Polish Raspberry Crumble Cake {Ciasto z Malinami i Kruszonką}

Anna

8 years ago

61 / 100

Polish Raspberry Crumble Cake {Ciasto z Malinami i Kruszonką}

Warm weather is coming and seasonal fruits are starting to flood the markets. One that I saw first: raspberries! They are a lot sweeter here in the U.S. than back home, where they’re a bit more sour and juicy. Both very tasty. This soft and fragile fruit tastes the best picked right off the bush. My grandma’s neighbor had a humongous bush behind the house. To get to my grandma’s garden I had to pass it via a narrow path. I did not pick any off 😉 (when they were looking), but it wasn’t technically stealing, because the branches were sticking outside the fence, and that’s common property. The red juice from the tender and juicy raspberry all over my fingers, in addition to a few pricks from the thorny branches provided irrefutable evidence of the fact that I could not walk by without picking a few off. Yet, it was not a reason enough to stop me, even if I knew I’d get talked to.

I can’t pick raspberries off a bush any more, but I can buy as much as I want at a market when they’re in season. In Poland, they are in full swing towards the end of July and in August. They are high in vitamin C and make a great summer snack for kids (and adults) as is, are great addition to ice-cream, are tasty sweetened a bit in a form of a jam or a nice topping to a simple cake, which is what I’m doing today.

This quick raspberry cake is a simple mixture of flour, sugar, butter and eggs and makes a soft and slightly sweet dessert, topped with fresh fruit and sweet crumble. It is not overly sweet, but balanced with the sweetness of the fruit and buttery crumble of the topping. It can be eaten on its own, or with a side of ice-cream, or even a thin layer of butter. Delicious!

You’ll see many varieties of such cakes and breads in Poland during the summer, as the fruits are plenty. Feel free to substitute with any fruit you may have or like, blueberries, strawberries or blackberries would do. Just make sure to check the center of the cake for doneness.

Polish Raspberry Crumble Cake {Ciasto Malinowe z Kruszonką}

Yields: 9 x 9 inch / 23 x 23 centimeter pan
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 50-55 minutes

Ingredients

8 oz / 225 g of butter at room temperature
½ c / 100 g of granulated sugar
4 whole eggs
1 ½ c / 190 g of all-purpose flour
⅓ c / 40 g of potato flour (or corn starch)
2 tsp of baking powder
Pinch of salt
12 oz / 350 g of fresh raspberries
CRUMBLE TOPPING:
2 oz / 55 g of cold butter
½ c / 60 g of all-purpose flour
⅓ c / 40 g of powdered sugar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F / 180°C. Beat butter on high until fluffy (2-3 minutes), add sugar and beat for an additional 3 minutes. Add eggs one by one and keep beating.
Mix flours, baking powder, and salt and add to butter-egg mixture by spoonfuls. Mix until smooth batter forms.
Line a 9 x 9 inch / 23 x 23 centimeter pan with parchment paper and transfer batter to the pan. Top with raspberries.
Cut up cold butter and place in a medium mixing bowl with flour and sugar. Massage with your fingers until small curds form (similar in size to cottage cheese). Top raspberries with crumble topping. Bake for about 50-55 minutes, until golden brown on top.