streusel Archives - Wood & Spoon

Strawberry Rhubarb Layer Cake

You’ve got a reason for partying, right? Whether it’s a booked vacation, the last day of school, or even just surviving the first half of the week, we all have something to hoot, holler, and bake about. For your summertime entertaining purposes, I have the prettiest pink-hued strawberry rhubarb layer cake. It’s filled with a homemade rhubarb jam and an oatmeal streusel and is slathered with a jam buttercream. Yes, it’s as sweet, salty, and fruity-delicious as it sounds, and you’re definitely going to want to read all about it.

First, here’s a quick update on us. Today is my Aimee girl’s last day of school. For us, this means summer begins and we can officially begin waiting on baby number 3 to show up. At 33 weeks along in this journey, I know there’s a few bloaty, swollen, heart-burny third trimester days in my future, but I’m counting down the minutes with anticipation regardless. The prospect of life as a family of 5 is currently blowing my mind, and I’m equal parts nervous-sweating and excited all at once.

We’ve spent the past few weeks nesting like crazy to get the big kiddos situated in their rooms and to prepare the nursery as much as possible. I’ve been washing clothes, organizing bottle parts, and doing double duty on the blog front to get some recipes lined up for you guys while we are in the newborn haze. My camera is currently caked in frosting and shards of shredded coconut, sticky and dirty from an overhaul of photoshoots, and my computer desktop is covered in a whole bunch of words, photos, and ingredients lists that I plan to share in the future. If I manage to pull this all off seamlessly, it will be a miracle. Pray for me.

Strawberry Rhubarb Layer Cake

The silver lining of all this insanity is that there’s a strawberry rhubarb layer cake today. It’s as pretty as it is delicious and equally appropriate for the season. This cake feels worthy of all our life victories, big and small. Plus, it’s so well-rounded in flavor, texture, and sweetness that it might just be my new favorite cake. Only maybe though, because see here and here.

Making the Cake

To make this strawberry rhubarb layer cake, we start with a quick jam. Chopped strawberries and rhubarb toss into a pan with sugar and water. The fruit cooks down until it’s a loose jam consistency that we can chill in the fridge. This jam can be used on scones, as a filling, or even as an ice cream topping! Super simple and delish.

The Steusel

The next component is the streusel. Butter, sugar, oats, and flour come together with a bit of cinnamon and ginger. Bake the crumbled mixture in the oven until it forms a crisp, granola-consistency crunchy mixture. While that cools, we can work on the cake! This is a simple buttermilk cake made with butter, eggs, and flour. 3 layers of fluffy, vanilla goodness emerge from the oven and helps to marry all of the cake components as one.

The Buttercream

We stack the cake as usual, using a bit of frosting to dam in the jam and streusel filling. Once all 3 tiers have been assembled, we coat the whole thing in a strawberry rhubarb buttercream which gets made with a bit of that jam from earlier. The frosting takes on a pretty pink color that looks incredibly festive and fun. It’s a fairly easy buttercream to prepare and work with, so I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

If you’re in need of a towering cake to make these toasty May days even more beautiful, please give this strawberry rhubarb layer cake a try! It’s absolutely divine and 100% worth the effort. Happy hump day and happy baking!

If you like this strawberry rhubarb layer cake you should check out:

Raspberry Streusel Cake

Raspberry Rhubarb Crumb Cake

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumb Bars

Rhubarb Shortcakes

Strawberry Rhubarb Layer Cake

Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

This strawberry rhubarb layer cake has a jam filling, a streusel topping, and fluffy buttermilk layers. The frosting is a jam buttercream!

Author: Kate Wood
Prep Time: 60
Cook Time: 40
Total Time: 180
Yield: 1 Cake
Category: Dessert

Ingredients

For the Rhubarb Jam:

¾ pound rhubarb, chopped
¾ pound strawberries, hulled
¾ cup (150 gm) sugar
1 tablespoon water

For the Streusel:

¼ cup (55 gm) unsalted butter
1/3 cup (40 gm) flour
1/3 cup (70 gm) brown sugar
1/3 cup (30 gm) quick cooking oats
½ teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ginger

For the Buttermilk Cake (Adapted from Spoonful of Butter):

1 cup (230 gm) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1–1/3 cups (270 gm) sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 large eggs, at room temperature
2–1/2 cups (350 gm) all-purpose flour
2–1/2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup (240 gm) buttermilk, at room temperature

For the Rhubarb Jam Buttercream:

1 cup (230 gm) unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 cups powdered sugar
½ teaspoon almond extract
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup, plus an extra 2 tablespoons (if needed) of rhubarb jam

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Instructions

To prepare the rhubarb jam:

Combine all of the ingredients in a medium-sized pot over low heat. Stir to combine and continue stirring regularly until all of the sugar has dissolved. You can test this by carefully rubbing a little bit of the liquid in the pot between two fingers- it should feel smooth.
Continue to cook over low heat, stirring regularly until the mixture comes to a simmer. Allow it to simmer for about 10-15 minutes until the rhubarb and berries have broken down and the mixture is approximately applesauce consistency. Remove from heat and place in a heat-proof bowl to cool in the fridge. This jam will keep in the fridge for approximately 2-3 weeks.

