Fruity Pebbles Crumb Cake

Description

Source: Holy Sweet! - Peabody Johnson

I love crumb-topped anything. I top cake, cinnamon rolls, muffins, pies, blondies, cookies, you name it, with crumb topping. If it goes in the oven, there is a good chance I've probably thrown crumb topping on it at one time. Fruity Pebbles form the crumbs here. I was more of a Froot Loops kid growing up, which makes no sense because I liked the Flintstones way more than toucans. Perhaps because I was already getting the Flintstones way more than toucans. Perhaps because I was already getting the Flintstones in vitamin form (purple Dino all the way), my mother felt I didn't need them in cereal form. But now that I'm the one doing the shopping, I get my vitamins in gummy form and my fruity cereal in pebble form. I prefer to make these as mini loaves because I feel baking is for sharing, but you can also make this recipe as two standard loaves. I'll give you bake times for both.

Ingredients

• 2 cups (480 ml) whole milk
• 1 cup (36 g) Fruity Pebbles cereal
• 2/3 cup (132 g) granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup (114 g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 1/3 cup (12 g) Fruity Pebbles cereal
• 1 1/2 cups (180 g) cake flour
• 1/2 cup (114 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup (240 ml) Fruity Pebbles milk
• 1 cup (240 ml) sour cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups (300 g) cake flour
• 2 tsp (9 g) baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• pinch of salt
• 1 cup (36 g) Fruity Pebbles cereal, plus more for garnish
• 6 tbsp (90 ml) Fruity Pebbles milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp (28 g) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 1/2 cups (180 g) powdered sugar

Directions

1. To make the Fruity Pebbles milk: The day before you're making the cake, mix the milk with the Fruity Pebbles cereal in an airtight container.
2. Put it in the fridge for 8 hours or overnight.
3. Then strain out the cereal.
4. To make the crumb topping: Put the sugar and salt in a medium bowl and mix until they're combined.
5. Add the melted butter, Fruity Pebbles and the cake flour, and mix (hands work best for this).
6. Squeeze the crumbs into large chunks and then break them up into smaller pieces.
7. Set aside.
8. For the cake: Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C).
9. Spray six mini loaf pans or two standard loaf pans with nonstick baking spray.
10. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until they're fluffy and light yellow, about 3 minutes.
11. In another medium bowl, add the eggs, Fruity Pebbles milk, sour cream and vanilla and whisk until they're fully combined.
12. In yet another medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
13. Add one-third of the dry ingredients to the creamed butter mixture and mix on low until they're incorporated.
14. Then, mixing on low between each addition, add half the wet mixture, then one-third of the dry mixture, then the rest of the wet, and finish with the rest of the dry until everything is fully combined, being careful to not over-mix.
15. Remove the bowl from the mixer.
16. Using a spatula, fold the Fruity Pebbles into the batter.
17. Do your best to evenly distribute the cereal throughout the batter.
18. Using a regular-sized ice cream scoop, evenly distribute the batter among the six pan (or two).
19. Break up the crumb topping as best you can, and evenly divide it over the top of each pan.
20. The reality is that it's not going to be equal, but make it work.
21. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes for mini loaves or 45 to 50 minutes for the standard loaves.
22. When the cakes are done, a wooden skewer or knife inserted into the center should come out clean.
23. Let them cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then remove them into a wire rack to cool while you make the glaze.
24. For the glaze: Simply whisk together the Fruity Pebbles milk, vanilla, butter and powdered sugar in a medium bowl.
25. When the cakes are cool, pour the glaze over the tops.
26. Top with some Fruity Pebbles cereal and press down a little on the cereal to help it adhere to the crumb topping.
27. Let the glaze firm up, which should take about 1 hour, before you slice the cake

Yield: Makes 6 mini loaves