When it comes to coffee-time treats, my first choice will always be a crumb cake. There is something so special in its texture that is beyond appealing to me, hence why I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who wants to upgrade their coffee time.
And this particular one? She is a work of art. Soft chocolate coffee cake, tangy sour cherry jam, and that glorious crumb topping make for one perfect treat. I do love coffee cakes, so this is a very biased take, but I give you my word, this cake is perfect to be slowly enjoyed, especially on a cold winter's day.
One piece of advice I have when it comes to my coffee cakes in general is to use a piping bag to add the jam topping. Even a regular freezer bag with a corner cut off will work. I truly find it is the best way to do it because that way, the jam will not sink into the cake, but rather stay on top, just below the crumb topping.
Of course, you can add it onto the cake in teaspoons, and that will work just as well. The main goal is not to put everything in one spot and try to spread it, because the cake will not be baked through and the jam will sink. Spoken from experience.
Ingredients
For the chocolate coffee cake batter
150 grams plain flour50 grams toasted almonds, finely ground
120 grams granulated sugar
15 grams unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
200 millilitres carbonated water
45 millilitres neutral oil
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
For the sour cherry jam
250 grams sour cherries, fresh or defrosted50 grams light brown sugar
2 teaspoons cold water
1 teaspoon cornflour
For the crumb topping
20 grams vegan block butter, melted20 grams granulated sugar
40 grams plain flour
Preparation
Start by making the sour cherry jam. Roughly chop the cherries, add them to a heavy pot, add in the sugar, and place over medium heat. Let it slowly come to a boil, stirring from time to time, and cook for about 15 minutes, until thickened.
Separately whisk together the cornflour and cold water, add them to the jam, and cook, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes or so. Remove from the heat and let it cool down completely. You can stir it from time to time, as it cools, but this is purely optional.
To make the crumb topping, mix the melted vegan block butter with the sugar and flour until big pieces of crumble form. Place it in the refrigerator until needed.
Turn the oven on to preheat to 180°C and line a medium round cake pan (15 cm) with baking parchment, bottom and sides. It would be good to use a somewhat deeper cake pan, so the cake can rise nicely and that there is enough room for everything.
Sift the flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda, add in the ground almonds, instant espresso, and granulated sugar, and whisk to combine. Separately whisk together all the wet ingredients, add them to the prepared dry ingredients, and mix until just combined.
Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and place it immediately in the preheated oven, for just 10 minutes, so the surface firms up slightly. After about 10 minutes or so, take the cake out of the oven, add the cherry jam and the crumb topping, and continue to bake for another 45-50 minutes, for a total of 1 hour. Make sure you check the cake early on, so it stays soft.
Once baked, remove from the oven and let it cool down completely in the pan. Serve with coffee. Yields 10 servings.