To prepare the streusel crumbs:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a small saucepan over medium heat melt and brown the butter. See the link in my blog post for help on this. Whisk the flour, brown sugar, oats, salt, cinnamon and ginger together in a medium sized bowl. Add the browned butter to the mixture and fold together until the ingredients clump into dime-sized bits. Spread out on a sheet pan and bake in the preheated oven, tossing occasionally, for 10-12 minutes or until the streusel is golden brown. Allow to cool completely before using or storing. Streusel can be made ahead and stored at room temperature for a week, or in the freezer for a couple of months.

To prepare the cake:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. You can opt to make a 2 layer 8” cake or a 3 layer 6” cake. Whichever you choose, grease your pans and line the bottom of each with parchment rounds.
In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter, sugar, and vanilla on medium speed (I use 4 on my mixer) until light and fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the eggs one at a time. Beat for an additional minute. Add half of the flour, the baking powder, and salt, and stir on low to combine. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add half of the buttermilk. Repeat this process with the remaining half of the flour and buttermilk. Scrape the sides of the bowl and fold in any unincorporated bits of batter. Divide the batter among the pans and bake in the oven until the top is lightly golden and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. For 3 6” cakes, this will take about 25-27 minutes. Allow the cakes to cool completely before assembling.

To prepare the jam buttercream:

In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the powdered sugar, extracts, and salt. Stir to combine and add the ¼ cup of jam. You’ll likely need an additional 2-3 tablespoons of jam to thin the buttercream out to spreading consistency. Beat in the mixer for an additional minute until smooth and combined, and add a tablespoon of milk or water as needed to get the right consistency for spreading.

To assemble your cake:

Level the cakes using a serrated knife. Spoon 1/3 of your frosting into a piping bag or large plastic bag with a hole snipped in the end so you can pipe a dam around the border of your cakes. Place a small amount of buttercream on a cake board or serving platter and place your first cake directly on top. Spread a small amount of buttercream on top of that layer and then use your piping bag to pipe a “dam” around the perimeter of the cake. The dam can be narrow but should be about ¼-1/2” tall. Spoon jam inside of the dam just barely under the top of the dam and then sprinkle streusel on top. Stack the next layer of cake and then repeat this process again finishing with the 3^rdlayer of cake. Spread the remaining icing around the outside of the cake and decorate as desired! The cake is best stored covered in the fridge and then brought barely to room temp prior to serving.

Coffee Cake Muffins

26 Comments / Breakfast, Cakes

Thanks to Google Analytics, I’m well aware that a lot of you here are kinda like me. 9 out of 10 of you are female, over half of you are in my age bracket, and we share a variety of other common interests like shopping, entertainment, and traveling. While there is no cookie cutter, run-of-the-mill prototype for what you might call “The Average Woman,” experience and life have taught me that a lot of us, at our core, have similarities. So today I want to write about something I’ve been learning, in hopes that it might speak to you.

Where the Green Grass Grows

I’ve spent many days of my life on the side of the road where the grass wasn’t as green. While I always had a supportive family, at least one good friend to my name, and a host of other things to be grateful for, I struggled with little insecurities and spent most of my life with a measuring stick in hand, trying to determine where I stood in the lineup of people around me. Even today as a 30-year-old woman, I find myself occassionally tiptoeing onto the scale of comparison because I’ve convinced myself that I should be more or that someone else is better.

Do you feel this? Is your life riddled with doubt and shame? Do you find yourself filling up secret, lonely places with the weightiness of jealousy? Even small, seemingly insignificant areas of self-doubt can create mountains of pain in the strongest of humans, and it happens to me so frequently that I’m certain I’m not alone in this; some of you are struggling to stay afloat in this boat with me.

So here are my two cents, the truth that I am using to Drain-O my brain from the lies that sneak in from time to time:

Your life is significant. The things that make you who you are- the hopes and the history, your personality and your passions, every curve of your body and outline of your words- those things have value. There is beauty spilling out from every corner of you, and with an ounce of confidence and joy to back up that grace in your life, the world around you won’t be able to stop watching. Your gifts are a unique contribution to the universe and they matter.

Celebrating Others

I listened to a podcast recently that completely blew my mind with these truths. While I was listening, it was like the blinders were removed and suddenly I was able to see how much I had hurt myself by not recognizing the value of own my life. By failing to treasure myself and the things I had to offer, I was unable to fully appreciate the beauty in the lives of the people around me. My perception of myself was so clouded by what I lacked that the beautiful hair and athleticism and freedom and talent and awards and opportunities that everyone around me had felt like a threat. Instead of admiring it, cheering it on, and broadcasting its awesomeness to the people within my reach, I mentally chalked up another point for them and sagged lower under the weight of my own insecurity.

