Baking · serves 2

Crumb Cake

Jam swirled through, a cinnamon rubble lid. Twenty-five minutes of work.

60 min Some work Vegetarian

Ingredients

  • 180ml milk
  • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 65g sugar
  • 120ml sunflower oil
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 150g plain flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 255g raspberry jam
  • Topping: 120g plain flour, 70g brown sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 60ml sunflower oil

Method

  1. Milk and vinegar, 5 minutes to thicken.
  2. Topping first: sift flour, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg, then drizzle the oil in a tablespoon at a time, rubbing with your fingertips until it looks like coarse breadcrumbs. Add it all at once and you get paste, not crumbs.
  3. Cake: sugar, oil and vanilla, then the thickened milk.
  4. Sift in flour, baking powder and salt. Smooth batter.
  5. Into a greased 20cm tin. Dot with jam and swirl through with a knife.
  6. Scatter the crumb topping and pat it down gently.
  7. 180°C for 35 minutes.

Questions people ask about Crumb Cake

How long does Crumb Cake take?

About 60 minutes from starting to sitting down, and it is a bit of work. A good part of that is unattended, so you can get on with something else once it is going.

What can I use instead of maida in Crumb Cake?

Use plain atta for a denser, nuttier result, or a 50/50 mix if you want to keep some lift.

Can I make Crumb Cake ahead of time?

You can prepare it a few hours ahead and reheat gently. It keeps two days in the fridge, though it is best on the day.

Is Crumb Cake vegetarian?

Yes, it is vegetarian. It is not vegan as written because it contains dairy; swap the dairy for a plant alternative and the rest of the method is unchanged.

Do I need an oven for Crumb Cake?

Yes, this one needs an oven. If you do not have one, look at the no-oven filter on the baking page: eleven of the bakes here are built for a cooker, a pan or the fridge.

What do you serve with Crumb Cake?

On its own, warm, with tea or coffee. Baking is chemistry, so scale it by weight rather than by eye: double every quantity, use a tin with roughly double the area, and expect to add ten minutes or so. Judge it by the skewer, not the clock.

Don't know what to cook? Let it decide →

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