Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

You might recall that a few years ago, we started baking crumb cakes. If not, the recipe is here, and it’s a winner.

Since that time, we’ve always kept a plain cake base in the fridge, cut into quarters, specifically to use for crumb topping. We’re not a fan of traditional oat and nut mixes, so the cake is our go-to for any desserts that call for a crumble topping. Let me cut and paste the original recipe for you – it comes together in minutes in the food processor:

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 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 defrosted cake (or leftover cake) into small pieces (not too fine), then stir in dark brown sugar and melted butter. Allow 50g each of sugar and butter to 250g cake. Mix well to combine.

I took this piece out of the freezer to make these muffins!

. . . . .

We use this for crumb cakes and also for Small Man’s berry crumble, but today I found it also works well on blueberry muffins. I only needed 125g vanilla tea cake, and 25g each of butter and brown sugar for this batch…

Blueberry Muffins with Cake Crumb Topping

• 410g plain (AP) flour
• 165g white sugar
• 150g brown sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
• ½ tsp fine sea salt
• 2 large free range eggs
• 185g unsalted butter, melted
• 185g buttermilk
• 3 tsps vanilla extract (I used homemade)
• 125g fresh blueberries
• 125g vanilla tea cake, defrosted if frozen (or other leftover plain cake)
• 25g unsalted butter, melted, for topping
• 25g brown sugar, for topping

Step 1: Preheat oven to 170C with fan. Line one or two 12-hole muffin pans with paper liners. Depending on the size of your pans, you’ll get between 12 and 18 muffins.

Step 2: whisk together the flour, white and brown sugars, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl.

Step 3: in a large pyrex jug (or another bowl), whisk together the buttermilk, extract and eggs. Pour this, along with the melted butter, into the dry ingredients and fold in gently until just combined. I think you’re meant to use a butter knife, but I use a silicone spatula. Once the dry ingredients are just incorporated, carefully fold in the blueberries.

Step 4: divide the batter between the lined muffin cups, filling each one about ¾ full.

Step 5: make the topping: crumble the cake into a bowl, then stir in the extra butter and brown sugar. Spoon a heaped teaspoon of the crumble mix onto the top of each muffin, pressing in gently with your fingers…

Step 6: bake for 20 – 25 minutes, rotating halfway through if using more than one tray. Allow the finished muffins to rest in the pan for ten minutes, before removing and cooling on a wire rack…

These were a huge hit with Pete and Small Man, and even though I’m not a huge muffin fan, I enjoyed them too. I think the crumble topping makes the difference! ♥