Whether we admit it or not, I think we all do this to an extent. Today’s world has made the comparison game a full-on mental slaughter for some of us; at some point we have to say no. We need to open our eyes to how much we truly matter. In doing so, we can appreciate the value of our lives and admire the gold in others. We were all created with such intentionality and precision, so we can rest in knowing that we are lovely simply because God made us that way.

That’s my soapbox for the morning. If you need encouragement today, please reach out to me. Additionally, if you need delicious breakfast, please try these coffee cake muffins.

Coffee Cake Muffins

This recipe for coffee cake muffins was adapted from my Mimi’s coffee cake recipe. It’s a special occasion food for my family, however I knew I needed to make it more accessible. Unsurprisingly, these coffee cake muffins turned out springy, fluffy, and perfectly cinnamon-sweet. Also unsurprisingly, I LOVED them, and will be making them for all of the special mornings coming up.

Making the Muffins

First, to make them, simply cream together the butter and sugar before adding an egg and some vanilla. Next, add the dry ingredients, alternating with some buttermilk, and scoop the batter into a lined muffin tin. Finally, there’s a cinnamon and brown sugar filling that you can use to top and fill your muffins too. That an extra bite of sweet makes these coffee cake muffins divine.

Happy baking and Happy Sunday to you all!

So if you like these coffee cake muffins, you should try:

Whole Wheat Carrot Muffins

Peach Crumb Muffins

Hummingbird Muffins

Bananas Foster Cinnamon Rolls

Maple Oatmeal Biscuits

Coffee Cake Muffins

Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 4 reviews

These coffee cake muffins are like individual servings of buttermilk coffee cake, complete with a cinnamon sugar sprinkle topping. Simple and perfect for breakfast or dessert.

Author: Kate Wood
Prep Time: 15
Cook Time: 30
Total Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 12

Ingredients

For the batter:

½ cup (113 gm) unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup (150 gm) sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
¾ teaspoon vanilla
1–1/2 cups (195 gm) all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup (168 gm) full-fat buttermilk

For the filling:

½ cup (100 gm) brown sugar, packed
1–1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a 12-compartment muffin tin with liners and set aside.
In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar on medium speed until smooth, about one minute. Add the egg and vanilla and beat to combine. Add ½ cup of the flour, the baking powder, baking soda, and salt and beat on low just until almost combined. Add the buttermilk, stir, and then mix in the remaining flour. Beat on low until the batter is smooth and uniform, but do not over-mix. Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon for the filling in a small bowl. Spoon 1-1/2 tablespoons of batter (I use a medium cookie scoop) into the bottom of each muffin tin. Moisten your fingers slightly to push the batter into the bottom of the tins. Sprinkle each battered tin with ¾ teaspoon of the filling and then divide the remaining batter among the 12 compartments. Sprinkle each muffin with the remaining filling and bake in the preheat oven for about 18-20 minutes, or until the muffins are puffed and a toothpick inserted to the center comes out clean.

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Peach Crumb Muffins

12 Comments / Breakfast

Sometimes I need an easy button. I need some magic dust, a genie in a lamp, or a fairy godmother to make life easier. There’s not enough hours in the day to constantly complicate it with dead-end tasks and lengthy processes. Sometimes I need something quick, entirely satisfying, no-fail, and EASY. Introducing: peach crumb muffins.

Peach Crumb Muffins

These peach crumb muffins are a cinch- a 2 step recipe, requiring less than 15 minutes of prep work that provides days worth of summery sweet goodness to enjoy. These peach crumb muffins are the answer to “What’s for breakfast? What can I bring for the beach weekend? “What treat can I bake with my kids?” and just about every other question that is coming to my mind right now. They’re simple and good. End of story.

Creating the Perfect Muffin

My goal with these peach crumb muffin was to make a soft, buttery, and moist muffin that was golden on the outside and full of chunky bits of ripe peaches. I also wanted to make sure it had a beautiful round dome to rest all that delicious crumble on top of.

So like any self-respecting blogger, I enlisted the help of my two best friends: other bloggers and the internet. My friend Laura pointed me to a brilliant recipe that enlisted a sweet and salty brown sugar crumble to add some color and dimension to the muffins. I also learned from a hefty amount of research (high fives to my fellow food nerds!) that if you fill the muffin tins up to the tippy top and bake at a high temperature for the first portion of the bake, you can achieve that rounded muffin dome that I was looking for. I kept the batter for these peach crumb muffins pretty thick and sure enough, after a few test batches, we had a moist, domed muffin with bits of sweet summer fruit throughout. I was in heaven.

