Blum's of San Francisco

I went shopping today -- we drove through the Stanford Shopping Center passed by what was Joseph Magnin's and I. Magnin's and Blum's -- a blast of memory. 

We only went to Blum's with my grandmother Goodwin, and we would be dressed up and have little sandwiches and if we were good,  Coffee Crunch Cake.  I remember the taste of the tuna salad on rye.

Blum's coffee crunch cake

Prep time: 3 hours | Cook time: 65 minutes | Serves: 12

Shirley Perkins of Roseville was looking for the recipe for the famous and delicious coffee crunch cake served at the now-closed Blum's of San Francisco.

We received many versions of this popular cake. This recipe from Kay Morandi of Sacramento comes from the San Francisco Chronicle.

Note: The prep time includes the 45-minute cool time for the cake and the 1-hour cool time for the coffee crunch.

* Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups cake flour, sifted
1 1/2 cups sugar, divided use
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 egg yolks
1/4 cup water
1 cup ( 7 to 8) large egg whites
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Coffee crunch topping
Unflavored vegetable oil
1 tablespoon baking soda, sifted
1/4 cup strong brewed coffee
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
Frosting
2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla

* Instructions:

For the cake: Adjust rack in lower third of oven, preheat to 350 degrees. Sift the flour, 3/4 cup of the sugar and the salt onto a sheet of wax paper, set aside.

In a small bowl using an electric hand mixer, beat the egg yolks with 1/4 cup of the sugar until the mixture is thick and pale in color. Add the water and continue to beat until thickened, about 4 minutes. Whisk the egg whites in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer just until frothy. Add the cream of tartar and continue to whisk until soft peaks form. Add the remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a steady stream, whisking until thicker, stiffer, glossy peaks form, about 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk in the vanilla, lemon juice and lemon zest.

Pour the yolk mixture over the beaten egg whites. Fold the two mixtures together with a rubber spatula. Using a metal spatula, scoop up a third of the flour mixture and sprinkle it over the surface, fold in with the rubber spatula. Repeat 2 more times just until the ingredients are incorporated. Gently pour batter into an ungreased 10-inch round tube pan with removable bottom (like an angel food pan). Level the surface with the rubber spatula.

Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until the top springs back slightly when lightly touched, and sounds spongy. Remove the cake from the oven and invert the pan over a long-necked bottle to cool for about 45 minutes. To remove the sponge from the pan, carefully slip a flexible metal spatula down one side of the pan and slowly trace the perimeter to release the cake. When the sides are free, push up on the removable bottom to release the cake completely. Tilt the cake, with the bottom still attached, and gently tap the bottom against the counter to loosen the cake. Rotate the cake, tapping a few more times, until it appears free. Cover the cake with a rack and invert, remove the bottom of pan. Let cool to room temperature.

Coffee crunch topping: Generously oil a large baking sheet. Sift the baking soda onto a small sheet of wax paper, set nearby. Combine the coffee, sugar and corn syrup in a deep, heavy 4-quart saucepan. Place over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves. When the mixture is clear and it begins to boil, increase the heat to medium-high and cook until the mixture reaches 290 degrees on candy thermometer. Toward the end of cooking, around 270 to 280 degrees, stir occasionally to prevent the mixture from scorching and becoming too foamy.

Remove from heat and stir in baking soda. The mixture will foam up fiercely. While mixture is still foaming, pour it out onto the oiled baking sheet. Do not spread, just let it cool undisturbed for at least 1 hour.

Break or crush into very small pieces by placing between 2 sheets of wax paper and tapping or rolling with rolling pin. Store in airtight container.

Frosting: Combine cream, sugar and vanilla in a bowl and beat until the cream holds soft peaks.

To assemble: Slice the cooled cake into 3 equal layers using a serrated knife. Spread whipped cream between each layer, carefully stacking the layers. Spread the remaining whipped cream over the top and sides of the cake. Refrigerate. Just before serving, generously sprinkle top and sides with coffee crunch.

Per serving: 440 cal.; 5 g pro.; 68 g carb.; 17 g fat (10 sat.); 160 mg chol.; 351 mg sod.; 0 g fiber.

The glory that was Magnin's:

I. Magnin's magnificent emporiums were designed by some of the country's most accomplished architects. The Magnin family and their architects catered to their customer's desires and provided exquisite surroundings in which to shop. The Magnin stores were the most sophisticated in the country, displaying the finest in original art and fixtures.

These opulent showplaces were built at the pinnacle of the Art Deco and Modernist design movements by the same designers responsible for the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles and the Paramount Theater in Oakland.

The saga of this family-operated company spans over 120 years. From a humble beginning in San Francisco, the store expanded over the decades stretching along the entire West Coast.

The store sped ahead of its competition by signing exclusive deals with design talent, providing unsurpassed customer service and displaying the very best in fashion. Interviews with long-time store patrons and employees rekindle the memories that made I. Magnin a special place.

