Cherry Crumb Cake
I was experimenting with a new cake recipe this week. I wanted to use some fresh cherries in a cake and I ended up deciding to make a cherry crumb cake. I already had a recipe for a blueberry crumb cake. I changed the recipe a little and I really like the way it came out. I added an extra egg to the original recipe. Not because of some intuitive idea of how to improve the recipe. I just thought it had two eggs in it to begin with. Turns out I prefer the recipe with the extra egg.
So here is the cherry crumb cake recipe. I loved it and think you will, too. I used sweet cherries, because that is what I had. Sour cherries would also work well in this cake.
Cherry Crumb Cake
For cake batter:
2 c. flour
2 t. baking powder
½ t. salt
½ stick (¼ cup) butter, softened
¾ c. sugar
2 eggs
½ c. milk
2 c. pitted cherries, coarsely chopped
For topping:
½ c. sugar
¼ c. flour
½ t. cinnamon
½ stick (¼ c. butter, chilled and cut into bits)
Combine dry ingredients and set aside. In mixing bowl with electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and milk. Add flour mixture gradually until just mixed in. Fold in cherries. Grease and flour an 8 or 9-inch pan and add prepared batter. Combine topping ingredients until they resemble coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over batter in pan and bake in a preheated 375-degree oven and bake for 35-45 minutes. Use toothpick to test.
Cherry-Vanilla Won Tons
Cherry Vanilla Won Tons
I had an open package of won tons and needed a quick dessert the other night so I made these cherry won tons. I started with a can of tart cherries I had gotten from King Orchards. They are just cherries so I sweetened them and added vanilla, thickened them a little a made what amounts to cherry pie filling. The nice thing about starting with plain cherries is that I was able to control the amount of sugar I added. I am not a fan of overly sweet desserts. I placed a small amount of filling in a wonton and moistened the edges of the wonton with water so it would seal. Some I rolled up like little egg rolls. I also made some more like ravioli, placing filling in the middle and pressing a second wonton on top of the first. I fried them in a minimum amount of oil in a small pan and dusted them with powdered sugar before serving. It was a great last minute dessert.
Cherry Vanilla Filling
1 can (15 oz.) plain tart cherries
3 T. cornstarch
1/2 c. sugar
2 t. vanilla
Combine all ingredients in saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Allow to cool before using in wontons.
Cherry Vanilla Won Tons
Cherry Vanilla Won Tons
