Very Smart Strawberry Streusel Cake

 

A highlight of my sweets baking recently is this very smart Nigella Lawson Strawberry Streusel cake, marbled with beautiful strawberry puree,  a combination of fresh strawberries and strawberry jam.  Why is this recipe very smart? Because besides the very easy strawberry layer, one dough does double the work, it becomes the cake batter and the streusel. This isn't the kind of cake that I would tackle at the end of a long day at the office. This cake requires a calm mind with my favourite music playing in the background, a clear head,  and plenty of time at my disposal. Cooler weather also helps to keep the butter chilled. Whilst strawberries are in season, this cake will be on rotation in my kitchen and will be quite simple to make next time. I can't wait. This recipe was also featured in the New York Times.

With large and juicy strawberry prices at an all-time low, how could I not bake a cake featuring strawberries. When I first read the recipe for this cake, and Nigella's careful instructions, I was a little daunted by it, but it looked so very good that I had to try it. If it hadn't been a Nigella cake, I might have steered clear of it. However, if I can't trust her cake recipes, whose can I trust? I urge you when making this cake to source the best strawberry jam that you can or make your own. Strawberries make beautiful jam, and I was lucky that our friend Paul was in the mood for making strawberry jam and gifted me a bottle. It was delicious and perfect in this cake with the fresh strawberries and was also delicious of course on homemade scones. However good quality strawberry jam can also be purchased from the supermarket or the markets, so go for it.

Let's bake this amazing cake:

Serves 8-10

 Ingredients For the Strawberry and Jam Layer:

250 g (8 oz) fresh strawberries, hulled

3 tablespoons strawberry jam (other jam such as raspberry or apricot can be used)

2 teaspoons cornflour

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Process:

In a blender, combine the strawberries and jam and process until combined. Make a slurry of the cornflour and vanilla extract, add to blender, and blend until smooth. Set aside for later.

Ingredients for the Cake and Streusel Crumb topping:

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup plain all-purpose flour

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons cake or pastry flour (I used this), or substitute whole wheat pastry flour, or just use plain flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate soda (baking soda)

170 g cold salted butter (3/4 cup, 1 1/2 sticks, or 12 tablespoons)

1 cup sour cream 

1 large egg

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoons Demerara sugar

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C fan-forced, or 190 degrees, otherwise, or 375 deg F. 

Grease a 22 cm or 9-inch springform pan!

Take a large bowl, and add the sugar, flours, baking powder, and bicarbonate of soda. Sprinkle in the cubes of butter and using your fingers, rub them into the dry mixture until it resembles large coarse crumbs with some pea and walnut butter pieces, yes really. This is the same process as if you are making a pie dough.

Remove 1/2 cup of this crumble and set it aside for the streusel topping in a medium sized bowl.

To the large bowl of crumbled dough, add the sour cream, egg, and vanilla essence. 

(Homemade vanilla essence is noticeable in the mixture with real grains of vanilla scattered throughout. I urge you to make your own vanilla essence. You will be amazed at how easy it is. Here's the link to the recipe.)

Mix this mixture well.

Select half of this batter, and dollop it into the springform pan.

 With slightly damp hands (the secret to doing this step) pat the batter across the bottom of the pan and about an inch or 2.54 centimetres up the sides of the pan. This was about 1 1/2 inches from the top of my pan. The mixture will be fairly sticky and a little uneven. NO need to stress over this.

Pour over the strawberry puree in an even layer over the batter, leaving a rim of dough around it.

Cover with blobs of the remaining cake mixture and spread these blobs as evenly as possible using damp hands to even them out. This is a bit tricky, but don't stress, just do the best you can and trust me, it will be ok, and it won't look perfect at this stage.

Add the Demerara sugar to the 1/2 cup dough you have reserved previously and stir with a fork to mix. Sprinkle evenly over the cake.

Bake the cake until golden, about 45 minutes.

Cool completely before serving.

I baked this cake for afternoon tea for my Mahjong friends recently when I was hosting Mahjong at my home. 

Cook's notes:

• In warmer climates, make this cake in the cool of the day, so that the butter is cold and stays chilled when mixed in with the flour.
• There's no need for an electric mixer.
• Just take each step of the cake according to the instructions and it will turn out beautifully.
• This is such an economical cake to bake when strawberries are in season.

Here's the link to making your own Vanilla Essence or Extract. Easy peasy. 

Freshly made Vanilla essence based on vodka and vanilla pods

If you make this cake, please let me know on Instagram @happy_retirees_kitchen or in a comment, or send me an email on the blogger form provided. I would love to know what you think.

Happy baking and warm wishes,

Pauline