Crumb cakes are quick and easy! Make this Peach Blueberry Crumb Cake and you may never go back to traditional double crust pies.
BE PICTURED IN; CHARACTERIZED IN:
This fresh peach blueberry cake is the flavor of summer. I know, I know this sounds like a cliché and I’m not the first person to have written it. But in reality it is so. It tastes of summer like the first Caprese salad, the first chilled gazpacho from the fridge, the first slice of watermelon to drip down your chin, and so on.
A cake with Pennsylvania Dutch Origins
This recipe harks back to my great-aunt Charlotte’s peach pie recipe, but I’ve made many changes to the topping over the years in favor of more butter. And sometimes I add berries, sometimes not.
She was Pennsylvania Dutch (aka German) and made everything from scratch, but peach pie was definitely a specialty. The instructions were so simple and the cakes were always, always made with a crumb topping.
The beauty of a crumb topping
The genesis of my summer cake obsession began because I grew up eating cakes with sprinkles like my great aunt’s. I am convinced (although this is highly unscientific) that it has something to do with my German background in Pennsylvania.
A crumb topping might be a little different than what you typically think of when you think of cake, but it’s still special: It’s rustic and homey. It’s also exactly what I want from cake when I want cake, which is any time of fruit love from July to November.
A crumb topping is extremely straightforward. However, the topping for today’s cake reinforces Aunt Charlotte’s approach, as I made the crumbs the size of little boulders, following my New York-style crumble cake recipe, which is a gorgeous 3/4 crumb by 1 /4 cake ratio.
The best fruit for crumb pie
I started pairing peaches and blueberries, mainly because I would end up buying them or picking them at a nearby farm at the same time. As is often the case in nature, the fact that these fruits ripen around the same time is no coincidence!
But sometimes I just make this cake with peaches (like Aunt Charlotte), and by all means, if you have superior specimens that you want to showcase in all their beautiful simplicity, go for it. Omit the blueberries altogether—just add equal parts peaches.
Can we talk about cake scare?
People get really nervous about cake. I think that’s because most photos depict a beautifully baked cake, the mere existence of which can invoke an undue level of fear and disgust and trigger a wave of uncertainty in the kitchen. Let me tell you a few secrets, dear reader.
First: pie dough is really forgiving. This Elise’s recipe for Perfect Pie Crust, which we’ve had on our site for years, is a proven recipe. Just halve the all-butter version for the bottom crust in this recipe, and you’re good to go.
You can make it in the food processor in a flash, which I prefer, but you don’t have to use a machine. People have been making cakes for a lot longer than the 1970s when La Machine came out (first generation food processor. Google it!). If it doesn’t roll out perfectly, just patch it back together. If the crust doesn’t fit properly when you place it on the cake pan, gently press it into place. It can take it. Pinky swears.
Second, pies are not made to make you feel insecure. They are more benevolent than that. They are designed for you to eat. They are not complicated and can actually be made quite quickly. The dough comes together easily with minimal effort and chills for an hour. Then just mix up some fresh fruit, roll out the dough, put everything in the oven and then enjoy the cake with friends and family and neighbors and anyone who happens to be passing by.
Maybe add a scoop of ice cream. Maybe not. Because cake. Who refuses cake? I have not seen it yet.
Allow cake to cool before serving
Please don’t be like me and let your impatience to eat get the better of you and cut into this baby before it cools down. You really need a few hours before you can cut into it.
Failure to do this will result in a cake that won’t meet your liking – in other words, it won’t hold its shape and will fall apart! Then you have crumble with a cracked bottom crust, and that’s another story. Still edible, but not quite the pie anymore.
How to store this cake
If for some reason you have leftovers, you can freeze the cake. I never had to do it with this cake because, like I said, I’ve never seen anyone turn down cake. I keep these wrapped in aluminum foil in the fridge because the fruits can get moldy at room temperature, which means a warmer kitchen in summer, regardless of the climate in the house.
Get More Summer Pie Love Here!
- Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
- Old fashioned peach pie
- Blackberry tart
- Rhubarb and Berry Pie
- Sweet cherry cake
Peach Blueberry Crumb Cake
Ripeness and juiciness vary from fruit to fruit, so this cake may leak a little juice even after waiting a few hours for the cake to cool before slicing.
ingredients
- For the bottom crust:
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1/2 batch Whole Butter Perfect Pie Crust, chilled
- For the filling:
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6 to 7 cups peaches (about 2 to 2 1/2 pounds), halved and cut into 1/2 inch slices (peeled or not – you decide)
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1 1/2 cups (barely dry pint) blueberries, stems removed
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1/4 cup (50g) sugar
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juice of half a lemon
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1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- For the Streusel Topping:
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1 cup (128 g) all-purpose flour
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2/3 cup light brown sugar
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1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted (room temperature for chilling is fine)
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pinch of salt
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1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, optional
method
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Preheat oven to 350°F
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Make the crust
Follow directions for the all-butter version of Perfect Pie Crust, but cut the recipe in half and refrigerate for an hour to set. Let sit at room temperature until pliable enough to roll out – in a hot summer kitchen, this can be done in as little as 5 to 10 minutes.
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Roll out the dough
Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out the dough into a rough circle the size of a standard 9-inch cake pan. Carefully pour the batter into the pan. Place the pie crust in the fridge for 10 to 15 minutes while you prepare the filling to keep it cold.
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Make the filling
Combine the peaches and blueberries in a large bowl. Add the sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch and mix gently with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. Let it sit for a few minutes while you work on the crumbs.
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Make the crumb topping
In a small bowl, mix flour, brown sugar, pinch of salt, and ground ginger (if using) with a fork, breaking up any lumps of brown sugar. Add the melted butter and mix until all the flour is incorporated.
Using your clean hands, bring the ingredients together so the butter has spread evenly and you begin to form crumbs naturally.
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Assemble the cake
Remove the chilled pie from the refrigerator and add the fruit filling, spreading evenly to fill the crust. Sprinkle the streusel topping over the cake. It will be mostly covered in crumbs and they will be deliciously irregular in size.
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bake the cake
Bake at 350F for 45 to 50 minutes, then turn the oven up to 450F for another 5 to 10 minutes, until the top is brown and the cake is bubbling. Remove from the oven onto a cooling rack and allow to cool for about 2 very long hours before slicing.
This cake will keep in the fridge for about a week, although the crust will dry out a bit. It takes about 15 minutes to reheat straight from the refrigerator, gently in the microwave, or a low (350°F) oven.
