Decadent Hazelnut Raspberry Crumb Cake: The Ultimate Festive Dessert Recipe
Indulge in a simple yet elegant festive crumb cake, generously topped with vibrant raspberry fruit spread and crowned with a delightfully crisp hazelnut crumb topping. This is more than just a cake; it’s a celebration in every slice.
As the holiday season draws near, the aroma of freshly baked goods fills our homes, creating cherished memories and heartwarming moments. If you’re searching for a quick, exceptionally delicious treat to serve at your next festive gathering, or a thoughtful homemade gift for friends and loved ones, you are in for a true delight with today’s featured recipe: our irresistible Hazelnut Raspberry Crumb Cake. This cake effortlessly combines sophistication with a comforting homemade charm, making it a perfect addition to any holiday table or a delightful surprise for someone special.
This isn’t just any ordinary crumb cake; it’s a culinary experience. What sets this particular recipe apart is its rich depth of flavor and exquisite texture profile. The base cake is deeply infused with the nutty, caramelized notes of brown butter, then delicately spiced with aromatic cardamom and warm cinnamon, creating a beautifully balanced foundation. This moist and tender cake is then generously topped with a luscious, thick layer of St. Dalfour Red Raspberry Fruit Spread, adding a vibrant burst of fruity tang. The grand finale is a crisp, buttery hazelnut crumb topping that provides a satisfying crunch with every bite, elevating this dessert from simple to simply sublime.
Why This Hazelnut Raspberry Crumb Cake Will Become Your New Favorite
While every element of this hazelnut raspberry crumb cake contributes to its exceptional taste and texture, the St. Dalfour Red Raspberry Fruit Spread truly shines as the star ingredient. Its quality and robust flavor elevate this cake, producing a beautifully layered, rustic, and incredibly moist dessert that is bursting with authentic fresh fruit flavor. This isn’t just a sweet cake; it’s a celebration of natural, bright fruit notes expertly blended with warm, comforting spices and rich, nutty undertones.
I am absolutely thrilled to partner with St. Dalfour for this recipe. My connection with their exquisite, hand-crafted fruit spreads spans decades – yes, really! My kitchen pantry has always been stocked with their delightful products, a testament to their consistent quality and delicious taste. For years, they have been my go-to choice for adding a touch of natural sweetness and intense fruit flavor to countless dishes, from simple toasts to elaborate baked goods.
What makes St. Dalfour fruit spreads so unique and superior? Made in the heart of France, these spreads are crafted using 100% fruit and are exclusively sweetened with vineyard-ripened grape and fruit juice. This commitment to natural ingredients means they contain absolutely no cane sugar, artificial syrups, or any unnecessary additives or flavorings. Their dedication to purity ensures that you taste the true essence of the fruit in every spoonful.
This traditional, labor-intensive method of preparation results in beautifully textured spreads that perfectly showcase the fruit at its peak flavor. The natural sweetness and subtle tartness are preserved, offering a taste experience that mass-produced jams simply cannot replicate. While I adore using St. Dalfour spreads in a myriad of ways – from breakfast pastries to savory glazes – this meticulous crafting process makes them particularly well-suited for baked goods like this Hazelnut Raspberry Crumb Cake. Here, you want that fresh, authentic, and wonderfully tart fruit flavor to truly shine through in every single bite, cutting through the richness of the cake and crumb topping.
One of my absolute favorite aspects of this particular crumb cake recipe is its incredible versatility! It graciously lends itself to all sorts of delightful variations, allowing you to get creative in the kitchen. While I opted for the delightful Red Raspberry Fruit Spread for its classic appeal and vibrant flavor, you are welcome to substitute it with other fantastic St. Dalfour fruit spread varieties. With an impressive selection of 22 different flavors, the possibilities are vast! Imagine trying this cake with rich Blackberry, sweet Strawberry, or tangy Apricot fruit spread, just to name a few. Each variation promises a unique and equally delicious experience. Don’t hesitate to have fun and let your culinary imagination run wild!
Crafting Your Hazelnut Raspberry Crumb Cake: A Step-by-Step Guide
Creating this magnificent Hazelnut Raspberry Crumb Cake is a rewarding baking project, yielding a dessert that looks as impressive as it tastes. Follow these detailed steps to ensure a perfect bake every time. The process is broken down into manageable stages, from preparing your pan and crumb topping to mixing the cake batter and finally assembling and baking your masterpiece.
