to become an environmentalist?
The course I studied opened my eyes to the problems in our world, but I would say that it originated from my childhood. When I was young (and still now) our family outings always consited of a lot of outdoor activites, such as hikes or picnics in the countryside. When we visit Germany, we always go skiing in winter time and hike different mountains or cycle by lakes during summer time. The school I went to was also situated in a very green part of Malta and a lot of our activities consisted of interacting outside with the environment. This really influenced me.
What did you choose to share on eat in my kitchen and why?
I chose an apple crumble, which Meike interestingly suggested to make a goosberry crumble since the fruit is now in season. I actually came up with this recipe with a friend of mine when we were living in Berlin. We tweaked it so that it would really be ours, and we found it so delicious from the first bite. The streusel, or crumble, is really crisp and just the right texture to complement the slightly softened and flavoured fruit underneath.
If you could choose one person to cook a meal for you, who and what would it be?
It would have to be Ina Garten from the cooking show Barefoot Contessa. I watch all of her cooking shows and have her recipe books.
You're going to have ten friends over for a spontaneous dinner, what will be on the table?
A nice quiche with grilled vegetables, pasta salad with vegetables and crunchy apples and a strawberry cheesecake.
What was your childhood's culinary favourite and what is it now?
My mother used to make pasta with sugar for us sometimes. When I have it now it just really reminds me of when I was younger. Something I would always have an appetite for now are my homemade brownies with nuts and white chocolate topping. Once I ate a whole portion in one day!
Do you prefer to cook on your own or together with others?
I like cooking with others if they know how to cook. It's not so much fun with people who don't really know how to cook or who are not really in the mood.
Which meals do you prefer, improvised or planned?
Improvised!
Which meal would you never cook again?
Once I cooked a chocolate coffee cake and I must have put too much coffee in. Since then the cake put me off coffee.
Thank you Cristina!
A Cinnamon and Apple Crumble
This cake is a friend to keep! Crunchy, buttery cinnamon crumbles, a light and juicy base and lots of fruit! Depending on the season I use either apples, plums or rhubarb. The aromatic cinnamon fits perfectly to the three of them and adds the right flavour. I love this crumble all year round and I must confess that I actually bake it at least once a month. Either for tea time or for dessert together with vanilla ice cream or cinnamon whipped cream. It's also easy to prepare which is great when you have guests for a dinner party and it tastes so good! My friends love it as well and are always impressed by the "perfect" crumbles - it's not science, it's just about the right mixture.
Today, it's apple time! The sweetness of the cake and the sourness of my Boscoop apples are very well balanced. 10 people will sit at my dinner table tonight and I want a dessert which allows me to stay with my guests rather than in the kitchen. I bake my apple crumble in the morning, whip my cinnamon cream at night and I know that this dessert will tease lots of happy smiles!
Apple Cinnamon Crumble Cake
You need a 26cm /10" springform pan, buttered. Prepare the dough for the base first, cut your apples afterwards and prepare the crumbles at the end.
Set the oven to 180°C / 355°F.
The fruit
sour baking apples (like Boscoop) 5, peeled, cut in half and carved lengthwise around 6 times
For the base
I use spelt flour type 630 for the base and the crumbles but you can use any other plain flour.
butter 125g / 4.5 ounces
organic eggs 3
granulated sugar 125g / 4.5 ounces
plain flour 250g / 9 ounces
baking powder 2 teaspoons
vanilla sugar 1 teaspoon
a pinch of salt
Beat the butter till fluffy. Add the sugar, continue mixing and add the eggs, one at a time. Add the flour mixed with the baking powder, salt and the vanilla sugar and continue mixing until combined. Fill into your buttered springform.
Place the apples close to each other on the dough base in the springform and push them down a bit.
For the crumble
plain flour 200g / 7 ounces (you might need some more if the crumbles are too sticky)
granulated sugar 125g / 4.5 ounces
vanilla sugar 1 teaspoon
ground cinnamon 2 teaspoons
butter, melted, 125g / 4.5 ounces (plus more if the crumbles are too fine)
The crumbles need good preparation as you have to make sure that the mixture is neither too moist nor too dry. Have some extra flour and melted butter near at hand so that you can add some immediately if necessary.
Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. Pour the melted butter on top and mix quickly with the hooks of your mixer, this shouldn't take longer than 15-20 seconds. If the crumbles are too moist and sticky add a bit more flour (1-2 tablespoons). If they are too fine and don't form bigger crumbles add more melted butter. Stop immediately when the mixture starts to get crumbly and spread quickly on top of the apples. If you have bigger lumps of crumbles you might have to separate and spread them.
Bake in the oven for 50 minutes or until golden. Check with a skewer, it should come out clean, and let it cool.
Enjoy the crumble cake on its own or serve with vanilla ice cream or cinnamon whipped cream (200ml whipping cream, whipped with 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1 teaspoon of vanilla sugar).
