Chocolate Chip Cream Crumb Cake

The last few times I passed an Entemann's cake section in the grocery store I searched for my favorite cake:  Filled Chocolate Chip Crumb Cake.  To my disappointment there were none.  I haven't had this cake in years and was craving it so decided to try to recreate it at home.  I searched for recipes and experimented, had a lot of trial and errors and I think I finally got it!  The taste was just as I remembered, maybe better :)

 

**This recipe was slightly updated on 12/7/15 using readers comments and suggestions**

*Recipe was slightly tweaked again on 11/10/17*



9" cake (recipe doubled) added 12/7/15

Recipe:

Cake
1 cup sifted cake flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsps.  unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup sour cream
1/3 cup mini chocolate chips
Topping
1/4 cup flour
1/3 cup light brown sugar
3 Tbsps. unsalted butter, melted
pinch cinnamon
1/3 cup mini chocolate chips
confectioners sugar

Chocolate Buttercream Filling
1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 tsp vanilla
1 oz  bittersweet chocolate chips plus 1 oz semisweet chocolate chips melted and cooled
1-2 tsp or more heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350.  Spray  a 6 in round cake pan with baking spray generously.  Sift 1st 4 ingredients together, set aside.  Cream butter in electric mixer with paddle attachment.  Add sugar and blend for about 4 minutes, scraping the sides of bowl as needed with a spatula. 

Add egg blending till combined, blend in the vanilla.  Add the dry ingredients alternately with the sour cream, mix until just incorporated after each addition.

  Mix 10 seconds longer after last addition.  Fold in chocolate chips.

  Pour batter into pan.

Prepare topping, mix 1st 3 ingredients until blended then mix in chocolate chips. 

 Sprinkle topping on top of cake. 

Bake for about 45 minutes or until cake is golden brown on top and toothpick comes out clean.  Allow the cake to cool, loosen sides with a knife,remove from pan then slice in half with serrated knife to give you 2 cake circles - a top and bottom.

Prepare chocolate buttercream: chop chocolates or use chocolate chips and melt in a bowl over simmering water until smooth, alternatively you can melt in the microwave at 30 second intervals on high, stirring after each 30 seconds until melted and smooth, then cool.  Beat butter in the bowl of an electric mixture with paddle attachment on medium speed, add sugar beat until well incorporated, scraping bowl as needed.  Add the chocolate, vanilla and mix until completely blended and smooth, add heavy cream as needed and continue to beat until you get a fluffy buttercream that is smooth and firm enough for piping.  Pipe the buttercream in concentric circles over bottom layer of cake.

 Place top layer over filling. 

Sprinkle generously with confectioners sugar.  

*this recipe made the perfect amount for a small 6 inch round cake, you can increase ingredients by doubling the recipe to make a 9 inch round cake.

 

Enjoy!

Apple-Pecan Upside Down Cake

The simple goodness of this buttery-appley-sugary-cinnamon-pecan topping makes this cake a winner and it is very simple to prepare!

 

 

Recipe:
Apple bottom mixture
1/2 stick of unsalted butter (1/4 cup), melted
1/3 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 Tbs cinnamon
2 baking apples (I used a combo of granny smith and golden delicious), peeled and cut into thin slices
Cake
1 stick of unsalted butter (1/2 cup) at room temp
1 cup sugar
2 extra-large eggs at room temp
3/4 cup sour cream at room temp
1 Tbs heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Cut a piece of parchment the size of your 8-9" square cake pan, spray pan with baking spray, place parchment on bottom.

  Preheat oven to 350.  Pour and spread melted butter into prepared pan.  Mix together 1/2 cup of the  sugar, pecans and cinnamon and sprinkle this mixture over the melted butter.

Arrange the apple slices on top, overlapping slightly.

In the bowl of an electric mixture fitted with a paddle, cream together the butter and 1 cup sugar about 3-5 minutes until light and fluffy, then add eggs, sour cream, heavy cream and vanilla, beating on low after each addition until just combined.  In a seperate bowl sift together the flour baking soda, baking powder and salt.  Slowly add this mixture to the batter and beat on low a few seconds until incorporated then on medium for 30 seconds. 
 Pour batter evenly over apples and spread to edges of pan with a spatula.

Bake for about 35 minutes or until top is golden brown and toothpick comes out clean. 

 Cool in pan for 10 minutes then loosen around edges with a knife.  Cover with a serving plate or cookie sheet, turn over and lift off pan.

Then slowly and gently peel off the parchment paper to reveal the buttery, sugary, cinnamon pecan topping all beautifully caramelized,  scrape any of this goodness that sticks to the paper back on the cake, or just lick the paper :)

                                       

 Enjoy!

Linked to:  http://www.thecountrycook.net/2012/02/weekend-potluck-5.html