I’ve been watching the tv series Cake Boss on YouTube and in one episode, Buddy makes a crumb cake using the leftover trimmings from his other cakes.
I thought that was a brilliant idea, so I bought his cookbook to see how it was done. If you’re a fan of the show, the book is an engaging read, giving the full history of his family and the bakery. But I was disappointed to find that the crumb cake recipe provided was similar to ones I’d seen before, with a topping created from sugar, flour and shortening.
So I thought I’d experiment! I defrosted frozen leftover cake…
Crumbled it and mixed it with brown sugar and melted butter…
Then spread it out over vanilla cake batter…
Baked it for 30 minutes in the oven…
And topped it with icing sugar…
This cake was incredibly popular with my boys – Small Man who only ever eats chocolate cake ate about a quarter of it on his own. The neighbours loved it too – so much so that a couple of them stopped me on the street to rave about it. It’s definitely a keeper!
As Buddy pointed out in the video, a heavy dusting of icing sugar at the end is essential. And even though it’s really just a riff on our basic tea cake recipe, the texture created by the twice-baked crumb is so interesting that it changes the cake completely.
Crumb cake is the ideal way to deal with our current egg glut – I’ve now baked a couple of vanilla tea cakes and stashed them in the freezer for future crumbling. I might add a layer of berries next time, or try my friend Dotti’s suggestion and make crumb topped cupcakes.
Here’s my recipe, but please don’t feel you need to stick to it – just take the idea and run with it. I’ve given instructions for making the whole cake from scratch, but this is really the perfect recipe for using up leftover bits of cake that you have stashed in the freezer, and the perfect reason to never throw old cake away again!
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial Crumb Cake
Step 1: Crumb Topping
Basic Vanilla Tea Cake Batter
- 250g unsalted butter, soft but not melted
- 200g caster (superfine) sugar
- 4 large free range eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I used homemade)
- 150g self-raising flour
- 150g almond meal
Note: this recipe can also be made in a stand mixer, instructions are here.
1. In the large bowl of the food processor, blitz together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and pulse until combined, adding in a spoonful of the flour if required to stop the batter from splitting (but don’t worry too much if it does). Scrape down the sides as needed. Add the vanilla and pulse again.
2. Stir or sift the flour and almond meal together, then add to the food processor and pulse until just combined.
3. Scrape the batter into a medium baking pan lined with parchment paper (I used a rectangular 30cm x 23cm /12″x9″ pan enamel baking pan) and bake in a preheated 175C (or 160C with fan) oven for 35-40 minutes until a fine skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. This recipe makes enough to top four crumb cakes.
4. Allow the cake to cool, then cut it into quarters. Store well wrapped in the freezer until needed.
Making the crumb topping:
In a medium bowl, crumble 250g of (defrosted) vanilla tea cake or leftover cake into small pieces (not too fine). Stir in 50g dark brown sugar, then 50g melted unsalted butter. Mix well to combine.
. . . . .
Step 2: Making the Crumb Cake
1. Make another batch of the vanilla tea cake batter, following steps 1 and 2 above.
2. Line a large baking pan with parchment paper – I used my 34cm x 28cm (13½” x 11″) enamel Falcon pan. Preheat the oven to 175C or 160C with fan.
3. Spread the batter over the base of the lined pan, then scatter the prepared crumb mix over the top. Press it on lightly.
4. Bake for 30 minutes until the topping is quite brown and a fine skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool on a wire rack, then dredge generously with sifted icing sugar mixture.
. . . . .
I hope you enjoy making this cake as much as I have – it’s definitely one to add to our regular baking list. I think the technique of making the crumb topping from leftover cake will have a multitude of different applications – we’ve already used it for fruit crumbles, but I can also see it as a topping for blueberry muffins and cupcakes. Please let us know if you come up with any creative ideas!
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 
sounds delicious!
