Crumb Cake

Mini berry crumb cake offers a unique twist on dessert. A bit more sophisticated than your usual summer shortcake or streusel-topped treat, I prepare this delightful sweet in a popover pan and incorporate breadcrumbs into the batter. Raspberry syrup drenches the cakes, giving them an elegant charm reminiscent of an old-world European recipe like the Finnish Runeberg's Tortes.

I find incorporating breadcrumbs into the cake batter a very interesting technique. While less common in modern American baking, this method has historical roots in various European cake recipes. There, breadcrumbs added moisture, density, or a unique texture. The results are rustic cakes that feel less dense than a pound cake and offer more of a melt-in-your-mouth quality.

Popover Pan vs Muffin Pan

• Popover pans have a unique design that allow for heat circulation all around the bake. They also have deep wells that are more narrow on the bottom vs their tops. Both of these characteristics allow for the high rising cakes unique shape and texture.
• Muffin tins have more shallow and wider wells that are set closer together. This is great for the characteristic wide muffin dome, but doesn't support the height.
• You can certainly substitute the muffin tin for the popover tin, but your cakes will lose that beautiful touch of elegance that comes with the slender base and the height.
• Now, if you have dariol tins (used for Runeberg's cakes and rum baba or baba au rum) then absolutely use those for the most incredibly appealing shape for serving.

Mini Berry Crumb Cake Ingredients

The batter recipe includes basic pantry staples like flour, butter, eggs, sugar and baking powder. Unlike traditional crumb cakes that get their "crumb" from a topping, these cakes have breadcrumbs mixed directly into the batter. The special moist texture and buttery flavor comes from the breadcrumbs and almond flour. While still warm the cakes are covered in raspberry syrup. Top them with a delicious homemade or store-bought whole berry jam just before serving.

Helpful Tips

• For a brighter compote, fold fresh whole berries into warm jam just before serving.
• Bring your eggs and butter to room temperature to ensure a smooth well-emulsified batter.
• Do not over mix the batter. For the most tender crumb mix just until ingredients combine.
• Use a cookie scoop to fill the prepared popover wells evenly.

Crumb Cake

Lisa Keys

A unique mini dessert that's easy to make and impressive to serve.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

12 minutes mins

Total Time 27 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine european, Finnish

Servings 6 servings

Calories 475 kcal

Equipment

• 1 popover pan or dariol molds or muffin tin

Ingredients

  

• ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 egg
• ⅓ cup sugar
• ½ teaspoon raspberry extract
• ½ cup 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• ½ cup almond flour
• 1 cup fine soft breadcrumbs
• 3 tablespoons raspberry syrup or liqueur
• ½ cup berry jam stirred

Instructions

 

• Heat oven to 400F. Spray a 6-well popover pan with no-stick baking spray.
• In small bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
• In another bowl, whisk egg, sugar and raspberry extract; set aside
• In bowl of stand mixer fitted with the paddle, beat butter until light and creamy. Add almond flour and breadcrumbs; beat on low speed for 1 minute or until blended.
• Add the egg mixture, blend well.
• Sir in the flour mixture with a flexible rubber spatula just until blended.
• Divide batter evenly among popover wells.
• Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
• Cool in pan for 5 minutes before turning out on to a cooling rack.
• Brush each cake with raspberry syrup
• Serve topped with a spoonful of jam

Notes

Almond or vanilla extract can be used in place of raspberry extract.

Just remember: stale bread is not wasted bread. Turn it into breadcrumbs.

Keyword baking, dariol mold, easy recipe, Finland, mini dessert, popover pan