Cranberry Almond Crumb Cake
It’s cranberry season!!! I love how versatile cranberries are and how many different things you can make with them, from sweet to savory to spicy. I enjoy having different types of cranberry dishes for Thanksgiving, so I bought four bags from the grocery this week: 1 for Pineapple Cranberry Sauce, 1 for Cranberry Apple Chutney, 1 for Sparkling Candied Cranberries, and 1 for this Cranberry Almond Crumb Cake. The last time I made this cake, it was a hit- people couldn’t help but take seconds and thirds! The sweet and gingery crispy topping works so well with the almond cake and tart pops of whole cranberry. I really hope you enjoy making (and eating) this as much as we did! Happy Autumn!
Ingredients- Topping
120 grams (1.5 cups) rolled oats (or 120 grams oat flour)
226 grams (1 cup) unsalted butter
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp dried ginger powder
2 tbsp fresh grated ginger
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
300 grams (1.5 cups) sugar
2 tbsp molasses
200 grams (1 2/3 cup) all purpose flour
90 grams (1 cup) sliced almonds
Directions- Topping
1. If using rolled oats instead of oat flour: blend the rolled oats until it becomes a fine powder.
2. Place a large pot over medium heat and add the butter, cinnamon, dried ginger powder, grated ginger, nutmeg, and salt to it. Heat, stirring constantly, until the butter is completely melted. Remove from the heat.
3. Add the sugar and molasses to the pot and mix well until it is uniform.
4. Add the oat flour and all purpose flour to the pot and mix until there are no dry spots.
5. Add the sliced almonds to the pot and mix until they are incorporated. The topping should be crumbly, but uniform in color. Keep this aside until you are ready to top the cake before baking (Step 6 below).
Ingredients- Cake
250 grams (2 cups) all purpose flour
60 grams (1/2 cup) almond flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp dried ginger powder
170 grams unsalted butter (3/4 cup), room temperature
250 grams (1 1/4 cups) sugar
240 grams (1 cup) sour cream, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
3 eggs, room temperature
340 grams (3 cups) fresh cranberries, washed and dried
Directions- Cake
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F and set the baking rack at the middle level. Prepare a 9”x13” baking pan by generously buttering the bottom and sides.
2. Sift the all purpose flour, almond flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and dried ginger powder together into a large bowl.
3. For this entire step, scrape the beaters and sides of the bowl frequently to ensure even mixing. Start by beating the butter and sugar together until it is light and fluffy. Then beat in the sour cream, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Next, add the eggs one at a time, beating until uniform each time.
4. Add the dry ingredients and beat on low until just mixed. Avoid over-mixing, so if you see a few dry streaks of flour, you can finish mixing it with a silicone spatula / wooden spoon. This is a really thick batter, which helps keep the cranberries suspended while it bakes.
5. Gently mix in the cranberries using the silicone spatula / wooden spoon.
6. Spread the batter into the prepared baking dish and smooth the top as best as you can. Crumble the the topping (made per recipe above) over the top of the batter, trying to cover all the exposed batter. Gently press the topping into the batter to make it stick.
7. Bake at 350 F for 45 - 50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
8. Cool at least one hour before serving. Store uneaten cake in the fridge.
