New Jersey Crumb Cake

I grew up in the Catskill Mountains of New York and my mother was born in Jersey City, New Jersey. We still had her sisters living down there so we frequently made the 90 minute trip by car. One treat was to stop in at the famous B&W Bakery in Hackensack to get several crumb cakes to bring as gifts.

Now New Jersey crumb cake is NOT your typical crumb coffee cake like Entenmann's or Drake. The New Jersey variety had to have a crumb layer that was twice the depth of the bottom cake layer.

This is the closest recipe I have to duplicating the crumb cake I grew up with.

INGREDIENTS

Cake

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk
2 tbsp oil (vegetable)
2 tsp vanilla extract

Topping

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted and cooled
Powdered sugar, for dusting

PREPARATION

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 8x8 inch square baking pan.

Cake

1. Mix all dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt) in a medium bowl with a fork.

2. Mix remaining ingredients (egg. milk, oil and vanilla) in a separate bowl. Pour into dry ingredients and mix by hand with a fork or spatula. When combined, pour into cake pan and spread evenly. Set aside.

Topping

3.  In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, and cinnamon with a fork.

4.  Pour in melted butter and combined. Mixture should form large crumbs, but not be too wet. Add a little flour if needed.

Assemble and Bake

5. Spread topping over cake evenly.

6. Place pan in oven on middle rack and bake for 25-30 minutes. A knife or toothpick inserted in the center will come out clean.  Remove from oven and cool.

Dust with powdered sugar. Serve warm or at room temperature. Serves 8.

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Blueberry Buckle

Blueberry Buckle was the summer cake growing up but there were times during the winter when it would make a surprise appearance since Mom was known to freeze fresh-picked blueberries by the quart.

What is a buckle? It may be regional to the East Coast or New York area, but it is considered a cobbler food where the fruit was mixed in with the batter as opposed to a true cobbler where the sweet biscuit dough was placed on top of the fruit.

This recipe has a crumb topping which makes it more like a coffee cake. In fact, I remember that this was always served with coffee at night or during card parties in the summmer. Besides making Blueberry Buckle in the dead of winter using frozen berries, sometimes she would make several in disposable 13 x 9 x 2" pans and freeze them.

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
2 cups flour
1/2 cup milk
2 cups well drained blueberries

Topping

1 cup flour
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup butter (one stick)

PREPARATION

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, sift together flour, salt and baking powder. Set aside.

3. In another bowl, cream together the sugar and vegetable shortening. Add the egg. Then add flour mixture and then milk.

4. Next, add blueberries and mix until berries are evenly distributed.

5. Place in well greased 13 x 9 x 2 pan.

6. Make topping by using a pastry blender to combine all ingredients until coarse meal is formed. Scatter over top of pan.

7. Bake 40-45 minutes.

Photo: Blueberry Buckle by Dave Kekish on Flickr.

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Stollen

I started making this favorite German Christmas treat while I was in high school. It is too late in the year to make this now since it needs about 3 to 4 weeks to "set up" as they say.



Ingredients:

2 1/2 c unsifted regular flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 c sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp mace
1/8 cardamom
3/4 ground blanched almonds
1/2 c cold butter
1 c cottage cheese, whirled smooth in a blender
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp almond extract
2 T rum (or 1/2 tsp rum extract and 1 1/2 T water)
1/2 c currants
1/2 c golden raisins
1/4 c chopped candied lemon peel
3 tbsp melted butter
2 tbsp vanilla sugar (bury split vanilla bean in 1 C sugar and cover container tightly. Let stand 2-3 days)

Instructions:

1. Combine flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, spices, almonds in a large bowl.

2. Using two knives or a pastry blender, cut in butter until it resembles coarse crumbs.

3. Blend cottage cheese, egg, vanilla, almond extract, rum, currants, raisins, lemon peel in a separate bowl. Stir into flour mixture until all ingredients are moistened.

4. Mold dough into ball, place on floured board, and knead 6--10 minutes or until smooth.

5. Roll out on floured surface to oval 8 1/2 by 10 inches. Lightly crease dough just off center, parallel to the 10" side.

6. Brush dough with 1 Tbsp of melted butter. Fold smaller section over larger.

7. Place on ungreased sheet which is covered in brown paper (probably parchment these days). Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until crust is well browned and bread tests done in center.

8. Brush with remaining butter, sprinkle with remaining sugar.

Note: this is not the type of fruitcake that you soak with liquor - this cake is more in the style of Italian pannetonne.

Photo: Stollen by Maya H on Flickr.

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Black Forest Trifle

Each year I usually serve a trifle for either the Christmas Eve or Christmas Day dinner. And I don't always use a recipe - I just put together one in my head.

