Blum's Almond-filled Coffee Cake

[Young2Cook]

Years, ok decades, ago, Blum's of San Francisco made a fabulous almond-filled coffee cake, which was sold in the restaurant of a Los Angeles department store (Bullocks Wilshire? Saks?) I remember my mother referring to it as "Racetrack" and indeed it was circular.

Karola Craib of the SF Chronicle wrote "Blum's never gave out any recipe,swore employees to secrecy and, in affect, took the recipes to the grave when the company went under."

All of my efforts to find the recipe have come to naught, but the fact that the recipe for Blum's Coffee Crunch Cake has surfaced after all these years gives me hope that someday Blum's Racetrack will again be seen in the land. Does anyone have any leads on this lost recipe?

Thanks,

Deborah

[Abra]

Blum's Coffee Crunch has surfaced? Where??? How about the Lemon Crunch? Those were the epitome of elegance, when I was a kid. Never had the Racetrack, though.

[andiesenji]

Are you referring to this Coffee crunch cake?

Note that this site: Message board

Has a note about a bakery that sells at least two of the Blum's cakes.

some time ago I found a site that has a recipe for Blum's Coffee Toffee pie. I will see if I can locate it and post it later.

found it! Nelson family recipes

You have to scroll nearly to the bottom.

Also more Blum's recipes at Uncle Phaedrus Check 12/26/03 for the crunch cakes recipes.

7/24/03 has the Magic Pan Banana Crepes Chantilly.

In fact, if you look at all the lists, there are several Magic Pan recipes

I will warn you now, you can spend a lot of time looking just at the lists. I certainly have whenever I have visited the site. I finally resorted to printing out the page with the dated lists to make it easier.

Edited December 13, 2005 by andiesenji (log)

[ruthcooks]

The entire recipe, entitled "Marie Summers's Coffee-Crunch Cake," appeared in the 1982 cookbook "Cooking with Jack Lirio". And the cake is pictured on the dust jacket. I never had the original, but I made the recipe once and it is to die for if anything ever was.

The cake itself, a yellow angel food, uses 6 yolks and a cup of whites and has become my favorite. I love it with raspberries or strawberries or hot blueberry sauce, and whipped cream.

I'll put it in a Word file and copy to anyone who PM's me for it.

[ruthcooks]

I have reviewed the recipe for Blum's Coffee-Crunch Cake and found I have indeed made a few changes and reworded the method greatly. You'll find it in RecipeGullet in three parts:

Yellow Angel Food Cake

Coffee-Crunch Candy

Blum's Coffee-Crunch Cake

[RDW]

Martha Stewart features a recipe for Blum's Coffee Crunch Cake -

http://www.marthastewart.com/page.jhtml?ty...=TV&site=living

I remember seeing her make it on TV. Will definitely try this out.

Woohoo!! My first post at egullet!!

[ludja]

Years, ok decades, ago, Blum's of San Francisco made a fabulous almond-filled coffee  cake, which was sold in the restaurant of a Los Angeles department store (Bullocks Wilshire? Saks?)  I remember my mother referring to it as "Racetrack" and indeed  it was circular.

Karola Craib of the SF Chronicle wrote "Blum's never gave out any recipe,swore employees to secrecy and, in affect, took the recipes to the grave when the company went under."

All of my efforts to find the recipe have come to  naught, but the fact that the  recipe for Blum's Coffee Crunch Cake has surfaced after all these years gives me hope that someday Blum's Racetrack will again be seen in the land.  Does anyone have any leads on this lost recipe?

Thanks,

Deborah

←

Do you know if there were swirls of almond paste as the filling of the cake? I've found a few recipes online with this feature that look good. Also, a recipe that I've been wanting to try is an almond ring cake (that also uses almond paste) in Deborah Madison's, "The Savory Way". I can't find the cookbook right now to describe further details.

Hmmm... The coffee crunch cake recipes sound interesing. Thanks to all who posted and welcome, RDW!

[Abra]

Thanks for posting that, Ruth! My grandmother used to take me to Blums in San Francisco. I'd get to wear my white rabbit fur headband and carry the matching muff. That was the most grownup thing I could ever imagine, going out for Blum's cake in a rabbit muff. I must have been 8 or 9 at the time.

[Young2Cook]

Thanks for posting that, Ruth!  My grandmother used to take me to Blums in San Francisco.  I'd get to wear my white rabbit fur headband and carry the matching muff.  That was the most grownup thing I could ever imagine, going out for Blum's cake in a rabbit muff.  I must have been 8 or 9 at the time.

←

Now that is the sort of picture we need to see - you must have been adorable. And wise, even then you alerted for good food!

[Young2Cook]

Martha Stewart features a recipe for Blum's Coffee Crunch Cake  -

http://www.marthastewart.com/page.jhtml?ty...=TV&site=living

I remember seeing her make it on TV.  Will definitely try this out. 

Woohoo!!  My first post at egullet!!

←

A version appeared in the LA Times and then in The Best American Recipes a couple of years ago. I've made it and I can vouch it has the same "DNA" as the original. To die for, and to find oneself in heaven.