Thank you! :)
What a cool idea! This reminds me of your brioche crumb topping ;)
On a side note, I used to live 2 blocks away from Buddy’s bakery in Hoboken. He was often there (camera crew in tow) working the floor and talking to customers. Mixed in with all of the muffins and cookies, there were plenty of crumb topped cakes dusted in powdered sugar! His personality on tv is exactly how he is in real life. xx
Em, that’s so good to know – I love watching the mad family interact with each other! Are their cakes delicious? I always wonder whether such glamorous cakes can still taste good…
Hi Celia! You know, I never actually tried their cakes… but I did have some cookies which were good. He seems like a really nice guy :)
This is why I love visiting you, I’ve never even heard nor had the fun of tasting this sort of cake.. what a brilliant idea! I made jam bars the other day.. could you use these to top a jam bar recipe? Lovely lovely flavors, no wonder your neighbors are raving:) xx
Barb, that’s a brilliant idea – jam bars! The only thing I think we need to watch out for is that the topping can’t bake for too long, so it needs to be quick baking items rather than cakes that take an hour in the oven (if that makes sense).
What a lovely idea!
Thank you! :) Great fun too!
What a fantastic idea! It turned out brilliantly too, by the look of it.
Kari, it was just so nice to be able to use leftovers from the freezer – you know how excited I get about that..hahaha
Brilliant idea for leftover cake! Love when others discover and share.
Thank you! Hope you enjoy it as much as I did – I baked two of them on the weekend!
If you use left overs from this cake it will be thrice baked :)
Glenda, my friend Maude suggested the same thing – she said I could end up with some sort of crumb cake “mother” in the freezer…hahaha
What a clever idea, I’m guessing that you could use this same method for other dessert toppings as well. Love this crumb!
Cheri, we’ve used something similar on fruit crumbles/crisps and it’s worked a treat!
I always wondered how Buddy made crumb cake. We loved the show as well. You can’t help falling in love with that family. Big, brash, larger than life, loud, all things Italian but with real heart and soul. As Buddy would say “What’s not to love?” ;). Cheers for sharing your Aussie take on what appears to be a delicious classic. I reckon yours will make a delicious treat without “shortening” our life span like the American version ;)
Fran, I’m pretty sure you could make a vegan version of this – just use any basic cake recipe you have and adapt accordingly! x
I found a really amazing cake recipe (vegan) not so long ago. Steve made it for me for my birthday and it would be perfect for this purpose. Pity really as I have forty squillion eggs that need using up. I have 19 hens ;)
My youngest daughter just loves that show. Not that it inspires her to bake – just to hassle me to bake!
So she should love, you bake beautiful cakes! :)
A great looking cake. Similar to a streudal topped cake in some ways. I love the way you always find a good way to use up leftovers Celia.
Francesca, you KNOW how excited I get about that. It seems to be turning into a theme on this blog.. :)
Who knew. Celia I’m getting you posts in my junk mail. Ever since I got an apple computer more thank half of the blogs I follow go there. Any ideas.
None whatsoever Norma, sorry. I’ve never used a Mac computer, other than an iPad! :)
Oh well will keep an eye out for your posts until I figure this out.
Thanks hon. Hope all is happy in your world! xx
Great idea to recycle ingredients Celia- especially if Small Man enjoyed it so much xox
Becca, it’s amazing how different the crumb topping is compared to the ones made with flour and butter! Small Man surprised me, so I guess this is one I’m going to keep baking! :) xxx
This cake is seriously delicious , thank you for posting the recipe Celia , I will be freezing cake off cuts soon x
So glad you loved it darling! xxx
oh..good celia..another way to use cake that’s past its best apart from trifle..i could have used this recipe a couple of weeks ago when i made a condensed milk cake..condensed being the operative word..i ate it but not with relish..x
Jane, I dunno, I reckon you might need to start with cake you like in the first place.. :)
That is a great idea! I’ll never throw cake away again.
Hooray! Neither will I! :)
Yummo,
without willing neighbours, wastage sometimes inhibits my home baking so this looks great. Would love to try it on a fruit crumble……
Across the top of a baked cheesecake might be interesting.