The muffins are still not as golden brown as I had hoped they would be. I think that with some modifications in the type of sugar and length of baking, I could have achieved more of what I wanted, but my primary concern was to keep the peach crumb muffins ultra moist. So I gave up on that hope. Still, the muffins turned out beautiful with bits of crumble sprinkled on top and the drippy glaze cascading down the sides. I mean, DROOL.

Making the Muffins

To get started, move an oven rack to the upper third of the oven and preheat to a sweltering 400 degrees. Baking our muffins on the top rack will keep the bottoms from burning before we get a little tan up top first. Next, we make our crumble. This is is nothing more than stirring a few tablespoons of melted butter with some dry ingredients. SO EASY. Set aside the crumble while you stir up the muffins.

Add some sugar to the melted butter and then toss in a few eggs and some vanilla. We also add lemon zest because even though we’re making basic muffins we’re also kinda fancy, ok? Toss in the dry ingredients alternating with some room temperature milk, and finish it all off by folding in some itty bitty peach bits. You can even use frozen fruits if you want, but local friends, I’m sure you’ve already stocked up on the good stuff from Chilton County and The Peach Truck, AMIRITE? Line your muffin pan with paper liners and fill it up just below the rim of the liner. Yes, I know everything in you is saying “DON’T FILL IT UP MORE THAN 2/3 FULL!! IT WILL OVERFLOW!” I hear you, I get it, but let’s just try it, okay? If that oven is hot enough, this trick will work. Scouts honor.

Tips for Baking

Divide all that delicious crumble between the 12 muffins and then send the whole pan to the sauna. Once they’re in the oven, close the door and decrease the heat to 375. We’ll bake at this temp for a few minutes, before letting them finish at a slightly lower degree. That initial hot bake is just long enough to set the edges of the muffin so that the insides and center can keep baking up, up, UP! If you know that you oven bakes a little cold, you can bump up the heat by 5 or 10 degrees.

Once the muffins are finished, they are moist, incredibly fragrant, and altogether perfect. That salty crumble tastes oh so good with the super sweet muffin, and each bite is speckled with a juicy burst of fruit. Another bonus is that these peach crumb muffins are super adaptable! Add a teaspoon of cinnamon, substitute fresh berries or nectarines, or top the whole thing with sweet sugared nuts. Just do how you do and enjoy the outcome.

I’m sharing today’s recipe for peach crumb muffins with a load of other bloggers who had a few too many peaches on hand. If you’re really into peach recipes, please check out #summerlovespeaches for some more inspiration. Many thanks to Annie, Ruth and Rebecca for hosting this gathering! Have a terrific weekend and tune in next week for more summer knockouts. Cheers!

If you like these peach crumb muffins, you should try:

Hummingbird Muffins

Raspberry Rhubarb Crumb Cake

Peach Berry Pie

Funfetti Scones

Honey Nut Biscuits

Peach Crumb Muffins

Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 2 reviews

These peach crumb muffins are fluffy, moist, and domed muffins with a streusel crumb topping, a drizzled glaze, and juicy bits of fresh peaches!

Author: Kate
Prep Time: 20
Cook Time: 40
Total Time: 1 hour
Yield: 12
Category: Muffins

Ingredients

For the streusel:

2/3 cup (85 gm) flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1–1/2 tablespoons sugar
¾ teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
¼ cup (55 gm) unsalted butter, melted

For the muffin:

1/2 cup (110 gm) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1–1/4 cup (250 gm) sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 cups (260 gm) flour
2–1/4 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup (120 mL) milk, room temperature
2 cups (280 gm) small diced peaches

For the glaze (optional):

1/2 cup (60 gm) confectioner’s sugar
2 tablespoons sour cream
1–1/2 teaspoons of milk

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Instructions

To make the streusel:

Combine the flour, brown sugar, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium sized bowl. Stir in the butter until clumps form. Set aside while you make your muffins.

To make the muffins:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and move one rack to the upper third of the oven, leaving enough room for the muffin pan up top. Line a 12 compartment muffin tin with liners and set aside.
In a large bowl, stir the butter and sugar until well combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, stirring after each addition. Add the vanilla and lemon zest, stirring until combined.
In a separate, smaller bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add half of the dry ingredients to the butter and egg mixture, stirring until combined. Add the milk, stir, and then add the remaining dry ingredients. Stir to combine. Fold in the peaches, being careful to not overwork the batter.
Divide the muffin batter amongst the 12 muffin liners. Depending on your liners, you may have a hair too much batter. Just fill as much as you feel comfortable- they will be FULL. Don’t worry! Divide the streusel among the 12 muffins, sprinkling on top.
Put the muffin pan on the top rack and immediately decrease the heat to 375. Bake at this temperature for 10 minutes, then decrease the heat to 350 and bake for an additional 22-25 minutes, or until the muffins are set and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. The muffins should be starting to bronze around the edges. Allow to cool slightly before topping with the glaze.

To make the glaze:

Whisk together all three ingredients. Drizzle over top of slightly cooled muffins.

