All Cakes Considered - Melissa Gray [21]
This cake is best served in thick slices, so plan on at least 16 to 20 cake-gasms.
TO MAKE THE STEWED FRUIT
1. We start with the stewed fruit, which will be ready by the time you’re done with the batter and the streusel, in about 20 minutes. Put the sugar and water in saucepan on medium heat. Stir until sugar is submerged, then add the blueberries and apple. Cook for 5 minutes, and reduce the heat to simmer.
2. Continue cooking, keeping a constant eye on the mixture to make sure it doesn’t burn, and stirring every 2 to 3 minutes. You want the blueberries to break down in the liquid and the apple to become tender. Once the mixture has become thick, like syrup, turn off the heat and set aside.
TO MAKE THE STREUSEL
3. Dry whisk the flour, cinnamon, and salt together in a bowl. Add the cold butter and brown sugar. Using your fingers or a wooden spoon, combine the ingredients. Knead and crumble until the mixture has an uneven, oatmeal-like texture. Add the walnuts. Make sure the mixture is moist throughout, but crumbly. Set aside.
TO MAKE THE CAKE
4. Position a rack so the cake will sit in the middle of the oven, and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of your tube pan with parchment paper, and spray the sides and bottom with baking spray.
5. Cream butter with a mixer on medium speed and gradually add the sugar, beating well after each addition. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat well after each addition.
6. In a separate bowl, dry whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together.
7. With the mixer on low speed, add 1 cup of the dry ingredients, followed by ½ cup of the flour mixture, beat, then add ½ cup of the yogurt and beat again. Repeat once more, beating after each addition. Then beat for 2 more minutes.
TO FINISH THE CAKE
8. Pour half the batter into the prepared tube pan. Using a spatula, spread out the batter evenly. Using a wooden spoon, spoon out the stewed blueberries and apple syrup. Then scatter about three-quarters of your streusel on top. Pour the remaining batter into the pan and smooth it out with a spatula.
9. Move the spatula through the batter in 4 or 5 spots, angling it down, then bringing it up. This will spread the blueberry and apple syrup through to the bottom of the coffee cake.
10. Sprinkle the remaining streusel on top of the batter. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a toothpick or thin knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.
11. Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes. You’ll notice the cake will start falling in. That’s OK; that’s what it does. Unmold the cake using our plate-over-pan method and flip it onto a serving plate (see page 28). Be careful, as the streusel topping can become loose and go all over creation.
12. Cut thick slices and serve warm.
Miss Saigon Cinnamon Almond Coffee Cake
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YOU’LL NEED
An 8-inch square baking pan
FOR THE STREUSEL
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons Saigon cinnamon
1 cup sliced almonds
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
FOR THE CAKE
¼ cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1½ cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
½ cup vanilla yogurt
1 teaspoon almond extract
TO MAKE THE STREUSEL
1. In a microwavable dish, melt the butter on high power, about 1 minute. Set aside.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, almonds, and flour. Add the melted butter and stir.
TO MAKE THE CAKE
3. Position a rack so the cake will sit in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. When preparing the pan, skip the parchment paper for this one—you may want to serve