Someone recently asked what you could do with gooseberries. Although I enjoy picking up some gooseberries every Summer I realized that I have never really done anything with them other than just snack on them. Given that gooseberries are tart the recipes that were coming to mind were rhubarb recipes as rhubarb is similarly tart. While going through my rhubarb recipes I came across the rhubarb crumb cake that I had made a while ago and really enjoyed. I figured that gooseberries would work just as well as rhubarb in the crumb cake and I pretty much just did a straight swap and used the recipe as is. This crumb cake recipe may be a bit long but it is pretty straight forward and easy. The gooseberry crumb cake turned out very nicely! The tart gooseberries went really well in the sweet crumb cake and I liked the bit of texture that the seeds provided. Of course a melting scoop of vanilla ice cream went really well with a warm slice of gooseberry crumb cake.
Gooseberry Crumb Cake
ingredients
- 2 cups gooseberries
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/3 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- 1 3/4 cups cake flour
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup cake flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons softened butter (cut into 8 pieces)
directions
- Rinse the gooseberries and toss with the sugar, cornstarch and ginger to coat.
- Mix the brown sugar, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, salt and butter in a large bowl.
- Mix in the flour.
- Mix the sour cream, egg, egg yolk and vanilla in a bowl.
- Mix the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
- Add the butter to the flour mixture and mix in the sour cream mixture 1/3 at a time mixing in between.
- Pour all but 1/2 cup of the batter into a greased 8×8 inch baking dish followed by the gooseberry mixture and the remaining batter.
- Break the topping into big crumbs with your hands and sprinkle onto the cake.
- Bake in a preheated 325F/170C oven until a toothpick pushed into the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes.
Goodeberries are lovely and delicate, but the skin is really too hard for me. When I was little, the gooseberry bush was always left alone, and most of them did not get eaten, a shame really… The crumb cake is a great idea really 🙂
I've never even SEEN a gooseberry around here, much less eaten a baked good with it as an ingredient, haha – looks like a great cake though!
Gooseberry? I've only heard this word describing about relationships! :O
Gooseberries bring me back some childhood souvenirs… but I have never eaten them in a dessert. It was a good idea to have substituted rhubarb for gooseberry in that crumb cake recipe. It looks delish!
You are killing me here, Kevin!!!
Growing up we had a "wall" of gooseberries, raspberries, blackberries and currants growing at the edge of the garden. Mom made gooseberry jam and tarts, but this would have hit the spot:D
This sounds delicious. Ive never had or seen a gooseberry, but I love all berries so Im sure ill love this too.
I haven't seen gooseberries in person and I'm really curious as to what it taste like. I'm sure it's delicious in your crumb cake!
I love gooseberries, but here in Switzerland, they are quite rare and expensive… that coffee cake looks really delicious!
Cheers,
Rosa
Thats a good idea. I made a cobbler following a blueberry cobbler recipe and I think it was meant for sweeter berries bcause there was lemon and lemon zest and the gooseberries were too tart for that zest so good idea to subsitute for a tart food as well. I am bookmarking this in case they give them to me again. That would probably be good with currants, too.
Oh, I love gooseberry, wish that I can have some.
Hysterical! I just bought gooseberries at Whole Foods yesterday not having the faintest clue as to what do with them. Looks like I have found my answer!
another one to add to my collection for must try!
I haven't had gooseberries in years…This looks like a great way to serve 'em up. Thanks.
i've never tried gooseberries! must be on the lookout 🙂
Gooseberries are a wonderful fruit. As a child my dad grew bushes of them in our garden and I used to pick and eat them straight off the bush lol. Your cake sounds amazing Kevin!!
Looks wonderful. I love crumb cake, never tried gooseberries, so it seems like a perfect combination.
Gooseberries are so rare around here but the cake looks awesome.
Many people do not even know what gooseberries look like. Did you use the green tart ones or the ripened version that redden? It is a bit late for the green ones to be fresh. In canada they may be that much later than the -below the I70 interstate line. in the US. I also notice you are using a very nice camera, a canon eos 5d mark II to get very superb photographs.
good luck with your cooking, photography, and creative skills.
All I gotta say is I want some of that cake right now!!! btw. how did you get you scoop of ice cream so perfectly smooth. Intriguing.
Oh Kevin, once again, you're cooking with the same food I am on the same day. I just pulled a gooseberry galette out of the oven. An improptu creation I made based on a pie recipe. I still have more gooseberries (which I froze. hopefully they will be ok) with which I can make your crumb cake next time!! Thank you!
Wish I could send you a picture of the galette – funnily, the green gooseberries turn red when they're baked.
Have you picked gooseberries recently? Lots available right now at Whittamores Farm – easily picking.
I have never tried gooseberries, but this recipe sounds wonderful. I'll have to hunt some down.
Kevin this is a great use for gooseberries! I havent had them since I've been home! My Dad LOVES them, but then again he loves tart fruits like cranberries as well! Beautiful picture!
Anonymous: I used the tart green ones. The farmers markets here are full of them still.
Eunice: I have not been picking but it sounds like fun. I remember going strawberry picking and apple picking when I was young but I have not been in a while.
I have never had gooseberries before, but I should look for them!
Looks like a nice crumb cake, although I must confess that I've never seen a gooseberry. Good way to put something you like to use!
Never have we seen a gooseberry in these parts! We'll have to poke around.
Che buona!!!
You know, I would have no idea where to get gooseberries. Maybe they're not really a Texas thing is all…but this looks delish!
What an incredibly gorgeous crumb cake! I love the big crumbs on top.
Has no one here tried gooseberry pie?! Such a shame. Gooseberry pie has been a staple for every holiday dinner in my family for as long as I can remember.
Bookmarking your crumb cake!
I never get gooseberries. you have done a wonderful thing with it!
Great idea! I was just wondering what to do with the gooseberries I bought.
Gooseberries are really good in pie or crisp, that it IF you like things tart. One of my favorite church carry-in dishes was a goosberry pie served with ice cream!
This is very good! I just found there were a bit much crumbs for my taste. Will reduce the topping next time. I did not have cornstarch, and I used half gooseberries (1 cup gooseberries, 1 cub rhubarb), but I think the natural gelling properties (pectin?) in the tart berries made it just fine. Got eaten up.
Looks delicious. Thanks for the recipe!
I made this last year, it was a really good cake!! I can see my gooseberry bush right from the kitchen, so I know when they are ripe!