I believe the traditional English trifle uses pound cake, fruit and sherry. I've decided to be creative and blend different flavors such as gingerbread, pear and mascarpone. This recipe uses the Tres Leches sponge cake with cocoa powder added, some cherry brandy, the Cherry Compote and whipped cream.



Ingredients:

Cake
9 eggs, separated
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup milk, mixed with 1 tablespoon baking powder

Compote
Cherry Compote

Assembly
1/3 cup kirschwasser or white rum
2 cups whipping cream
1/4 cup sugar
One large trifle bowl - preferably 9 inches in diameter or larger

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease three 8-inch round cake pans.

2. In a separate bowl sift or mix together the flour and cocoa powder. Set aside.

3. Beat together egg yolks and sugar until thick and pale; add the vanilla.

4. Add flour/cocoa mixture alternately with the milk mixture.

5. Beat egg whites to stiff peaks. Stir about a third of whites into batter, then fold in the remainder until completely blended. Pour batter into prepared pans - 3/4 full. You may have left over batter - bake an extra round layer if you like.

6. Bake on middle rack of oven until cake tests done, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool on a rack for 2 hours.

7. Remove cakes from pans. Using a large knife, remove part of cake tops to make an even surface. Also if layers are too big to fit your trifle bowl, cut cake around its perimeter to fit. Sprinkle cake with kirschwasser.

8. Beat whipping cream and sugar until stiff.

9. Assemble trifle: place one cake layer in bottom of trifle bowl; place about 1/3rd of cherry compote on top of cake layer then 1/3rd whipped cream. Repeat until all cake layers are used and whipped cream is on top layer.

10. Chill overnight.

Serving: sprinkle chocolate shavings on top of trifle.

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Cherry Compote with Pinot Noir

I stumbled upon this recipe on Epicurious.com when I was looking for recipes for Black Forest Cake. The recipe is part of Deconstructed Black Forest Cake by Gale Gand.

I use this in my own Black Forest Trifle recipe as the filling between the cake layers. The compote has a great flavor that is not overly sweet. The use of black cherries helps but it is the pinot noir sauce that really tempers the tone of the fruit.

Ingredients:

4 cups frozen (unthawed) pitted cherries (about 1 pound)
2/3 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar
2/3 cup dry red wine

Instructions:

1. Stir cherries and 2/3 cup sugar in large saucepan over medium heat 2 minutes.

2. Add wine; simmer until slightly reduced, about 4 minutes.

3. Drain cherries over medium bowl; return juices to saucepan and reserve cherries in same bowl.

4. Boil juices until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 8 minutes.

5. Pour over cherries; cool.

Serving: also goes well over ice cream.

Photo: Bon Appetit, 2005

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Tres Leches ("Three Milks")

Tres Leches is a well-known dessert from Nicaragua. It often appears in Mexican bakeries and is essentially a sponge cake soaked with three different types of milk. I don't think it is too difficult to make but that's because the taste and texture are so incredible. If you make this, I promise that your family and friends who try it will be amazed and want this recipe.

My recipes does not use the traditional meringue frosting - it is way too sweet and with everything else in the cake, it is like gilding the lily.

INGREDIENTS:

Cake
9 eggs, separated
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 cup milk, mixed with 1 tablespoon baking powder

Filling
3 egg yolks
2 cups (1 pint) half and half
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Frosting
2 cups (1 pint) whipping cream (heavy cream), chilled
3 tbsp sugar

INSTRUCTIONS:

Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan.

2. Beat together egg yolks and sugar until thick and pale; add the vanilla. Add flour alternately with the milk mixture. Beat egg whites to stiff peaks. Stir about a third of whites into batter, then fold in the remainder until completely blended. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake on middle rack of oven until cake tests done, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool on a rack for 2 hours.

Filling:

3. Beat yolks well. Bring 1 cup of half and half to a boil. While beating yolks, slowly pour in hot cream; beat until foamy and cool. Add remaining half and half and evaporated and condensed milks; beat thoroughly. Add vanilla. Cool in refrigerator while cake is cooling.

Assembly:

4. When cake has cooled, punch holes in it with end of a wooden spoon. Slowly pour filling over the cake, which should absorb all the filling. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.

Frosting:

5. Chill bowl and egg beater(s) by placing in freezer for one hour. Beat whipping cream for one minute and add sugar. Beat until stiff but don’t over beat or you’ll have butter! Swirl frosting on top of cake in big strokes.

Serving: Serves 16. Good for breakfast too since it is mostly eggs after all. Hah!

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