Notes

If you know your oven cooks a bit cool, increase the heat by 5-10 degrees for the initial bake. You want to keep the pan from overflowing.

Raspberry Rhubarb Crumb Cake

10 Comments / Cakes

Bonjour, friends! I am writing to you today from sunny St. Barth’s- the French-speaking Caribbean island full of chic travelers, posh locals, and divine cuisine. I’m definitely a little fish in a big pond here, but honestly, I couldn’t feel fancier if I tried. Brett and I traveled to the island with some dear friends and have spent the better part of the past few days sun bathing, day drinking, and taking in all of the European vibes the island has to offer. It’s been incredible getting to unplug and I can’t wait to share more about out trip with y’all later. All of the world travel seemed to be an appropriate time to share this raspberry rhubarb crumb cake and to tell you about another recent international experience I had.

Several weeks ago, my friend Erin of Cloudy Kitchen flew from Brooklyn, NY to our small, Southern town for a few days of baking, blog talk, and fun. Erin is a New Zealand born food blogger that I met via the blogosphere, and we have had the most fun getting to know each other. She’s been a sounding board for recipe concepts, a help with troubleshooting computer woes, and constant source of encouragement throughout my first year of blogging. Her trip to Selma was our very first in-person meet, but I doubt it will be the last.

Rhubarb Crumb Cake

While Erin and I were together, we baked a number of things including a delightful crumb cake. Rhubarb had just made its first appearance in the produce section, so we swiped a bit for our weekend together and baked several test batches of a peach rhubarb cake based on Deb’s famous recipe. It was fab.

This raspberry rhubarb crumb cake is one of the versions we came up with together. A dense but moist sour cream cake layered with a gooey, sweet raspberry rhubarb filling, and topped with the most glorious salted brown butter crumb topping. It’s glamorous enough for dessert, yet simple enough to enjoy alongside your morning coffee and tea. Could this raspberry rhubarb crumb cake be the most well-rounded treat of all time? I think, maybe so.

Making the Crumble

To prepare the cake, we start by browning butter. (Update: If you need a tutorial on browning butter, check that out here!) A whole stick (and then some!) sizzles and foams away in a pan before turning golden, fragrant, and nutty. We combine that with some brown sugar, plenty of salt, and a few other ingredients to make a super-sized portion of crumble to top our cake.

Making the Cake

The cake whips up quickly with a few humble ingredients- butter, sugar, and sour cream to name a few- and the batter finishes ultra thick and tangy. Finally, we mix up the fruit filling which is nothing more than some diced rhubarb, fresh raspberries, and just enough sugar to offset the tart bite of the fruit. We spread the cake batter into the bottom of a 9″ pan, slather it with the fruit filling, and sprinkle on those brown butter crumbles. After a leisurely bake in the oven, the cake is golden, gooey, and nothing short of delightful.

This raspberry rhubarb crumb cake is a new favorite of mine for a number of reasons. The tang of the sour cream mixed with the sweet fruit and salty, brown butter crumbles is a match made in heaven. The variety of textures makes each bite of this cake noteworthy, something special worth discovering. And while the cake is certainly decadent thanks to the rich topping and juicy filling, it remains simple and understated- like a favorite, old sweater that is perfectly broken in and fits just right.

If you’ve been noticing the rhubarb at your grocery store, this raspberry rhubarb crumb cake is the perfect recipe! Give it a try and share it with a new friend. You can also check out Erin’s site for a different variation of this cake. It’s a rhubarb peach crumb cake with that same glorious brown butter topping and dense cake. GLORIOUS! In the meantime, I’m going to keep soaking up this sunshine and Caribbean breeze, and we can meet up here again next week, cool? Happy Wednesday to you and cheers!

If you like this raspberry rhubarb crumb cake, you may love:

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Raspberry Streusel Cake

Berry Almond Streusel Pie

Hummingbird Muffins

Carrot Bundt Cake with Brown Butter Glaze

Apple Crumb Cake

Raspberry Rhubarb Crumb Cake

Print Recipe

This raspberry rhubarb crumb cake is a dense sour cream cake filled with a gooey, raspberry rhubarb fruit filling and topped with a salted brown butter crumble.

Author: Kate Wood and Erin Clarkson
Prep Time: 30
Cook Time: 60
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

For the crumble

11 tablespoons (155 gm) unsalted butter, diced
1 cup (210 gm) brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1–1/2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste (vanilla extract can be substituted)
1–2/3 cup (200 gm) all-purpose flour

For the cake

2 cups (240 gm) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup (55 gm) unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup (150 gm) sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
2 tablespoons milk (any variety), at room temperature
2/3 cup (160 gm) full-fat sour cream, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (vanilla extract can be substituted)
2 cups of ½” diced rhubarb (washed and trimmed of tops and ends, about 240 gm/ 8–1/2 ounces before trimming)
2 cups (150 gm) raspberries
2 tablespoons of brown sugar

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Instructions

To prepare the crumble

Add the diced butter to a small saucepan or skillet set over medium heat. Stir with a whisk or swirl the pan occasionally to ensure the butter is melting evenly. Once melted, the butter will sizzle, foam, and eventually start forming little golden bits on the bottom of the pan. Continue cooking and stirring regularly until the butter has taken on an amber color and nutty aroma. Take care not to burn the butter. Remove the pan from heat and pour the brown butter into a medium sized mixing bowl.
To the mixing bowl, add the brown sugar, salt, and vanilla bean paste, and stir to combine. Add the flour and fold until large crumble clumps form and the flour is well incorporated. Set aside in the fridge while you prepare the cake.

