Apple Cake with Crumb Topping

This apple cake recipe has become a standard in our house. It's probably one of the first desserts I remember baking as a kid in France. Over the years, the recipe hasn't changed one bit, with the exception of the addition of crumb topping for texture contrast.

The apples in our garden are smallish and a bit tart, which makes them better for cooking than eating. I was able to gather a basketful of the apples and put them to use in this recipe. The flesh was aromatic, crisp and firm, making them perfect for baking. Once cooked, they tasted nutty, sweet and tart. The cake is perfect for brunch as well, and as an added bonus, we ate it again the next day and it was still moist and perfect.

Peach Cinnamon Coffee Cake Recipe

We eat lots of different foods in my house. Savory, sweet, Indian, French, Asian, vegetarian or meat, at one time or another we’ve made it. If there’s one common bond among the vastly varied preferences, it’s that everyone in my home has a sweet tooth.

I’m happy to oblige my family’s confectionary cravings, so today I made a peach and cinnamon cake. I flavored it with ultra ripe, sweet peaches and fragrant cinnamon and a layer of almond streusel crumb mixture. This sweet snack is not only good for tea time but is a perfect ending to a school lunch. In fact, I packed a square of the cake along with a small pouch of milk for my little munchkin. Ready-packed 8.25-ounce fresh milk pouches are available at Trader Joe's and Whole Foods, so it's very convenient to feed your children a balanced meal, even when they're on the go.

Chestnut Crumb Coffee Cake

For brunch, the girls and I made a crumb coffee cake flavored with chestnut purée, and a streusel topping made with cinnamon and brown sugar for a rich, caramel flavor. Buttermilk gives a moist texture to the coffee cake; the result was just divine. Chestnut may not be a common flavor for coffee cake, but I guarantee that after tasting it, you'll be hooked.

I served the coffee cake with a big pot of masala chai. We all enjoyed ourselves. Hope your weekend is as relaxing and peaceful as ours!