First, prepare your baking environment: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and ensure a rack is placed in the center position. This central placement allows for even heat distribution, crucial for a perfectly baked cake. Next, take an 8-inch (20-cm) square cake pan. Lightly grease it with baking spray, then line it with a parchment paper sling. This simple trick, detailed further in the recipe notes below, makes lifting the cooled cake out of the pan incredibly easy, preserving its beautiful crumbly top.
Next, prepare the star of the show – the Hazelnut Crumb Topping: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, rich dark brown sugar, fragrant cardamom, and a pinch of salt. Whisk these dry ingredients together thoroughly. Add the softened, cubed unsalted butter to the mixture and toss until each cube is lightly coated. Now, using your fingertips, work the softened butter into the dry ingredients. This tactile method allows you to control the size of the crumbs, aiming for a mix of small and medium-sized clusters, which will create a wonderful texture after baking. Finally, stir in the finely chopped hazelnuts. Once prepared, place this irresistible crumb topping in the refrigerator to chill while you move on to preparing the cake batter. Chilling helps the crumbs maintain their shape and crispness during baking.
Now, for the heart of the cake – the batter: Begin by browning your butter. Place the cold unsalted butter, cut into quarters, into a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Allow it to melt, then continue cooking, whisking continuously. You’ll notice the butter bubbling and changing color; the milk solids will begin to brown and settle at the bottom of the pan, releasing a wonderfully nutty, aromatic scent. As soon as it reaches a deep golden brown and is very fragrant, remove it immediately from the heat. Transfer all of the browned butter, including the delicious brown bits at the bottom of the pan, to a large mixing bowl. It’s crucial to let this browned butter cool slightly until it’s just lukewarm before proceeding with the next steps. This prevents the eggs from scrambling when added.
While your brown butter is cooling, take another medium bowl and whisk together your dry cake ingredients: all-purpose flour, baking powder, a generous amount of ground cardamom, ground cinnamon, baking soda, and kosher salt. Set this dry mixture aside.
Once the browned butter is lukewarm, add the fresh lemon zest, dark brown sugar, granulated sugar, and room temperature eggs to the bowl. Whisk these ingredients vigorously for about a minute. The mixture should become smooth, noticeably paler in color, and just barely frothy. This vigorous whisking incorporates air, contributing to the cake’s light texture. Next, add the room temperature sour cream and pure vanilla extract, whisking until everything is evenly combined and smooth.
Finally, it’s time to bring the dry and wet ingredients together. Add the prepared dry flour mixture to the bowl with the wet ingredients. Begin stirring with a whisk until the dry ingredients are just absorbed into the wet. To ensure everything is perfectly combined without overmixing, switch to a rubber spatula and scrape down the edges and bottom of the bowl. Overmixing can develop the gluten in the flour too much, leading to a tough cake, so mix only until no streaks of dry flour remain.
Assembly and Baking: Transfer the prepared cake batter into your greased, parchment-lined pan. Using an offset spatula, gently spread the batter into a smooth, even layer across the bottom of the pan. This even base is key for consistent baking. Now, dollop generous spoonfuls of the St. Dalfour Red Raspberry Fruit Spread across the surface of the batter. With the same offset spatula, carefully spread the fruit spread into an even, thin layer, ensuring it extends all the way to the edges of the pan. This creates a beautiful, continuous layer of fruity goodness. Finally, retrieve your chilled hazelnut crumb topping from the refrigerator and sprinkle it evenly over the jam layer, covering the entire surface. This golden crumb will bake into a wonderfully crisp topping.
Bake your beautiful creation for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out completely clean. This indicates the cake is fully cooked through. As a friendly baking note, don’t be alarmed if the surface of the cake isn’t perfectly even; the fruit spread and crumb topping naturally create rustic “caverns” and slight indentations as they bake, which adds to its homemade charm and is entirely expected. Once baked, set the pan on a wire rack and allow the cake to cool for 10 to 15 minutes. This cooling period helps the cake set. Then, using the convenient parchment paper edges, carefully lift the cake out of the pan and transfer it to a rack to cool completely. While it’s delightful served slightly warm, allowing it to cool fully allows the flavors to meld and the cake to firm up, making it easier to slice and serve.
BAKING NOTE: The raspberry fruit spread and crumb topping create natural, rustic caverns in the batter as it bakes, so don’t worry if the surface of the cake isn’t perfectly even – this is to be expected! This adds to its charm.
