Incredible Peach Ginger Crumb Cake Inspired by NYT Food Writer Melissa Clark

 By: The Food Hunter

If you were to ask me to name a favorite cake; one that evokes found memories of my childhood, the one that most unfailingly fulfills this request, would be NY style crumb cake. Growing up on the east coast we ate a lot of this soft sturdy cake with its thick sweet crumb topping. 

As an adult, living now on the west coast, I am always on the hunt for a delicious crumb cake. As you can imagine finding just the right cake is important. Melissa Clark, the mastermind behind some of the New York Time’s most viral recipes, has pulled together a super easy and fantastic recipe for the beloved crumb cake and I’m so excited to share it with you today!

Melissa’s version of the NY crumb cake, has a ginger and almond infused crumb topping and a layer of caramelized fruit on top of the cake making it even more delicious than the crumb cake I remember eating as a child. The original recipe features slices of pineapple but Melissa assured me that peaches, pears or apples would be equally yummy.

What is NY Style Crumb Cake

Let’s start with the basics. A classic New York-style crumb cake is a thick sour cream cake topped with a generous layer of homemade cinnamon sugar crumbs. It’s sweeter and much more dense than a coffee cake yet is equally delicious and versatile. Crumb cakes are served for breakfast, brunch, dessert or as a late-night snack. Once you master the basic recipe there are many variations that you can do to spice it up even further.

Why You Will Love Melissa Clark's Recipe

This recipe is without a doubt one of the most delectable desserts you will ever taste and it is easy to make. Melissa Clark says “anyone who is comfortable baking, say, muffins can easily make this cake”. A few things that set it apart from other crumb cakes include:

• The caramelized fruit offers an extra surprise layer.
• There's generous layer of scrumptious crumbs that have a subtle ginger/almond taste. It really is all about the crumb.
• It's a simple, trustworthy cake that requires minimal ingredients and gear.

 Peach Ginger Crumb Cake

Ingredients Needed

For the Crumb Topping and Peaches:

• 1 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pan
• 1 1/2 cups fresh peaches, diced into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 1/2 tbsp dark brown sugar
• 1/8 tsp ground allspice
• Pinch of salt

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 3 tbsp coarsely chopped almonds or other nuts
• 2 tbsp finely chopped candied ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled

For the Cake:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup sour cream

How to Make Peach Ginger Crumb Cake

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch spring form pan, a 9-by-2-inch round cake pan or a 9-inch square metal pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and butter the paper. Cut Peaches into small pieces.

2. Prepare the pineapple: In a skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add pineapple, brown sugar, allspice and salt, and saute until pineapple chunks are glossy and lightly browned in spots, 7 to 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.

3. Make the crumb topping: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, almonds, candied ginger, ground ginger, cinnamon and salt. Stir in melted butter, pinching the mixture with your fingers, until 1/2-inch crumbs form. Set aside.

4. Make the cake: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

5. Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a handheld electric mixer and a large bowl, beat butter and sugar at medium speed until creamy and smooth, about 2 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until incorporated, then beat in rum and lime zest. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

6. On low speed, beat in half of the flour mixture until smooth, then beat in the sour cream, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in remaining flour just until incorporated.

7. Scrape batter into prepared pan. Scatter cooled pineapple evenly across the surface of the cake.

8. Top with ginger crumb mixture.

9. Bake until the center of the cake springs back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few crumbs, 45 to 60 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool before serving.

The Key to Delicious Crumb Cake

The key to a making this crumb cake is the extra ingredients in the crumb topping. This  recipe calls for crushed candied ginger and almond pieces which really sets the topping apart from others I've tried.

What to Drink with Crumb Cake

A nice cold glass of milk or a steamy hot mug of coffee would be the most common things to drink with crumb cake. However I enjoy eating this with a coffee liqueur, such as Cafe Borghetti.

What to Bake Next

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Cannellini Beans with Feta & Poached Egg

 By: The Food Hunter

An delicious weeknight dinner idea that comes together in under 30 mins. I suggest serving it with thick slices of crusty bread. You can thank me later.

 

Cannellini Beans with Feta & Poached Egg

1 can Cannellini beans, drained
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup chicken stock or water
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon chopped parsley
2 poached eggs
chopped chives, for serving
chili flakes, for serving
5 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme,
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese for serving

In a saucepan, heat the olive oil and cook the garlic until soft. Add the beans, cumin, thyme and coriander. Season with salt and pepper, cook for 2 or 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken stock or water, and chopped parsley, allow to simmer for 10 minutes. 

In the meantime, prepare the poached eggs.

When ready dish out the beans into a bowl. Top each bowl with a poached egg. Split the feta between the bowls and add the crushed pepper and chives if using. 

 

Ottolenghi’s Ricotta and Oregano Meatballs Recipe

By: The Food Hunter

These meatballs can be prepared a day in advance and easily reheated in the sauce. Serve over pasta for a delicious family meal.

