RASPBERRY STREUSEL CAKE

AN INDULGENCE FOR A PICNIC OR COFFEE

North Americans have a treat called Coffee Cake which doesn't contain coffee but is served at "Coffee Mornings", at 10am’ish after the kids are dropped off at school.  It's a rich plain cake, topped with a crumbly, heady topping of butter, sugar and cinnamon.  67goingon70 has seen grown men salivating as the wonderful smell of it wafts across a room.     

This recipe, the basis of which comes from French chef Robert Carrier, has been developed for picnics.  It's richer and less spongy than the usual coffee cake but fits perfectly into 23cm/ 9in square foil baking trays, making it easily transportable.  

It uses raspberries (so fabulously perfect now) but strawberries (which will likely need to be halved or quartered), blueberries, peach wedges and apple slices also work well. 67goingon70 no longer bothers with the butter in the topping as it tastes just as wonderful without and cuts the calorie count. 

Serves: 8-12
Cost: £2 (2015; updating shortly)

Ingred:

Sponge
110 gm/4oz soft plant or dairy butter (leave out overnight or microwave for 20 sec)
85 gm/3 oz sugar
2 eggs (at room temperature)
175 gm/6 oz plain flour
1.5  tsp baking powder
pinch salt
2-3 tbsp dairy or almond milk

Topping
85 gm/3 oz soft brown sugar
1.5 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 oz unsalted butter (opt)
100-200 gms fresh berries or fruit

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180c, 160 fan, 350f, gas 4
2. Line baking tin with greaseproof paper
3. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy (3-4 mins??)
4. Add eggs one at a time, beating until incorporated.
5. Sift dry ingredients into a bowl
6. Beat in dry ingred a little at a time, being careful not to overbeat 
7. Check texture.  The mix will be fairly thick but spreadable.  If not, add a tablespoon or so of milk
8. Scrape into the tin, evening out with a spatula 
9. Mix cinnamon and sugar together and sprinkle over the top. If using butter, drop tiny pieces over the topping.
10. Scatter fruit over the top, pressing down lightly until fruit is just peeking out of the batter.
11. Bake for 50-55 mins or until a toothpick comes out clean.  .
12. Cool in tin ten min, then lift out (using the edges of the greaseproof paper), and onto a cooling rack.
13. When cool, peel off greaseproof paper and return to tin.

Copyright: This recipe has been developed by B M Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced, in any form, without the author's written permission.