Crunch Cake!!!!!!
This is likely the most consistent family holiday tradition in my family! Thanksgiving and Christmas always look different year to year — sometimes it’s a big feast, sometimes its a small gathering. Who is hosting and what’s on the menus may vary wildly — but cranberry crunch cake will be there. I’ve adapted this recipe from my aunt Billie, baker & hostess extraordinaire! It’s rich and sweet, but not too sweet and is just as good after dinner as it is for breakfast…and lunch…and tea-time snack… I can (and do) eat this all day. It also keeps really well - so it’s a great one to bake and bring with you if you’re traveling for the holidays. Or to make ahead of time before guests show up for the weekend. (It’s also hard to beat as a gift. Make a few and treat your neighbors!)
Traditionally, this is made with cranberries & baked (and served) in a pie plate! I make it all year round with whatever fruit is in season and usually bake it in a cake pan. Either way, note that the delicious sugary fruity base can mean it’s a bit tricky to get out of the pan. If you’re having trouble, put it in the oven for several minutes to warm up and loosen.
Directions:
Melt 1 stick (4 oz) butter and set aside.
In bowl of stand mixer combine with the whisk attachment:
1 c sugar, 1 c flour, ½ tsp baking powder, ½ tsp salt, 1 tsp spice
Pour in the melted butter and then add: 2 eggs, mixing between each addition.
Increase mixer speed to high and whisk for 3-5 minutes until lightened and increased in volume.
Prepare a single 8” or 9” cake pan, a pie plate, or (2)6” cake pans with a parchment liner and heavy spray. (You can skip the parchment if using a pie plate.) Put ¼ c to ½ c sugar directly in bottom of pan.
In a medium bowl mix together 3 cups fruit of choice with up to 1 c sugar and then add to cake pans. Top fruit-sugar mix with cake batter.
Bake in a pre-heated 350' oven for 30-60 minutes or until done. (Check at 30 minutes for small cakes, big cakes will take an hour. It can be a little hard to check for doneness because the fruit will be gooey on the bottom, but you’d rather overbake a little than underbake. I usually use a paring knife not just a little cake tester and poke a pretty big hole in the center of the cake to make sure it’s baked. Will be a nice golden brown on top, cake cooked through, and probably some sugary fruit starting to bubble up on the edges.)
Let cool for 10 minutes and then go around the edge of the cake with an offset spatula and flip cake out while still warm. (Or the melted sugar will caramelize in the cake pan and it will be very hard to get out! If you forget and let it cool all the way, you can throw it back in the oven for a few minutes to start to melt the sugary bits a little so you can flip it out.)
Ingredient list & notes:
3 cups fruit - whole fresh cranberries or other berries, thinly sliced apples or pears, chopped rhubarb, really whatever you like or is in season!
4 oz butter (1 stick)
2 - 2 ½ cup sugar, divided - total varies depending on fruit you’re using; 1 c always goes into the batter, ¼ c-½ c goes directly in the bottom of the pan, and another ¾ c - 1 c gets tossed with the fruit. You can vary the amount of sugar you toss with the fruit based on how sweet the fruit is, but be sure to put at least ¼ c of sugar in the bottom of the pan before adding the rest of the fruit/sugar so that you get a nice sugar/crunch top when you flip the cake out at the end!)
1 cup flour - all purpose is great; cake flour works well too! Or feel free to use some whole wheat pastry flour, or do a mix of some all purpose flour & some rye flour!
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 tsp spices - whatever sounds good with whatever fruit you’re using. I always like coriander with cranberries or anything really; cinnamon or ginger is good with apples or peaches; cardamom is good with rhubarb or plums.
2 eggs - room temperature