To prepare the cake

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9” square or round baking pan with cooking spray and line the bottom with a square of parchment paper for easy removal, if desired.
Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about two minutes. Add the egg, vanilla bean paste, and milk and beat on low until well combined. Scrape the bowl, if needed, to ensure that everything is evenly incorporated. Add about 1/3 of the dry ingredients and beat on low speed to combine. Add ½ of the sour cream and beat to combine. Repeat this process once more and then add the remaining dry ingredients, stirring on low to combine. Scrape the sides of the bowl and fold in any unincorporated bits. Your batter will be quite thick.
Spread the batter evenly in the bottom of your lined pan. In a separate bowl, toss the rhubarb and raspberries together with the brown sugar and spread this mixture on top of the cake batter. Gently press the fruit into the batter a bit. Crumble the brown butter streusel evenly on top of the fruit and place the pan in the preheated oven. Bake for about 50 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted comes out clean (See notes). Allow to cool slightly before eating. Cake will keep best at room temperature, covered tightly in plastic wrap.

Notes

If you bake your cake in a smaller, 8″ pan, baking time will differ. Check with a toothpick for doneness.
The fruit can coat your cake tester, causing it to appear less than done. If you notice cake batter coating your cake tester, allow the cake to remain in the oven a bit longer, however, be sure you are not mistaking fruit juices for uncooked cake.

Recipe Adapted From: Smitten Kitchen

Hummingbird Muffins

14 Comments / Breakfast

It’s Friday and I’ve got your weekend entertainment covered with a few things to watch, a couple things to read, and a simple Southern recipe for hummingbird muffins that will knock the taste buds right off your tongue. Ready for the round-up? Let’s go!

Ina Garten, Her New Show, and How to Entertain

Ina Garten is the queen of my heart. Anyone who can slay in the kitchen and maintain BFF status with Taylor Swift is a champion in my book. She lends us kitchen peasants a few noble words of wisdom in this article from Food52. I’m adding this quote from Ina to my list of kitchen mantras: “Food is not about impressing people. In fact, it’s just the opposite: it’s about making them feel comfortable.”

Stevie Wonder Carpool Karaoke

James Cordon is quickly moving his way up the hierarchy of late-night television, but he absolutely stole my heart with this ride along featuring Stevie Wonder. You can tell that James is just pinching himself with glee and disbelief the whole time. Watch it, sing along, and let this little corner of the internet fill your heart with musical joy!

The Birthday Party Project

Every person on the planet deserves the love and joy that comes with being celebrated. The Birthday Party Project is shelling out celebrations by throwing birthday parties for homeless kids across the US. Their motto? “Love each other! Build each other up!” Gosh, we could all use a bit more of that, am I right?

What to Do with Leftover Easter Candy

If you’re like me, you fill your kids’ Easter baskets with all the candies you like. You know, because leftovers. Check out my Easter cake tutorial from last year if you want something fun and spunky to make, and then take a look at this round-up of creative uses for leftover Easter basket candy!

Hummingbird Muffins

You may remember that I’m new to the South. During my first month on the job as dietitian at my small town hospital here in Selma, AL, I got my first taste of hummingbird cake. It was an immediate classic for me. This cake was like banana bread meets carrot cake meets spice cake meets all of my dreams coming true, and I couldn’t get enough of it.

I adapted the recipe for these hummingbird muffins from Bake from Scratch magazine, and I think it may be my new favorite way to eat cake for breakfast. These muffins are moist, lightly sweetened, and topped with a delightful pecan crumb topping and sour cream glaze. True to the original cake recipe, these muffins are sweetened with banana, crushed pineapple, and brown sugar. The cake also boasts the subtle flavor of brown butter which really takes these muffins to the next level. (Update: for some help on browning butter, see my post here!)

These hummingbird muffins would make an excellent breakfast item this weekend, and might be the perfect treat to round out your Easter brunch table too! Give them a try and let me know what you think. Have a terrific weekend and stay tuned for another great spring recipe that I’ll be sharing next week!

Hummingbird Muffins

Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 3 reviews

Based on the classic Southern cake, these hummingbird muffins have a brown butter pecan streusel, a sour cream glaze, and a tender banana and pineapple filled muffin base.

