Apricot Crumble Cake

Ingredients

• Ground cinnamon (1 teaspoon)
• Brown sugar (1/2 cup)
• Milk (1 cup)
• Vanilla extract (1 teaspoon)
• Egg (1, beaten)
• Salt (1/2 teaspoon)
• Baking powder (2 teaspoons)
• Unsalted butter (1/2 cup, cold, cubed)
• Granulated sugar (1 cup)
• All-purpose flour (2 cups)
• Apricots (1 cup, sliced)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and generously grease a 9-inch round cake pan.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt.
3. Add the cold cubed butter to the dry ingredients. Use a pastry cutter or your fingers to cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs.
4. In another bowl, whisk together the beaten egg, vanilla extract, and milk.
5. Gradually pour the wet ingredients into the dry mixture. Stir gently until just combined. Avoid overmixing to keep the cake tender.
6. Spread half of the cake batter evenly into the prepared cake pan.
7. Arrange the sliced apricots over the batter, creating a beautiful fruit layer.
8. In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar and ground cinnamon. This will be your crumble topping.
9. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture over the apricots, covering them completely.
10. Drop spoonfuls of the remaining cake batter over the apricots and cinnamon sugar.
11. Finally, sprinkle the crumble mixture evenly over the top, ensuring an even distribution of the sweet, crunchy topping.
12. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the cake has turned a lovely golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
13. Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then carefully transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely.
14. Serve the apricot crumble cake warm or at room temperature. Enjoy this slice of German culinary tradition!