Tastes Like Vintage: Berry Long Cake with Ginger Crumble 1

This week’s Tastes Like Vintage blogger is Natalie from TheSunshineGrove.

I’m always on the hunt for a quick and easy dessert recipe especially when we have unexpected guests drop by.  With strawberries, blueberries and raspberries being in season, this berry crumble is a perfect way to put those berries from the farmer’s market to use. With a scoop of ice cream on top it is a great finish to a summer meal.

The Berry Long Cake recipe is from Vintage Cakes by Julia Richardson, but was originally published in 1945 in a Betty Crocker advertisement in the April issue of The American Weekly as “Strawberry Long Cake.”  The Berry Long Cake recipe adds more berries than just strawberries. According to Richardson it was considered a “long” cake because “the frugal amount of strawberries in the original recipe went a long way.” I bet many berry long cakes were being made with fruit from Victory Gardens when the recipe was first published.

Serves 8 to 10

Bake time 40 to 45 minutes

Pan 2.5 quart baking dish or 9 inch pan greased with butter

6 cups berries sliced (1 pound berries uncut)

½ cup sugar

2 Tablespoons vanilla extract

1/3 cup brown sugar

¼ cup flour

¼ cup diced candied ginger

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter cut into small cubes

1 ½ cups flour

½ cup fine cornmeal

½ cup sugar

2 Teaspoons baking powder

1 Teaspoon ground ginger

1 Teaspoon fine sea salt

6 Tablespoons unsalted butter cut into small cubes

2 Eggs

2/3 cup whole milk

Preheat oven at 375

In a large bowl, toss together the berries with the sugar and the vanilla. Set aside at room temperature while making the rest of the cake.

To make the topping, combine the sugar, flour and candied ginger in a small bowl. Blend the butter into the dry ingredients, using either your fingertips or a fork, until the mixture forms crumbs. Put the topping in the freezer while you mix the cake batter.

To make the cake, combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, ground ginger and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and using your fingertips, work it completely into the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and milk together and stir them into the dry ingredients until combined. Spread the batter into your buttered pan. Evenly distribute the sugared berries on top of the batter. Scatter the chilled topping over the berries. Place the dish in the center of the oven. Bake until the berries bubble and the cake is firm, 40 to 45 minutes.

Cool the cake on a wire rack for 30 minutes and serve warm from the dish.

Cake keeps covered up to 2 days.