Pumpkin Crumb Cake | Recipe
October 21, 2020
I originally found this recipe on Delightful E Made and couldn't take my mind off it, I just had to bake it. I ran into some trouble while making it because as it turns out, despite planning beforehand, I didn't have everything necessary, but that didn't stop me. Firstly, if you wish to bake this cake as it is, please refer to the original recipe linked above, if you'd rather make it as I did, just keep reading.
The original recipe calls for a certain amount of topping which turned out to be too much for me because the original recipe also calls for a 20 x 20cm tin, which I did not have. Instead, I chose to use a 20cm round tin, which obviously completely changed not only the original shape but also the amount of surface ready to receive the tasty crumb topping. By changing the shape and size the baking time also changed, which in turn changed the texture of the cake itself. The sides reminded me of a soft, dry bread, in the best way possible, while the inside remained moist and, as originally intended, velvety.
Honestly, nothing bad happened and it was devoured in less than two days. My mother was delighted as she felt it wasn't overly sweet (something I personally wouldn't have minded but also something easily solved) and it went perfectly with her morning coffee and even as a snack for either of us to take to work. With the remaining crumb topping, I decided to whip up a quick berry and apple crumble which is now waiting in the freezer, ready to be baked and enjoyed on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Win-win situation, really. So here's the recipe, both original and edited by yours truly.
For the crumb topping you will need:
- 1 3/4 cup of flour
- 1/2 cup of granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup of light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon of salt
- 1/4 cup of melted butter
For the cake:
- 2 cups of cake flour
- 1/2 cup of granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons of pumpkin spice
- 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
- 1 cup of pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup of buttermilk
- 1/4 cup of vegetable oil
- 2 eggs + 1 yolk
- Powdered sugar for dusting
If you're making the pumpkin puree yourself you should do it in advance, I did mine the night before so it would be at room temperature when I needed it. For it, I bought a 900gr piece of fresh pumpkin, cooked it, drained it as best as I could, pureed it et voilà! This is also the point where you should mix your spices if you can't find pumpkin spice, I just took a small jar, mixed 3 teaspoons of ground cinnamon, 2 teaspoons of ground ginger, 2 teaspoons of ground nutmeg and 1 1/2 teaspoons of ground cloves. I do realize it also takes allspice but I don't enjoy pepper in my life but if you do just add 1 1/2 teaspoons of allspice to the jar. Now you have a jar of pumpkin spice and you're ready to be an Autumn Queen.
Method
First of all, start by preheating your oven to 160 degrees Celsius, or 325 Fahrenheit. Prepare your tin, (which ideally would be 20x20cm) by lining it with parchment paper leaving enough to help you lift the cake later.
Now it's time to take care of that finger-lickin' good crumb. Honestly, I actually ate the bigger pieces as I was making it, I know, I'm disgusting, I'm sorry. Stir together the flour, sugars, baking soda and salt and pour the melted butter over the mixture and mix until it looks like a small sandy beach between your fingers. I like to keep some bigger pieces and some as small as actual sand, just to make the texture more interesting, but that is up to you. Then, set aside. I kept my mixture in the fridge so the butter would stiffen and not completely melt as soon as it got inside the oven, but that's also optional.
At this point, if you're making your own buttermilk, it's time to marry your milk of choice and your white vinegar or lemon juice. For each cup of buttermilk you need, you should add one tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to a cup and fill it up to the brim with milk. In this case, just make half the mixture. Let it stand for 5 to 10 minutes, which is basically how long you will need to weigh and mix the rest of the ingredients.
In a mixing bowl combine the cake flour (which is just regular flour without a raising agent, if you're confused) and the rest of the dry ingredients, except for the powdered sugar, obviously. With the help of a mixer mix the wet ingredients, and when it all becomes one, pour in the dry ingredients and mix until it's smooth, remembering to scrape down the sides to make sure everything is incorporated.
It is now time to pour that velvety batter into the pan and top with the legendary crumb mixture, spreading it evenly throughout the top.
If you're using the recommended pan, the cake should bake for 40 to 45 minutes, in my case, it took around 90 minutes to bake. Whichever is your case, just test it with a toothpick after 40 minutes and keep checking until it comes out clean. At this stage, remove the cake from the oven and let it cool for 30 minutes before trying to remove from the pan. When you finally do, lift it by the extra parchment paper and then dust it with the powdered sugar to make it the cake of dreams.
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did and go show Delightful E Made some love and thank her for this tasty joy.
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