Velvet Crumb Cake
This cake has a soft, delicate texture and a crunchy, coconut-nut topping. For added fun- the cake is finished under the broiler to toast the topping. Probably not the way you finish most cakes!
When I was a child, my Mom made this cake pretty often. I am not sure I ever remember having it as an adult. It was probably the only way I would eat anything coconut as a kid. I had a couple of friends over for dinner last night and decided to make it for dessert. They loved it. One friend said she wasn’t a big coconut fan, but loved it on this cake. The cake is not overly sweet and could easily be served at breakfast or brunch as a coffee cake.
I found the recipe in a Bisquick cookbook. I tweaked it a little from the original. I wondered if I would like it as much as I did when I was a child. I was not disappointed. It was every bit as good as I remember.
Here is the recipe.
Velvet Crumb Cake
Cake:
1½ c. baking mix- like Bisquick or Jiffy Mix
½ c. sugar
½ c. milk or half and half
2 T. butter, softened
1 t. vanilla
1 egg
Topping:
½ c. flaked coconut
1/3 c. brown sugar
¼ c. finely chopped nuts
3 T. butter, softened
2 T. milk or half and half
1 t. cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8×8-inch baking pan or 9-inch cake pan. Set aside. In medium bowl, combine all of the cake ingredients. Combine with electric mixer for 30 seconds on low to mix. Then bring speed up to medium and continue beating batter for 4 minutes. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 30-35 minutes or until wooden pick comes out clean when inserted into cake. While cake is baking, combine topping ingredients in small bowl, mixing until well mixed. Let cake cool a few minutes before spreading topping over the cake. Place cake under the broiler- about 4 inches away, until topping gets golden brown. This only takes 3-4 minutes. Watch carefully. Remove from broiler and cool cake before slicing.
Pear Crumb Cake
I remember my Mom making crumb cake when I was a kid. I loved it. It was one of my favorite cakes. The tender cake, and crunchy topping seemed the perfect combination to me. Even today, I would rather have a crumb topping on a cake than frosting.
This recipe hits all the right notes. Sweet with pear chunks throughout, and the crunchy topping that I love. This is a great dessert for any occasion. I serve it just the way it is, but you could also top with ice cream or whipped cream. If you prefer, you can also make the cake with a mix of pears and apples – just have 2 cups of chopped fruit, in total.
Pear Crumb Cake
For cake batter:
2 c. flour
2 t. baking powder
½ t. salt
½ stick (¼ cup) butter, softened
¾ c. sugar
1 egg
½ c. milk
2 c. peeled, cored and chopped pears
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 fruit. 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.
Note: I used a 9-inch square pan and it worked fine.
Raspberry Crumb Cake
Raspberry Crumb Cake
With an abundance of fresh raspberries and a crunchy crumb topping this is a cake everyone will remember. Not too sweet and full of fresh berries it is just the type of dessert I enjoy most. When you add 2 cups of raspberries to the batter it might seem like too much. It is not. You want to be able to see and taste the berries in every bite.
Raspberry Crumb Cake
For cake batter:
2 c. flour
2 t. baking powder
½ t. salt
½ stick (¼ cup) butter, softened
¾ c. sugar
1 egg
½ c. sour cream
2 t. vanilla
2 cups raspberries – I used fresh but frozen should work, too
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, sour cream and vanilla. Add flour mixture gradually until just mixed in. Fold in raspberries. 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.
