I don’t often video desserts – not sure why as I do make them often – but after making this one I felt compelled to share it with you – it’s apple, it’s crumble, it’s cake! It’s immense.
Today I present to you the essence of homeliness; it’s comforting, it’s nostalgic and never ceases to induce the eye closing, head-shaking smile of happiness. It’s an apple crumble cake.
I come from Yorkshire where apple crumble was a staple; a bit like the apple pie in the US of A. As a kid a homemade sponge cake was also something I would really look forward to; my grandma was untouched in this department. So Imagine cake and apple crumble getting together and forming a beautiful relationship – well this is it.
And to add some intrigue the apple is joined by it’s long-term associate the juicy sultana; and they are pepped up with some rather punchy companions; Calvados, the amazing apple brandy, some cinnamon, the long-term friend you always feel comfortable with and a touch of all-spice, the dried unripe berry of dimenta dioica, a midcanopy tree native to the Greater Antilles…ok, ok so I looked that one up.
But what these ingredients create is a beautifully balanced flavoursome fruity sensation, when combined with the airy sponge cake and a crumble packed with flaked almonds and almond meal create a dessert to turn heads and to submit to.
As Fergus Henderson said “This is having your cake and eating it”
The great thing about this crumble cake is that you can replace the apple with pretty much any fruit; rhubarb and orange zest is what the original recipe called for, but you could use apricots, gooseberries, peaches and nectarines, plums, blackberries and raspberries, cherries in kirsch and I’m told that pears and ginger work well. Don’t be afraid to try things, new things – sometimes they don’t work but sometimes you hit on something that will inspire you; something that’ll you’ll be itching to tell others. That’s why I’m sharing this apple crumble cake with you.
And with that, let’s get cooking!
