Warm Strawberry Crumb Cake

Submitted by Scoutie

"Yummm, a perfect Spring or Summer dessert! This recipe tops fresh strawberries with a batter that produces an airy cake and a wonderful crisp crust. The fruit becomes almost jam-like. The fruit filling can also be made with a combo of berries, including blackberries, raspberries, etc. The vanilla bean in the filling is very nice, but pure vanilla extract can be subsituted. I serve this warm with vanilla ice cream. This is adapted from Food & Wine magazine. Hope you enjoy!"

 

• Ready In: 2hrs 30mins
• Ingredients: 18
• Serves: 8

ingredients

• FILLING

• 3 lbs strawberries, hulled and halved (8 cups)
• 1⁄2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 1⁄2 tablespoons cornstarch, dissolved in 2 1/2 tablespoons water
• 1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped

• CRUMB TOPPING

• 1⁄2 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
• 1⁄2 cup all-purpose flour, plus
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 pinch salt
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed and chilled

• CAKE

• 2 1⁄4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 3⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1⁄4 cups sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 3⁄4 cup buttermilk

directions

1. Filling:

2. Preheat the oven to 350°.
3. In a large bowl, toss the strawberries with the sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch slurry and vanilla seeds and let stand until the berries release some of their juices, about 30 minutes.
4. Pour the fruit filling into a 9-by-13-inch glass or ceramic baking dish set on a sturdy baking sheet.

5. Crumb Topping:

6. In a medium bowl, mix all of the ingredients with your fingers until a coarse meal forms; press into small clumps.

7. Cake:

8. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the baking powder and salt.
9. In a large bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, beat the butter with the sugar at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
10. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between additions.
11. Beat in the vanilla extract and scrape down the bowl.
12. Add the dry ingredients to the batter in 3 additions, alternating with the buttermilk.
13. Spoon the batter over the fruit filling, spreading it to the edge, sprinkle with the crumb topping.
14. Bake in the center of the oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes, until the fruit is bubbling, the crumb topping is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs attached.
15. Transfer to a rack to cool slightly.
16. Serve the crumb cake warm or at room temperature.

17. Make Ahead:

18. The crumb cake can be refrigerated overnight. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Reviews

[loof751]

Great crumb cake! I loved the lightness of the cake, moist and tasty. This was wonderful with strawberries and I think that blueberries or peaches would work well too. I made 1/4 of the recipe in a 5x7 pan and it came out great - good call on putting a cookie sheet under the pan too as it did bubble over a little. Thanks for sharing this recipe!