This moist, delicious cinnamon crumb cake is a classic favorite! You can make a cake or cupcakes with this recipe, and it tastes great with either a simple sprinkling of walnuts on top, or a sweet Nut Crumble Topping.
If you’re new to the world of traditional-real food cooking, the “soaking” process may seem a bit strange. But be assured, the centuries-old process of soaking grains helps to breakdown the antinutrients and hard-to-digest components of the grain and at the same time, helps to release highly beneficial nutrients.
Soaking grains for optimal nutrition is really very easy! It just takes a little planning ahead. The result is a highly nutritious and easy-to-digest whole-grain food with wonderful robust flavor.
To learn more about the health benefits of soaking, please check out “How to Soak Grains for Optimal Nutrition.”
Ingredients
- 2 cups organic whole spelt flour
- 1/2 cup organic rolled oats (not quick-cook)
- 1 cup plain organic whole milk kefir (or cultured buttermilk)
- 1/2 cup pure honey (I prefer sage honey due to its mild flavor)
- 1/4 cup rapadura (or sucanat)
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, solid
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp, plus 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp Celtic sea salt
- Crispy Walnuts (use walnuts for your choice of topping options listed below)
Instructions
- Add above ingredients to a large ceramic (or glass) mixing bowl and thoroughly combine. (Mixture will resemble a very sticky dough.)
- Cover the bowl and place it in a warm area of your kitchen for 12-24 hours.
- Once soaking time is completed, preheat oven to 300 degrees.
- In a medium-sized bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together the Rapadura, butter and coconut oil, until creamy.
- Add the egg, vanilla, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix until incorporated.
- Add the butter mixture to the soaked batter and thoroughly combine using electric mixer.
- Place in a well-oiled 9×9-inch baking pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool 5-10 minutes before slicing. (Recipe inspired by Passionate Homemaking.)
- Either top the cake with a sprinkling of rapadura and some crispy walnut pieces, or top with the Nut Crumble Topping, as noted below.
- Instead of using this recipe to make a cake, my friend Brooke had the great idea to make cupcakes instead.
- Simply spoon batter into muffin cups until 2/3 full.
- Then top with the Nut Crumble Topping (see note below).
- Bake at 300 degrees for 25-28 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Allow to cool 5-10 minutes in muffin tin. (Due to the deliciously crumbly nature of this recipe, your cupcake is probably best eaten with a fork.) Yum!
Notes
Nut Crumble Topping: In a small bowl, add 3/4 cup of finely chopped crispy walnuts, 1 tablespoon of rapadura (or sucanat ), 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Mix well to combine. Spoon mixture evenly over top of the cake/cupcakes and bake as directed above.
These are the best cupcakes & so easy to make.
Every time I make them I think of you and your great idea to make them into cupcakes – you ROCK!!
Hello. I realy want to make these but as I am new to traditional real food cooking I dont know how to manufacture whole milk kefir, yet! I can get hold of cultured buttermilk at my supermarket but it is homogenised and pasturised. Is this a bad thing? Could I use wholemilk, organic yoghurt for the soak instead? Many thanks 🙂
Hi, Julia. You can most certainly use buttermilk. It won’t change the taste or texture of this recipe at all. Whole milk yogurt can also be used but may make these a bit crumblier, but still delicious. Lots of blessings, Kelly 🙂
Hello Kelly. Thank you again for your prompt reply. This is all new to me and I sometimes find all the new ways of preparing and doing things are a little scary! Your website is so lovely and has given me the confidence to try! I shall go buy some buttermilk and have a go at my first soaked cupcakes :)))
Wonderful! Hope you enjoy them as much as we do! Blessings to you on your journey. 🙂
these look sooo good ! 🙂