Glazed Peanut Butter and Jelly Crumb Cake

There is one flavour combination that isn't totally embraced over here in the UK, that of Peanut Butter and Jam.  The Toddster says it is about as appealing as eating fish and custard together . . .  but then I remind him that parsley sauce is a bit like custard . . . just not sweet.  He begs to differ.



He will eat a jam sandwich.  He will eat a peanut butter sandwich.  He will not eat a peanut butter and jam sandwich.  I, on the other hand . . . think that peanut butter and jam or jelly are a taste marriage made in heaven.



How can you resist that combination of salty peanuts . . . pulverized to a thick unctuous cream  . . .  and sweet, sticky and fruity jam????   The two together are absolutely perfect!  Like pancakes and maple syrup . . . bacon and brown sugar . . .  peas and carrots . . .  mango and chillies . . . they just belong together!



This beautiful cake showcases that marriage beautifully.  You have amoist,  delicious and buttery cake base, which is slathered with softened jam . . . prior to baking . . .  I used Raspberry and Scottish Whiskey  jam . . .


The jam layer  is covered with tasty sweet clumps of peanut butter/flour/sugar and chopped peanuts all rubbed together.   Again, prior to baking . . . the magic happens in the oven . . .



A delicious magic that you can smell as the warm smells of buttery cake, salty peanut butter and sweet jam waft through the house as the cake is baking.   You just know this is going to be fabulous.  And then . . .



A final layer of a sweet peanut butter drizzle icing seals the deal on the cooling cake . . . drizzled here and drizzled there . . . making it even more impossible to resist. Why even try?   Go on . . . dig in.  You know you really want to.   Tradition be damned.  Throw caution to the wind you Brits!  Embrace Peanut Butter and Jam.   Isn't it time?  (As I write this you-know-who is out in the garden sitting in the sunshine snuffling down a nice big slice.  Me thinks he doth protest too much!)



*Glazed Peanut Butter and Jelly Crumb Cake*

Makes one 10 inch cake

Printable Recipe

Just the smell of this baking is enough to get the tastebuds tingling.  This is a taste winning combination!  

For the Crumb Topping:

115g of smooth peanut butter (1/2 cup)

35g of plain flour (1/4 cup)

50g of soft light brown sugar (1/4 cup packed)

40g of chopped roasted and salted peanuts (1/4 cup)

For the cake:

2 large free range eggs

120ml of whole milk (1/2 cup)

1 tsp vanilla extract

185g of plain flour (1 1/3 cups)

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

115g of unsalted butter, softened (1/2 cup)

75g of golden caster sugar (3/4 cup, can use plain granulated)

4 heaped dessert spoons of your favourite jam (about 3/4 cup)

Glaze:

130g of icing sugar, sifted (1 cup)

1 TBS smooth peanut butter

few drops vanilla

milk  

First make the crumb topping.   Place all of the ingredients into a mixing bowl. Using your fingertips work the mixture to form large crumbs.  Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 190*C/374*F gas mark 5.  Butter a 10 inch in diameter round spring form pan really well.   Set aside.  

Cream the butter and sugar for the cake together with an electric whisk until light and fluffy.   Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together into a small bowl.   Beat the eggs, milk and vanilla together in a beaker.   Add the egg mixture to the creamed mixture a bit at a time, beating the whole time on low speed.   Beat in the flour mixture 1/3 at a time, until well blended.  Spread this mixture evenly into the prepared baking pan.   Stir the jam with a fork to loosen it up.   Spread this mixture over top of the cake batter in the pan, evenly spreading it out and avoiding the edges as much as possible.   Crumble the crumble topping over top.  Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.   Allow to stand in the pan and cool for about 10 minutes, before loosening the sides and sliding the cake from the pan bottom to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.  

Once the cake has cooled completely, whisk the glaze ingredients together with an electric whisk, using only enough milk to give you a smooth drizzle icing.  Drizzle this decoratively over top of the cake.  Cut into wedges to serve.  Store in an airtight container.