From the 1900's on through the height of Hollywood's golden motion picture era, I. Magnin attracted the most glamourous actresses of the day. Bette Davis, Esther Williams, Greta Garbo, Greer Garson and the Andrews Sisters among others would commonly be seen browsing in the store's salons or entering a private fitting room.

From Mary Ann Magnin's hand sewn baby layettes and bridal gowns to fine European coutourier designs, I. Magnin always offered quality. And as such the store was the first to obtain and procure exclusives for their customers. The store was the leader in the western United States in introducing or promoting such outstanding creative design talent as Christian Dior, Jacques Fath, Pierre Balmain as well as domestic designers including Norman Norell, and Cecil Chapman.

 

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Comments

[Sandy Weil]

I saw an article and recipe you had posted March 20, 2005 about your memories of the Blum's Coffee Crunch Cake. I thought you might find it interesting my father, Ernest Weil was the original baker who created the famous Crunch Cake while working at Blum's back in the mid 1940's. He left Blum's in 1948 to open his dream bakery, Fantasia Confections. He continued to make the Coffee Crunch Cake long after Blum's closed their doors. It was one of our best sellers. People would travel many miles to get that cake!

We sold our family bakery in 1989. In 2000, after many years of people requesting my father's recipes he started working on Love To Bake Pastry Cookbook. Six years later.... it is finally complete and available at http://www.lovetobakecookbook.com. Since the folks who come to your site seemed to respond with various recipes of the cake, I thought they might like to know about the cookbook. All the authors profits are going to benefit children's organizations. The book has 150 of Fantasia's mouthwatering recipes in it.
Here are some quotes from a couple of recent media mentions:

KGO Radio 810AM, July 12th, 2006 - 8:00 - 9:00pm
Host: John Rothman, on the Gene Burns Show
"Fantasia was famous in San Francisco and throughout the world."
"Ernest created one of the greatest cakes of all time - the Blum's Coffee Crunch Cake."

KCBS Radio 740AM, In The Kitchen With Narsai David, July, 7th, 2006
"This is a collection of Fantasia Confections' best. Ernest Weil, now 81, founder and owner of Fantasia Confections wrote this. Some of the favorites are the chocolate cake and coffee crunch cake."

San Francisco Examiner, Christopher Caen, April, 2006
"…For the Blum's of my generation was the old Fantasia Confections in the Laurel Shopping Center. It was also the home of one of the last Zim's, but that's another story for another rainy day. Anyway, many people would argue over the merits of the Blum's Coffee Cake versus the Fantasia Crunch Cake. Yet here is the wee little item: little did they know that the man responsible for both was indeed the same man. Ernest Weil was a baker at Blum's and then started Fantasia in 1948, making him probably the sweetest man every to grace our shores. And if that isn't a thought to chase these rainy days away, then I don't know what is."

The current recipe you have up looks pretty good, but I noticed when glancing at it (I am not a trained baker - I just swept the bakery floors, sold the goodies and got to eat whatever I wanted!) two main parts of the recipe are missing. My father always put crunch in between the cake layers with the cream filling, not just around the outside. Also, he always had coffee whipped cream filling and icing, not plain vanilla. Please feel free to visit our website for lots of information regarding the book and the children's organizations we are supporting. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,
Sandy Weil

[Cindy Chen]

Wow, that is a great story!! We must have had a Blum's coffee crunch cake at EVERY special occasion of my childhood! Several of my birthday cakes were a Blum's coffee crunch cake! What great memories....I will have to try my hand at making one with this recipe.
BTW, I went to high school with a Sandy Weil ( Washington High School ). Is that you Sandy?
All the Best,
Cindy Chen

[Alison Williams]

I remember celebrating a birthday at Blum's when I was very young (maybe 5 or so). The birthday cake had a very rich buttercream frosting that was almost too rich for me as a kid. Now that I'm in my 50's I wonder why I can so vividly remember that particular birthday with my parents.
Alison

[Donna Dodson aka Mrs. Fred Levy]

I am the widow of Fred Levy, whom Mr. Weil worked for at Blum's. I would love to hear from anyone with memories of Blum's or Fred Levy in the old days -- our daughter made that Coffee Crunch cake for me for a recent birthday and it was the best cake I have ever tasted! And what a labor of love -- yes, it took hours!!

[michael elliott]

One great thing I recall about
Blum's is the licorice toffee which melted in your mouth...any idea where I might get the recipe?
Michael

[Karen Dunn]

In the late 1960's and early 1970's my favorite lunch while visiting my friend Bernice in San Francisco was the cream cheese, black olive, walnut sandwich at Blum's. I think they served it on date bread or one of their other homemade bread. And, of course, I always had to get some of their chocolate in squares to take home to southern CA. How I miss those wonderful, old SF cafes & restaurants!

