Recipe
09 Jul 2011

Cardamom Crumb Cake

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Cardamom Coffee Cake

While crumb cake might be too ordinary for most to request on their birthday, it was the perfect choice for my frosting-loathing and spice-loving Astronomer. To up the celebratory quotient, I swapped out traditional cinnamon for a heaping teaspoon of Guatemalan cardamom—it’s the birthday boy’s current obsession.

I knew this America’s Test Kitchen recipe would yield a winning cake, but The Astronomer’s reaction was even better than expected. Don’t tell his mama, but he declared it to be “the best birthday cake ever!” Oh, how will I ever top this in the future?

Employing cake flour in both the crumb topping and cake resulted in a delicate body and a satisfying crumb. Rich buttery notes tied everything together, while the cardamom added a sexy touch like only it can.

Although I initially frowned upon The Astronomer’s desire for a such a pedestrian cake, this one made me a crumb cake convert, and I wouldn’t hesitate to request it for my next birthday. Mmm, cardamom!

For crumb topping

  • 1/3 cup (2.3 ounces) granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup packed (2.3 ounces) dark brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 1 3/4 cups (7 ounces) cake flour

For cake

  • 1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) cake flour
  • 1/2 cup (3.5 ounces) granulated sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces and softened
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup buttermilk, room temperature
  • Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Make topping

Cardamom Coffee Cake

Whisk the granulated and brown sugars, cardamom, salt, and melted butter together in a medium bowl to combine. Stir in the flour until the mixture resembles a thick, cohesive dough. Let the crumb topping mixture rest at room temperature until needed.

Make cake

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with a foil sling and grease the foil.

Cardamom Coffee Cake

Whisk the flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Using an electric mixer on medium-low speed, beat the butter into the flour mixture, one piece at a time, about 30 seconds. Continue to beat the mixture until it resembles moist crumbs, 1 to 3 minutes.

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Restaurant Review
07 Jul 2011

Montréal Bagel Tour: The Original Fairmount Bagel Bakery and St. Viateur Bagel

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Montreal Bagels: St. Viateur and Fairmount

I learned during my stay in Montréal that the locals are quite proud of their bagels. The Jewish immigrants who came to the city from Eastern Europe before and after World War II brought with them a distinct tradition of bagel making that continues today.

Montréal-style bagels are hand-rolled, boiled in honey-infused water, and baked in wood-fired ovens. In contrast to their American counterparts, the ones in Montréal are smaller, sweeter, and denser, with a crisp and smokey crust.

Montreal Bagels: St. Viateur and Fairmount

Since two of the city’s most famous bagel shops are located in the same Mile End neighborhood, The Astronomer and I, along with our lovely friend Nina, set out on a bagel tasting. Our first stop was at The Original Fairmount Bagel Bakery. Opened in 1919 by Isadore Shlafman, Fairmount is the city’s very first bagel bakery.

Montreal Bagels: St. Viateur and Fairmount

The moment we stepped into the shop, we caught sight of a baker transferring a batch of freshly baked bagels from the oven to a plastic bin using a long wooden slat. The man’s swift motion ensured that all of the bagels ended up in the bin and none on the floor.

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Restaurant Review
04 Jul 2011

Schwartz’s Montréal Hebrew Delicatessen – Montréal

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Schwartz's Montreal Hebrew Delicatessen - Montréal

Besides poutine, the thing to eat while in Montréal is smoked meat. There are a handful of purveyors around town, but Schwartz’s Montréal Hebrew Delicatessen is the most well known and highly regarded.

The restaurant was opened in 1928 by a Jewish immigrant from Romania named Reuben Schwartz. The smoked meat is prepared using a secret blend of herbs and spices and marinated for ten days. Schwartz’s has employed the same recipe and techniques for over 80 years and takes great pride in serving a preservative-free product.

Schwartz's Montreal Hebrew Delicatessen - Montréal

The Astronomer and I, along with our friends Nina, Linda, and Dan, made our way here for lunch on our first full day in the city. Even though we arrived well past lunchtime, there was still quite a lengthy line outside the restaurant. After waiting for about 30 minutes, we were finally ushered in.

Schwartz's Montreal Hebrew Delicatessen - Montréal

Due to the restaurant’s limited space and immense popularity, smaller parties are usually seated with strangers along the long narrow tables that occupy the room. Our group was large enough this afternoon to merit our own domain.

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