This Hazelnut Raspberry Crumb Cake is more than just a dessert; it’s an experience. The rich brown butter flavor, the hint of warm spices, the bright, tart raspberry, and the delightful crunch of hazelnuts create a symphony of tastes and textures that will captivate your palate. Whether you’re serving it for a holiday brunch, an afternoon tea, or as a sweet ending to a special meal, it’s guaranteed to impress. The ease of preparation, combined with the impressive results, makes this recipe a true gem for both novice and experienced bakers alike. Enjoy the process of baking and the joy of sharing this wonderful cake with those you love!
Hazelnut Raspberry Crumb Cake
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Serving and Storage Tips: This crumb cake is best served slightly warm or at room temperature the day it is baked. However, leftovers can be wrapped tightly in foil, transferred to a Ziplock bag, and kept out at room temperature for 1-2 days.
Equipment
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8-Inch Square Cake Pan
Ingredients
Hazelnut Crumb Topping:
- ½ cup (60g) unbleached all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup (50g) lightly packed dark brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup (4 tablespoons; 55g) unsalted butter softened
- ⅓ cup (45g) whole hazelnuts finely chopped
Cake Batter:
- ½ cup (8 tablespoons; 115g) cold unsalted butter
- 1½ cups (180g) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- zest of 1 lemon
- ½ cup (100g) lightly packed dark brown sugar
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ¾ cup (180g) sour cream room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup (150g) St. Dalfour Red Raspberry Fruit Spread
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) with a rack in the center position. Lightly grease an 8-inch (20-cm) square cake pan with baking spray and line with a parchment paper overhang (*this makes it easy to lift out the cake after baking). Set aside.
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Prepare the Hazelnut Crumb Topping: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, dark brown sugar, cardamom, and salt. Add the softened, cubed butter and toss until coated. Using your fingertips, cut the softened butter into the dry ingredients, pressing the mixture together with your fingertips until small and medium-size crumbs form. Stir in the finely chopped hazelnuts. Place the crumb topping in the refrigerator to chill while you prepare the cake batter.
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Prepare the Cake Batter: Cut the butter into quarters and place in a small saucepan. Set over medium-low heat. Melt and continue cooking the butter, whisking it continuously as it bubbles, until the solids start to brown and it becomes very fragrant. Remove from the heat and immediately transfer the browned butter (along with any brown bits from the bottom of the pan) to a large mixing bowl. Allow the butter to cool slightly – it should be just lukewarm – before proceeding.
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As the butter is cooling slightly, whisk the all-purpose flour, baking powder, cardamom, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a separate medium bowl. Set aside.
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Add the lemon zest, dark brown sugar, granulated sugar, and eggs to the bowl with the slightly cooled brown butter. Whisk together vigorously for a minute or so, until smooth, pale, and just barely frothy. Add the sour cream and vanilla to the bowl, whisk until incorporated and smooth.
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Add the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Stir together with a whisk until just absorbed, switching to a rubber spatula to scrape down the edges of the bowl and ensure all of the dry ingredients have evenly incorporated. Do not over mix.
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Transfer the batter to the greased, parchment-lined pan. Use an offset spatula to spread the batter into a smooth, even layer. Dollop spoonfuls of St. Dalfour Raspberry Fruit Spread across the batter, then use an offset spatula to spread it into even, thin layer – extending to the edges of the pan. Sprinkle the hazelnut crumb topping evenly over the jam layer.
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Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Baking Note: The fruit spread and crumb topping will create natural caverns, so do not worry if the surface of the baked cake isn’t completely even – this is to be expected. Set the pan on a rack and cool for 10 to 15 minutes; then use the edges of the parchment paper to lift the cake out of the pan. Place on a rack to cool completely (or serve slightly warm).
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Serving and Storage Tips: This crumb cake is best served slightly warm or at room temperature the day it is baked. However, leftovers can be wrapped tightly in foil, transferred to a Ziplock bag, and kept out at room temperature for 1-2 days.
Tips for Success:
- Mix up the flavor of these crumb bars by swapping the Raspberry Fruit Spread with other St. Dalfour Fruit Spreads, such as : Blackberry, Peach, Apricot, or Strawberry.
- Substitute the hazelnuts with equal parts (by weight) pecans or walnuts.
- For the best crumb texture, ensure your butter for the topping is softened but still cool. This allows it to form distinct crumbs when mixed with the dry ingredients.
- Don’t rush the browning of the butter. A slow, steady heat ensures the milk solids caramelize without burning, developing that signature nutty flavor.
- Room temperature eggs and sour cream are vital for a smooth, well-emulsified batter. Cold ingredients can cause the batter to seize and affect the cake’s final texture.