[Jo Ann Vear]

Thank you so much for having this information. We were talking about Blum's the other day wondering if there was any way to get the recipe for the coffee crunch cake. I loved the location on Geary as well as the one in the Fairmont and often visited the one in Carmel. The one on Geary was always my favorite.

[Louella Rehfield]

I have made Blum's Coffee Crunch Cake more times than I can recall, and it is the best
non-chocolate dessert ever. The recipe I used was from the 1960 Better Homes & Gardens Dessert cook book, a fabulous book.
There used to be a Blum's in LA when I was
growing up - marvelous.
At age 76 I have made my last one but I can
almost taste the cake from memory.
Louella Rehfield, Carpinteria, CA

[JL Herman]

Yes, In the year of 1965, my brother was renting a house on the bay in Tiburon. We drove up from San Diego pulling our boat to Celebrate Christmas, which was my birthday and also my Dad's. Weeks before our arrival, my Mother had called in the order for our special Birthday cakes from Blums in SF. After dinner on Christmas Day my Dad and I waited and wondered why all the people in the Kitchen. Well...Four of my family marched in with four lite Birthday cakes from Blums. My brother had also called in an order so when he arrived at Blums, there were four cakes to pick up. Imagine all of our suprize, but it was a Christmas and Very Special Birthday to Remember. Jane Lukens Herman Pacifica CA

[Pamela Kulesa]

Ahhh Blum's. It was the ultimate outing for we girls back in the 60's. We were tweens but our Mother's would drop us off for "lunch" which usually was huge sundaes of many descriptions. The fountain is defintely lost art but boy we certainly felt sooooo sophisticated!!! I miss it and would go all the time now if I could!

[Sandy]

Thought you might be interested...
Original Coffee Crunch Cake Baker is Spreading Sweetness Around The SF Bay Area This Season!

100% of the proceeds from LOVE TO BAKE Pastry Cookbook (which includes Crunch Cake recipe) will go to organizations serving children and youth in the SF Bay Area and beyond. The first printing of this magnificent, 248 page cookbook sold out. The family decided to make the book available as a download. Many of your viewers will be excited to learn about this extra sweet gift, which makes available Fantasia’s fabulous recipes AND will also be supporting organizations helping kids. A one of a kind gift that spreads sweetness around the Bay Area in numerous ways! See www.lovetobakecookbook.com for the list of organizations supported.

Ernest Weil, founder of Fantasia Confections and creator of the famous "Blum's Coffee Crunch Cake", has written LOVE TO BAKE, a pastry cookbook in which he shares the secrets of more than 150 of the bakery's most popular recipes including the Sacher Torte and Florentine Cookies. For over forty years, bay area residents were pampered with Fantasia's mouth-watering cakes, pastries, and cookies.

Along with the fabulous recipes and color photos, Ernest shares his personal story and “behind the cakes” stories revealing what made Fantasia a successful business. From birthday cakes to bar mitzvah cakes, to wedding cakes to baby shower cakes - and then starting the cycle all over again. Fantasia served three generations of families living in the Bay Area. Their sweets were enjoyed by, Herb Caen, Dianne Feinstein,
Robin Williams, Beverly Sills, and other celebrities.

Customer quote... "My two favorite childhood desserts were the Blum's Coffee Crunch Cake and the Florentine cookies. It was always a wonderful surprise to see my mom setting one of the pink boxes down on the kitchen table upon her return home from shopping, knowing that the cake or the cookies were inside. How amazing that the two desserts were created by the same baker! I never knew about that link between Blum's and Fantasia…. Ernest, thank you so much for so many great memories of family meals that were made special by your wonderful desserts!" Best regards, Jud

Happy Holidays,
The Weil / Fantasia Family
www.lovetobakecookbook.com

[Karen Dougherty]

Can I get a hard copy of the I can cook pastry cookbook or are they out of print?

[Frances]

I remember buying and loving Blum's Petit Fours many years ago. I recently saw a box of Blum's candy in a local store, but when I Googled Blum's of San Francisco, I only got various retailors. Do you know anything about the actual company? Thank you.

[Greg]

I remember my first "date" at seven years old...I took the cutest girl in the class to Blum's in San Mateo for breakfast.
Although we lived around the corner from another bakery, I always asked for the Coffee Crunch Cake for my birthday. My mom said that they wouldn't be able to write "Happy Birthday Greg" on it and I replied "I don't care, I want that cake!"
I am getting married August 1st and the wedding cake is going to be...you guessed it!

[Ann miller]

I used to work at the New York branch of Blums, back in the mid sixties.Andy williams came in and bought the famous coffee crunch
cake for his wife!!
I have many fond memories of my life in the usa over 40 yrs ago

[chip Cobalt]

i have been craving Blum's of SF wrapped chocolate/fudge/almond chews--came in a can very expensive-ish---anyone see or taste this anywhere---chip