The recipe I'm seeking now is the coffee cake ring, also wonderful, although more special Sunday brunch than celebratory dessert. Thanks for helping in the search.

[Young2Cook]

":Do you know if there were swirls of almond paste as the filling of the cake? I've found a few recipes online with this feature that look good. Also, a recipe that I've been wanting to try is an almond ring cake (that also uses almond paste) in Deborah Madison's, "The Savory Way". I can't find the cookbook right now to describe further details."

Good question about swirls. I hate to confirm how long it's been since I tasted this coffee cake, perhaps 40 years. I don't remember the details, just that the flavor and texture were great - and that the whole ring was large, perhaps 24" or more across. My mother would purchase sections of it most of the time. A whole ring was really pricey and reserved for very special occasions.

I'll check out Deborah Madison's recipe; thanks for suggesting it.

[Ling]

Thanks for posting that, Ruth!  My grandmother used to take me to Blums in San Francisco.  I'd get to wear my white rabbit fur headband and carry the matching muff.  That was the most grownup thing I could ever imagine, going out for Blum's cake in a rabbit muff.  I must have been 8 or 9 at the time.

←

Awww! I had a white rabbit fur muff when I was a kid too! I loved it more than anything!

I've never heard of this famous recipe, but it looks good! I'll try it for the holiday season.

[Wendy DeBord]

O.k. you all have me very interested.........I've never heard of these cakes but from what your saying I must try them now. I was thinking the race track cake would be a danish kringle........is it?

[ludja]

Add a treasured white rabbit purse I had as a young girl-- snap closure and chain strap. My Mom also made a stole out of white rabbit for my Barbie doll that was one of my favorite outfits for her...

Here is an online recipe (untested by me) of a Danish Coffee cake with a swirled, almond paste filling: click

[andiesenji]

I think I have an answer, or at least a recommended recipe.

I was chatting on the phone with an elderly friend last night and mentioned this thread because Susan used to work at Bullocks-Wilshire as a buyer. She retired when the store closed but still gets together with some of the people she worked with for so many years.

She said the last time they met, they were discussing things they loved in the Tea Room and how much they missed some of the pastries that were nowhere to be found.

However, one of the ladies had discovered that there were recipes to be found on line (those mentioned in earlier posts) and also that the almond filled "coffee" ring was identical to Danish Kringle.

It was definitely a Danish dough, not a regular sweet roll dough. Although some bakeries do not make a distinction and call some sweet rolls "Danish", there really is a distinct difference.

She sent the link to my friend and Sue just sent it to me, so here it is.

Danish Kringle recipe

Susan says she was not a big fan of sweets. Her favorite thing was the Chicken pot pie! The best, most flakey crust she ever tasted.

[miccha81]

Does anyone have a picture of this cake? Interested in making it but as I've never had it, I'd like some visual stimulation.

Thanks

[andiesenji]

Does anyone have a picture of this cake?  Interested in making it but as I've never had it, I'd like some visual stimulation.

Thanks

←

Which cake?

[miccha81]

The Blum's cake, specifically the one posted by ruthcooks.

[ludja]

The Blum's cake, specifically the one posted by ruthcooks.

←

Go to the link that RDW gave for the Coffee Crunch Cake made on Martha Stewart. Looking at the two recipes, it look's like Ruthcook's and Martha's version would look very similar. The outsdie of the cake is covered with whipped cream and before serving broken up pieces of 'coffee crunch" are stuck to the whipped cream.

[ruthcooks]

The picture on my Lirio cookbook is prettier than Mary/Martha's version, no white spots showing through. And mine looked just like the picture of his. Perhaps the vase of yellow daisies in the empty tube has something to do with it?

Oh, yes, Mary, whomever she is, only used 1 1/2 cups of heavy cream instead of four. Mightly skimpy, if you ask me.

[Young2Cook]

I think I have an answer, or at least a recommended recipe.

I was chatting on the phone with an elderly friend last night and mentioned this thread because Susan used to work at Bullocks-Wilshire as a buyer. She retired when the store closed but still gets together with some of the people she worked with for so many years.

She said the last time they met, they were discussing things they loved in the Tea Room and how much they missed some of the pastries that were nowhere to be found.

However, one of the ladies had discovered that there were recipes to be found on line (those mentioned in earlier posts) and also that the almond filled "coffee" ring was identical to Danish Kringle.

It was definitely a Danish dough, not a regular sweet roll dough. Although some bakeries do not make a distinction and call some sweet rolls "Danish", there really is a distinct difference.

THANK YOU! I will definitely try this. The Racetrack, as I recall it, was round and larger than the Kringle in the link's picture and I suspect the filling was somewhat different, but..... it looks like a fine starting point. Actually, I'm not even certain the real name was "Racetrack" - perhaps that was just my mother's nickname for it.

/Deborah

[ruthcooks]

Hi,

In case anyone is making this for the holidays, I am making a small change to the recipe: cake flour should be 1 1/4 cups; if you use AP flour, use 1 1/8 cups. In converting it back and forth, I think the two directions got mixed up. After the holidays will find that elusive original.