Author: Kate Wood
Prep Time: 30
Cook Time: 30
Total Time: 1 hour
Yield: 12

Ingredients

For the browned butter

1/2 cup (1 stick, 110 gm) unsalted butter

For the streusel

1/3 cup (40 gm) flour
1/4 cup (55 gm) brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons (50 gm) unsalted butter, cold
1/2 cup (55 gm) chopped pecan halves

For the cinnamon sugar sprinkle

1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

For the cake

1 large (120 gm) banana, mashed
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup (115 gm) drained crushed pineapple
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1–1/2 cups (190 gm) flour
3/4 cup (150 gm) sugar
1/4 cup (55 gm) brown sugar, packed
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon

For the glaze

1/2 cup (60 gm) confectioner’s sugar
2 tablespoons sour cream
1–1/2 teaspoons whole milk

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Instructions

To prepare the browned butter

Cube the butter and place in a small sauce or fry pan over medium heat. Stir occasionally until melted. Once melted, stir frequently to keep the butter moving and watch as the butter slowly begins to brown. You’ll notice little amber colored flecks forming at the bottom of the pan and the butter will give off a nutty aroma. This should take close to ten minutes, but watch closely to avoid burning the butter. Once browned, remove from pan to a separate bowl and place in the fridge to cool to room temp.

To prepare the streusel

Combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a medium sized bowl. Dice the butter and then cut into the flour using the back of a fork or a pastry cutter. Once the butter is well integrated, about pea-sized clumps, toss in the pecan pieces. Place in the fridge to keep cool until use.

To prepare the cinnamon sugar sprinkle

Combine the cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl and set aside.

To prepare the cake

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare a muffin pan with 12 paper liners.
Combine the banana, eggs, pineapple, and vanilla in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on medium speed until thoroughly combined and slightly whipped, about 1-1/2 to 2 minutes. Add the cooled, liquid browned butter, and beat to combine. In a small bowl, combine the remaining dry ingredients and then add them to the butter mixture. Stir until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
Once mixed, scoop 2 tablespoons of batter into the bottoms of each of the muffin tins. (I use a leveled medium-sized cookie scoop for even scoops). Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar sprinkle evenly over each scoop of batter. Then, disperse about 1/3 of the streusel evenly among the 12 muffin tins. Top each muffin with an additional 2 tablespoons of batter, and then sprinkle the remaining streusel on top. Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool for a few minutes before removing from the pan.

To prepare the glaze

Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl with a whisk. Drizzle over top of the the muffins as desired.

Notes

For some help on browning butter, see my post here: http://thewoodandspoon.com/you-need-to-know-how-to-brown-butter/

Recipe Adapted From: Bake From Scratch

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Berry Almond Streusel Pie

7 Comments / Pies and Tarts

Friday, you sweet son of a gun, am I glad to see you or what?!

Have you all had some bright spots this week? I really hope so. Over here, the days feel long when they’re spent attached to a 5 week old while running after an almost two year old but thank goodness and hallelujah that summer + maternity leave = weekends at the lake. My parents have a little spot on the water at Lake Martin, so during the summer, they spend a couple months in these parts and I have a location for weekend retreats. And, to be clear, by “retreats” I mean no makeup, extra hands to help with chi’rens, and all the grilled chili dogs and burgers my post-natal body can handle. PRAISE!

I’m excited to be able to share with you all twice this week. Ever since we talked about pie crust earlier this week, I’ve been trying to determine which recipe I was going to post today. I have a few pies up my sleeve but, you know, I can’t show you all my cards at once so let’s settle for one recipe at time, okay? In preparation for today, I did a little more research (read: made and consumed way too many pies) to make sure I gave you the most appropriate of appropriate pie recipes today. After much deliberation and several scoops of ice cream to make my pie tests “a la mode”, I’ve decided on a summer staple: mixed berry pie. Well, berry almond streusel pie, to be precise.

Me and the berries get along real well in the summer on account of all the farm stands and pick-your-own berry fields that have popped up here in central Alabama. Also, is there anyone who doesn’t like at least one variety of berry? I don’t think so.

I decided on a mix of blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries for this pie, but the beauty of this recipe is that you can go any direction. Use whatever you have on hand, whatever is growing in your backyard, or whatever is BOGO at the supermarket. Once you have made the ultra-critical decision of picking your flavors, and given that you read my last post and know how to make stellar pie crust, the hardest part of making this pie is waiting for it to cool to room temperature and set up completely. No judgement here if you dive in spoon first the second it’s cool enough to shovel in to your mouth. Been there, done that.

The crumb topping on this berry almond streusel pie comes together easily and is a terrific alternative to making a double-crusted pie. I’ve included a photo of a double crusted pie I fixed earlier this year when I was testing dough braiding. Let’s just say that whole braiding thing is easier said than done. With two babies on the hip this summer, I’m going to stick with streusel toppings for now.

