Wednesday 7 May 2008

Oh, Crumbs

You may be starting to wonder something as you read this blog. 'Indy,' you might be thinking, 'when on earth do you leave school? What with your undeniable maturity and reliability, not to mention the wit and charm that you do, frequently, mention, surely you have outgrown the constraints of full time education by now? Shouldn't you be seeking your fortune, using the skills you have acquired during your formative years in the real world?'

Alternatively, you may not be wondering this. But I bet you are now.

Well the answer is: Friday. Friday is the day I leave school, forever. Except for when I have to go back to take my exams. But otherwise, Friday.

It's all very exciting and rather like the end of Grease (except without, you know, the leather and the teenage pregnancies. Well I don't know, other people might be wearing leather and getting pregnant. But not me personally), but one thing I have noticed as people sign my leaver's book is a bit of a theme.

A theme along the lines of 'so long, and thanks for all the cake'.

Is cake what people associate with me, I wonder? Is my role in secondary school not 'class clown' or 'official hottie', but 'inducer of sugar highs'?

I can live with that.

Actually, my mum said to me the other day, 'I'm quite glad you have a bit of a penchant for cake, you know, to keep you from getting too skinny.'

YOU'RE GLAD I LOVE CAKE BECAUSE IT MEANS I'LL NEVER BE THIN. THANKS, MOTHER.

She hardly deserved a cake after that, but bugger it, this looked good.

Jam Crumb Cake
Gourmet December 2007
Recipe from
Gigi Cakes: American measurements at the link.

FOR THE CAKE:
140g all-purpose flour
90g of sugar
1 ¾ teaspoons of baking powder
¼ teaspoon of salt
85g melted butter
120ml of milk
1 large egg
½ cup of jam or preserves
(Not sure how much this is so I blobbed a good few tablespoons on. If you want guidance: the more the better)

FOR THE CRUMB TOPPING:
85g melted butter
30g brown sugar
50g granulated sugar
¾ teaspoons of cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon of salt
140g + 2 tablespoons of flour

Preheat the oven to 400F. Generously grease and butter a 9-inch round pan.

1. For the cake: Whisk together butter, milk, and egg in a large bowl, then whisk in the flour mixture until just combined. Pour the batter into the cake pan. Dollop jam all over the surface, then swirl batter with a spoon.

2. For the topping: Whisk together the butter, sugars, cinnamon and salt until smooth. Stir in the flour, then blend with your fingertips until incorporated, then sprinkle crumbs over the cake.

3. Bake the cake until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool in pan for 5 minutes before inverting to completely cool.

Incidentally; I've just finished decorating not one, but two cakes for Leavers' Day: one as a thankyou present to the English department and one chocolate rum cake for our BBQ afterwards. Watch this space. ^__^

16 comments:

Clumbsy Cookie said...

Ahahah! You're funny! When I was at school I was also the sugar provider, I still am today! And yes you're right, lovong cakes prevents us to be thin, arghhhhh! Anyway crumbs cake look excellent!

RecipeGirl said...

Such pretty crumbs. I think I would like this one!

Congrats on the end of school!

grace said...

cake rules. i'm usually partial to types loaded with frosting, but your creation looks awesomely moist and delicious. if loving cake is wrong, i don't want to be right.

oh, and just so you know, i was born to hand jive. :)

Mehgan said...

OMG, I can't believe you're so young! I had no idea!

This crumb cake looks divine, and my husband has been asking me to make some since Easter, so I will definitely be trying this out soon.

Abitofafoodie said...

Yum, yum, yum. This looks so very delicious.
Enjoy those last days at school!

steph- whisk/spoon said...

you head to Uni in autumn, right? will you be able to bake there and carry on your class role??

test it comm said...

Looks at those crumbs! This crum cake sounds really good!

Anonymous said...

I have a weekness for crumbs...it's beautiful...thanks for sharing.

Jackie said...

Hello!

I have to say, I love your blog :) I'm just trying to get going with a blog of my own, and I hope you don't mind, but I'd love to link to you, if that's ok!?

I love the Britishness of your blog - yay for British food bloggers, I say! :)

aforkfulofspaghetti said...

Looks good. I once had a recipe for an apple cake that looked much like this. Maybe I'll have a go using your method, and using apples instead of jam. Yum.

Anna said...

Thanks everyone for commenting!

Mehgan - Yeah, I'm seventeen! I have a summer birthday so I'm one of the youngest of my friends though, siigh.

Steph - I've been wondering about that, actually - I hope so! I may put the blog on indefinite hiatus when I go (October) to give me some time to get into the swing of things. But I really want to keep it going ^__^.

Jackie - Thanks so much! And yes, of course you can link me, I'd be honoured ^__^. I'm also completely with you on the pro-British-bloggers thing XD.

Rosie said...

Congrats to you dear Indigo on the end of school! Hahahaha loving cakes does prevent us from being thin ;)

You have been tagged please visit my blog - thanks

http://rosiebakesapeaceofcake.blogspot.com

Rosie x

Sophie said...

hehe, that sounds like a perfectly good title to me :). I looOoOove cake! :D

Y said...

Hilarious! Inducer of sugar highs .. I think that has more longevity than 'official hottie', especially when you think about twenty years down the line... the hottie might be nottie, but the cake-baker will always remain a cake-baker :)

Anonymous said...

"thin" and "too skinny" are not be confused, you silly billy >:/

also liking the "not wearing leather and getting pregant" assertion. I have pictures from my musical party...

xxx

The Caked Crusader said...

This cake has excited me greatly. I'm printing this one off to make!