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Cinnamon Crumb Surprise Cake
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Cinnamon Crumb Surprise

Ingredients

Crumb Topping

  • 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup walnuts
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp cake flour
  • 3 tbsp melted butter
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Batter

  • 1 small tart apple
  • 2 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 + 1/2 cups cake flour
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 3/8 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 9 tbsp butter softened

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F 30 minutes before baking.
  • Spray a 9x5 loaf pan with cooking spray and line the bottom with parchment. Spray again with cooking spray.

Topping

  • In a food processor, pulse the sugars, nuts and cinnamon until the nuts are coarsely chopped.
  • Reserve 1/2 cup of this mixture to use with the filling.
  • Add the flour, butter and vanilla to the remainder and pulse briefly just until the butter is absorbed.
  • Empty it into a bowl and refrigerate for about 20 minutes to firm up, then use your fingertip to form a coarse, crumbly mixture for the topping.

Filling

  • Peel and core the apple. Cut it into 1/4 inch thick slices, and toss with lemon juice. Set aside.
  • In a medium bowl, lightly combine the egg, the yolks, and about one fourth of the sour cream, and the vanilla.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix on low speed for 30 seconds to combine.
  • Add the butter and the remaining sour cream and mix until the dry ingredients are moistened.
  • Increase the speed to medium and beat for 1 minute.
  • Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
  • Gradually add the egg mixture in two batches, beating for 20 seconds after each addition to incorporate the ingredients.
  • Fill your prepared loaf tin with 2/3 of the batter. Smooth the surface.
  • Sprinkle with the reserved 1/2 cup crumb mixture. and top with the apple slices, arranging them in two rows of overlapping slices.
  • Drop the remaining batter in large blobs over the fruit and spread it evenly, preferably with an offset spatula. The batter should be about 3/4 of an inch from the top of the tin.
  • Sprinkle with the crumb topping.
  • Bake the bread for 50-60 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Tent loosely with buttered foil after 45 minutes to prevent overbrowning.
  • Cool the bread in the tin on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the bread from the tin and allow to completely cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container.

Notes

Recipe from The Bread Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum