Guava Crumb Cake with Galangal

We're back to guavas dropping off the trees season here.  Being inventive with them in cooking, hopefully.  I find recipes in books and online, then adapt for the tropics.  Just because it calls for apples, or pears, there is no reason we absolutely must go to the store and buy fruit brought in from the mainland, most likely picked on the green side of ripe.  Not that they can't be pretty good, but when you have fruit where you live, or close to it, I believe in using that first.  Hence, the guavas here.  Also, since my galangal is multiplying, I thought it might sub for cinnamon in the Streusel topping.  However, if your fruit at hand is apples or pears, just use those instead.

If you are interested in growing galangal or ginger, check out Pick me yard for more information.  I had been wondering why my plants were looking sick, and the edges of the leaves turning brown.  Finally made the move to look up growing conditions on the web.  Brilliant, no?  It sometimes takes me awhile.  Turns out ginger loves shade, shelter and moisture.  Poor dears they weren't getting enough of any of that.  Out in the blazing sun.  Amazing they lived through my ignorance.  So we are moving them to a shady location.  And watering more in dry conditions. 

I also discovered that slicing off a new rhizome (as you see above) gives a nice tender piece for cooking.  The more mature roots are pretty tough.

I had saved this  recipe from Adam's site, The Amateur Gourmet, awhile back, and he got it from Gale Gand's Brunch, so down the road we have my version adapted for the tropics.  I increased the cake's sugar to compensate for the tart guavas.

 Guava Crumb Cake

The cake:
Unsalted butter, for the baking dish
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (I used  part spelt flour)
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup sugar (unless you are using pears, then 1/2 cup)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 large egg
1/3 cup whole milk
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups guava, any bad spots peeled, then seeded and chopped

Streusel topping:
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut up
1 tablespoon galangal, finely minced

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square baking dish.

To make the cake, combine the flour with the baking powder, sugar, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, beat the egg and then mix in the milk and melted butter. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, add the pears, and mix well. Pour this into the buttered baking dish.

To make the streusel, mix the sugar, flour, cold butter, and galangal in a bowl by pinching them together with your fingers until well combined. Sprinkle over the top of the batter.

Bake the cake for 35 minutes or so, until it is golden and dry on top. Cool in the pan, and then cut into squares. The cake will keep for up to 4 days, covered, at room temperature. If it lasts that long at your house.

This cake is moist, its sweetness balanced with a little tang from the guavas (or tart apples) and really delicious.  Good enough to share at Week-end Herb Blogging, hosted this week by Astrid from Paul Chen's Foodblog.  I learn so much every time I read the round-ups for this event.