Cranberry Streusel

This cake originates in Germany, it’s a baked light cake topped with seasonal fruit and topped with a crumble topping.  I tend to make this with strong tasting fruits like blackcurrants, but had cranberries left over from Christmas and they work very well.  If you use a milder fruit like apples, put plenty cinnamon in them for flavour and use a tart apple like Granny Smith which will hold its shape.

Fruit Topping

450g fresh cranberries

50g soft light brown sugar

Base

80g ground almonds

170g self raising flour

80g soft light brown sugar

Just ready and about to come out of the oven.

110g butter

1 large egg

Crumble Topping

2 heaped tbsp rolled oats

2 tbsp plain flour

3 tbsp soft light brown sugar

1 heaped tsp ground ginger

2 tbsp rapeseed oil

  1. Place the cranberries and 50g sugar into a heavy based pan and heat gently until the sugar is dissolved and the fruit juices are just beginning to flow.  Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
  2. Pre heat the oven to 180C/Gas4.
  3. Line a 20cm square cake tin with non stick baking parchment.
  4. Put the self raising flour, 80g sugar, ground almonds, and butter into the bowl of a food processor and blitz until combined.  Add the egg and pulse until blended.
  5. Tip into the prepared tin and level with the back of a spoon (the mixture is quite sticky, dipping the spoon into cold water helps to spread the mixture)
  6. Stir the oats, plain flour, remaining sugar, ginger and oil together.
  7. Level the fruit over the top of the sponge mixture, then sprinkle over the topping.
  8. Bake for about 50min, or until the top is a good golden brown and the fruit is bubbling around the edges.
  9. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before cutting into squares.  Best served warm.