This recipe for berry almond streusel pie will fill a standard 9″ pie plate. If you’d prefer to use a deep-dish pan, increase the filling by 1/3 and cook a bit longer. I’ve even halved this recipe and prepared pies in mini 6″ dishes that turn out great and make for a terrific pie for two! My favorite though is the standard 9″ pie because it’s great for sharing manageable-sized slices with friends.

Let’s embrace the weekend and the onset of summer by making this berry almond streusel pie and let me know how you love it! Cheers to the weekend and to summer baking!

Mixed Berry Pie

For my favorite double pie crust recipe, click here!

Berry Almond Streusel Pie

Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

This berry almond streusel pie is stuffed with juicy, mixed berries and topped with a buttery, almond specked crumb topping.

Author: Kate Wood
Prep Time: 30
Cook Time: 90
Total Time: 2 hours

Ingredients

For the streusel

1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup old fashioned oats
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons butter, cold and diced
1/2 cup sliced almonds

For the pie

1/2 recipe of double pie crust (see link above)
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
2 pounds of mixed berries, stemmed and cut into similar sized pieces
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup corn starch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon

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Instructions

To prepare the streusel

Combine the flour, oats, sugar, and salt in a medium sized bowl and stir to combine. Cut in the butter using a pastry cutter until it comes together in pea-sized clumps. Toss in the sliced almonds. Refrigerate until ready to use.

To prepare the pie

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Toss the berries, lemon juice, and extracts together in a large bowl. In a separate, smaller bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the berries bowl and toss to combine. Allow to sit for 20 minutes while you prepare your pie plate.
Roll your pie dough to 1/8-1/4″ thick and place in a 9″ standard pie plate. Trim excess dough from the edges and crimp your crust as desired.
Spoon the berries into the prepared pie plate and drain off any excess juices. Top the pie evenly with the crumble topping.
Whisk together the egg and water to create an egg wash. Brush evenly over all of the pie crust edges.
Place pie in the preheated oven and bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Decrease oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake for an addition 1 or 1-1/2 hours, or until the filling bubbles thickly around the outside of the pie.
Once done, cool on a cooling rack until room temperature, at least 6 hours or overnight.

Notes

Keep your pie crust and streusel cold until it is placed in the oven. Cold crust and streusel is easier to work with and will perform best in the oven.
Keep in mind that this recipe works best in a standard 9″ pie plate and is not intended for a deep-dish pie plate. Increase filling ingredients by 1/3 in order to fill a deep-dish plate.
Use another 1/2 recipe of pie dough to top the pie if you prefer a double crust pie. Be sure to brush all of the crust with the egg wash. This will help the crust to brown beautifully.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 9
Calories: 387
Sugar: 32
Sodium: 266
Fat: 17
Saturated Fat: 6
Unsaturated Fat: 9
Trans Fat: 0
Carbohydrates: 56
Protein: 6
Cholesterol: 41

streusel

Strawberry Rhubarb Layer Cake

Making the Cake

The Steusel

The Buttercream

If you like this strawberry rhubarb layer cake you should check out:

Strawberry Rhubarb Layer Cake

Ingredients

For the Rhubarb Jam:

For the Streusel:

For the Buttermilk Cake (Adapted from Spoonful of Butter):

For the Rhubarb Jam Buttercream:

Instructions

To prepare the rhubarb jam:

To prepare the streusel crumbs:

To prepare the cake:

To prepare the jam buttercream:

To assemble your cake:

Where the Green Grass Grows

Celebrating Others

Coffee Cake Muffins

Making the Muffins

So if you like these coffee cake muffins, you should try:

Coffee Cake Muffins

Ingredients

For the batter:

For the filling:

Instructions

Peach Crumb Muffins

Creating the Perfect Muffin

Making the Muffins

Tips for Baking

If you like these peach crumb muffins, you should try:

Peach Crumb Muffins

Ingredients

Instructions

Notes

Rhubarb Crumb Cake

Making the Crumble

Making the Cake

If you like this raspberry rhubarb crumb cake, you may love:

Raspberry Rhubarb Crumb Cake

Ingredients

For the crumble

For the cake

Instructions

To prepare the crumble

To prepare the cake

Notes

Ina Garten, Her New Show, and How to Entertain

Stevie Wonder Carpool Karaoke

The Birthday Party Project

What to Do with Leftover Easter Candy

Hummingbird Muffins

You may also like:

Hummingbird Muffins

Ingredients

For the browned butter

For the streusel

For the cinnamon sugar sprinkle

For the cake

For the glaze

Instructions

To prepare the browned butter

To prepare the streusel

To prepare the cinnamon sugar sprinkle

To prepare the cake

To prepare the glaze

Notes

Berry Almond Streusel Pie

Ingredients

For the streusel

For the pie

Instructions

To prepare the streusel

To prepare the pie

Notes

Nutrition

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