 

Ottolenghi’s Ricotta and Oregano Meatballs Recipe

• 5 tbsp olive oil
• 2 large onions, peeled and chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 large stalks celery, diced
• 8 whole sprigs fresh oregano, plus 10g chopped oregano leaves
• 400g chopped tomatoes
• 1 tsp sugar
• 500ml chicken stock
• Salt and black pepper
• 500g ground beef
• 100g freshly made breadcrumbs
• 250g ricotta
• 60g grated Parmigiano
  
• 1 egg
• 20g chopped parsley

First, make the tomato sauce. Heat half the oil in a large sauté pan for which you have a lid. Add half the onion, half the garlic and all of the carrots, celery and oregano sprigs. Place on a medium-high heat and cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring a few times, until the vegetables have softened without taking on any colour. If need be, put the lid on the pan, to help prevent the onions from catching and burning. Add the tomatoes, sugar, half the stock, half a teaspoon of salt and a good grind of black pepper. Cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring from time to time, to give the sauce a chance to thicken gradually.

Meanwhile, make the meatballs. Put the remaining onion and garlic in a large bowl with the beef, fresh breadcrumbs, cheeses, egg, oregano leaves, parsley, three-quarters of a teaspoon of salt and some black pepper. Mix together with your hands, then shape into 12-14 balls weighing about 70g each.

Heat a tablespoon and a half of olive oil in a large frying pan and, when hot, add the meatballs. Sear for two minutes on each side. (Depending on the size of your pan, you may have to do this in two batches, adding the remaining tablespoon of oil before cooking the second batch.)

Remove the whole oregano sprigs from the tomato sauce, then gently press the seared meatballs into the sauce. Pour over the remaining stock, or just enough almost to cover the meatballs; top up with a little water, if need be. Cover the pan and cook on a very gentle simmer for 30 minutes. If the sauce needs to thicken more after this time – you want a thick, pasta sauce-like consistency – remove the lid and increase the temperature a little so everything bubbles away. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Whipping Cream Pound Cake

 By: The Food Hunter

One of the best pound cake you will ever taste; owed in part to triple sifted cake flour, whipping cream in the batter and beating for  5 whole minutes.  Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Whipping Cream Pound Cake

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter softened, plus additional for buttering pan
1.5 cups sifted cake flour; sift before measuring plus additional for dusting
1/4 teaspoon salt
1.5 cups sugar
3.5 large eggs at room temperature 30 minutes
1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Instructions

• Put oven rack in middle position, but do not preheat oven.
• Generously butter a 9x5 loaf pan and dust with flour, knocking out excess flour.
• Sift together sifted flour and salt into a bowl. Repeat sifting into another bowl (flour will have been sifted 3 times total, once by itself and twice with the salt).
• Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes in a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, or 6 to 8 minutes with a handheld mixer.
• Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in vanilla.
• Reduce speed to low and add half of flour, then all of cream, then remaining flour, mixing well after each addition.
• Scrape down side of bowl, then beat at medium-high speed 5 minutes. Batter will become creamier and satiny.
• Spoon batter into pan and rap pan against work surface once or twice to eliminate air bubbles.
• Place pan in (cold) oven and turn oven temperature to 350°F. Bake until golden and a wooden pick or skewer inserted in middle of cake comes out with a few crumbs adhering, 60 minutes.
• Cool cake in pan on a rack 30 minutes. Run a thin knife around inner and outer edges of cake, then invert rack over pan and invert cake onto rack to cool completely. 

Butter Cream Frosting

½ cup butter
1 tsp vanilla
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
cream as needed for consistency

Easy Chicken Marbella

By: The Food Hunter

Chicken Marbella is a classic 1970's recipe Mediterranean inspired chicken recipe. The original recipe requires marinating the chicken overnight. Since I seem to always forget this step until it is too late I can attest that the chicken turns out perfectly without being marinated. It is moist, juicy and extremely tasty. 

Give it a try!

 

 

Chicken Marbella
(adapted from Silver Palate)
serves 10-12

1 whole chicken
1 head of garlic, peeled
1/4 cup dried oregano
coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup pitted prunes
1/2 cup pitted green olives
1/2 cup capers, rinsed
6 bay leaves
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white wine
1/4 cup Italian parsley, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl combine the garlic, oregano, pepper and coarse salt to taste, vinegar, olive oil, prunes, olives, capers and juice, and bay leaves. 

Arrange chicken in a shallow baking pans and spoon above mixture evenly over the chicken. Sprinkle chicken with brown sugar and pour white wine around them.

Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, basting with pan juices, periodically.

With a slotted spoon transfer chicken, prunes, olives and capers to a serving platter. Moisten with a few spoonfuls of pan juices and sprinkle generously with parsley.