Thank you
Craig, we topped a fruit crumble with it yesterday, and it was the best we’d ever eaten! :)
Amazing idea – although I don’t believe left over cake has ever been an issue at our house!! lol!
Hahaha…certainly no leftover crumb cake here – two giant slabs of it eaten between Saturday and now! :)
what a great idea! I have to say I’ve never even heard of this before – I thought crumb cakes just had a crumble topping but this is another great frugal alternative…
Every recipe I’ve ever seen for crumb cake uses crumble topping, which is why seeing Buddy make the cake was such a nice surprise. I’m just glad it worked so well! :)
Topping this crumb cake with icing and sugar is great! My craving for a sweet cake and my goal of cutting off on too much chocolate is answered. Thanks, Celia!!!
Gourmet Getaways
Julie, you can never have too much chocolate… ;-)
ooooo yes I love a crumb cake such a great way to use up the crumbs from cake decorating. Love that chocolate cake . i saw it on Instagram and wanted some straight away!
Only problem now is that I can see myself ending up with a freezer full of leftover cake! :)
Never heard of crumb cake before (honestly, the internet makes me realise just how little I know). I often freeze half a cake, already cut up so we can take it out as we need it but inevitably just one measly piece gets left unloved in the freezer but now I know what to do with it.
Anne, I think it’s a very American cake. We made fruit crumble yesterday and it was a big hit – 3 cups berries & rhubarb mixed with leftover jam and a bit of sugar, topped with 250g crumbled cake+50g brown sugar+50g melted unsalted butter. 30 minutes at 180C. I reckon a splosh of one of your fruit boozes would go well in there too! :)
This is brilliant!! About 5 minutes ago I had the late night munchies so I looked in the freezer and clucked at all the leftover cake! :o
Lorraine, I specifically thought of you and Charlie and Tania when I was making this – you guys must have heaps of leftovers from all the gorgeous decorated cakes you make! :)
Now how did I guess that you would do some experimenting? It sounds like you came up with a great creation & I love the idea of adding some berries in there – maybe some nice plump blackberries. If people are stopping you on the street Celia, I’d say at some point you should just open a little annex & sell some of your baked good (and those chocolates). I know if I lived near you, I’d be sure to take a walk by your house every day – you know, just in case you were baking and wanted a taste tester.
Diane, that would be enormous fun, wouldn’t it? :)
Sounds really good! I’ve never watched Cake Boss…mostly because I am turned off by New Jersey reality TV shows, but his original idea sounds fantastic. Too bad it wasn’t in his cookbook.
It WAS in his cookbook, just not the way he made it on tv! :)
Fantastic way to use up left over cake. I love watching Buddy and his mad family. You have to admire what he’s done with the bakery. GG
GG, his family are fabulous – maan, they’re loud! :)
I love Cake Boss – and I love crumb cake!! I used to make wedding cakes and my sons always loved the all the left-over bits of cake. And I was sure to make sure there was also ‘leftover frosting’ to go with those extra bits of cake !! ; o )
Cecile, wedding cakes are a big job! Good on you! :)
I only made the wedding cakes for family!! They would’ve forgiven me if I’d ever dropped one !! ; o )
This is great Celia. I always have a lot of cake leftover from making sculpted cakes and it’s always an issue with what to do with the leftover bits and pieces. This is a great way to use them up. I’m not surprised this was popular with your neighbours and your boys xx
I thought of you (and Lorraine and Tania) when I was making this – I found myself wondering what you’d done with all the offcuts from the Titanic cake! :)
It looks great, Celia, I’m not at all surprised that it was such a hit all round xxx
Thanks Cindy! Hope you’re well, lovely xx
I think the crunchy texture of the rebaked cake topping must really be nice.
Karen, thank you – it’s really delicious! We’ve used it to top all sorts of things since I wrote this post! :)
Hi Celia
Here is another way you can use leftover cake & stale bread. Very nice.
http://www.donalskehan.com/2014/08/gur-cake/
Thank you!
Great frugal idea. Plan to do a post on leftovers one of these days so bookmarked to mention.
I seem to have ended up with an entire blog on using up leftovers.. ;-)