Strawberry Crumble Cake

There's only one thing better than a hot dinner and that's a hot dessert.

The strawberry crumble cake is best served hot with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream or yogurt.

The dessert starts with a layer of strawberries macerated in sugar and vanilla, over which the cake batter is spooned and then topped off with the macadamia nut crumble. For an extra crispy topping sprinkle on some Demerara (turbinado) sugar. Demerara is to sugar what Kosher salt is to salt - it's made of large, coarse crystals with undertones of caramel and treacle.

The crumble cake takes just over an hour to bake. So it's the kind of dessert you can pop in the oven during dinner. The result is spectacular. The strawberries liquefy into a gorgeous syrupy pulp, while the cake has risen to form a soft, airy sponge. The crumble is rich with toasty macadamia nuts and made even crispier with the layer of caramelized Demerara.

More Dessert Recipes

• Apple & Passionfruit Crumble
• Baked Rice Custard with Vanilla Poached Plums
• Chocolate Mousse Profiteroles

Photo: © S. Wongkaew (2009) licensed to About.com, Inc