Eggless Apricot & Pear Crumb Cake

My husband and his family have a dog back home in India. Today is his birthday, and a milestone one at that! So here's celebrating the loyal pet that fears nothing except thunder and lightning.

Bhairav, giving his "don't mess with me" look :)

Although Bhairav and I have a predator-prey kind of relationship (me being the meek prey that runs for her life, of course), I have been regaled with several stories of him stealthily stealing mangoes and food from the kitchen, so he is a foodie himself. And what more, as a true member of the family, he also loves all things sweet! On our birthdays and special occasions, my mother-in-law prepares yummy sweets like burfi and halwa, and sensing the lovely aroma wafting from the kitchen, he will poke his head through the window and demand that he get a share :). So on our birthdays, it is Bhairav that gets to eat the delicacies in India. This time, as a reversal of how things are done, I baked a cake on Bhairav's birthday, so that we get to celebrate and vicariously eat on behalf of him ;)

 "Hey! What's cooking?"

Bhairav loves sweet fruits like mangoes and jackfruits (his favorite), so I wanted to bake a fruit-based cake. I decided to use pears because the husband was certain that Bhairav would relish pears. In addition to pears, I also added some apricot preserves because I was sure Bhairav wouldn't complain if I added an extra bit of fruit and sweetness. To do something slightly different, I baked a crumb cake with a soft and sweet base and a crunchy exterior. And it was a successful experiment!

Ingredients:

For the Cake

1. 1/2 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
2. 1 cup all-purpose flour
3. 1/2 cup sugar
4. 1 teaspoon baking powder
5. 1/4 teaspoon salt
6. 1 tablespoon ground flax seed + 3 tablespoons water, whisked together (as an egg substitute)
7. 1/2 cup yogurt
8. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
9. 1 1/4 cups chopped pears (I used Bartlett pears)
10. 3 tablespoons + a few dollops of apricot preserves / jelly/jam

Crunchy topping

1. 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2. 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
3. 1/2 stick cold butter, cut into pieces
4. 1 cup coarsely ground almonds
5. 1 teaspoon cardamom powder 

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Butter and flour a 9 inch cake pan
2. Warm the flax seed mixture in a microwave for 30 seconds. Take it out, whisk well (it will start to become thick and gloopy) and let it rest for 10 minutes
3. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt and keep aside
4. Beat butter for a minute. Then add sugar and continue beating for about 3 minutes until soft and creamy
5. Add the flax seed mixture (it would have become viscous and eggy by now) and beat until incorporated.
6. Add yogurt, vanilla extract and beat until incorporated.
7. Add apricot preserves and stir gently into the batter.
8. Add the dry ingredients and gently fold into the wet ingredients.
9. Finally, add the pears and give the batter a gentle mix. The batter will be thick. Transfer the batter into the baking pan.
10. Prepare the topping
1. Using your hands, mix brown sugar, cardamom and flour. 
2. Add butter and using your hand or a fork crumble and mix the butter into the flour mixture until the butter is the size of peas. Remember the butter should be cold, so you have to work it in to the flour
3. Add the coarsely ground almond and give a final mix.
11. Spread/pile the topping on top of the batter
12. Finally, spoon a few dollops of apricot preserves onto the crunchy topping
13. Bake for 45-50 minutes until a tester comes out clean. I actually baked for 52 minutes, if that counts.

Before baking

Let the cake cool. When cool, cut into pieces and serve! Do not try to invert this cake from the pan.

Fresh out of the oven

The cake itself doesn't rise because the crunchy topping would then fall apart. It is a soft and moist cake studded with pears in every bite - if you notice, I added more pears than even flour. So the cake is predominantly structured by pears. The topping is my favorite - it is crispy and flavorful and not too sweet. 

Animals have a unique sixth sense. I hope Bhairav senses this gesture of mine and will be appeased by it sufficiently to not want to maul me the next time I meet him! I hope we have a deal ;). 

Happy Birthday Bhairav. May you have many more happy and healthy birthdays!