Fire Chief Jerry Forte shares tips on kitchen safety — and crumb cake

In a video, the fire chief offers suggestions for staying safe while preparing holiday meals.

By Jonathan Simmons
| 11:00 a.m. November 23, 2021

Fire Chief Jerry Forte (front) and Firefighter Joe Martin share tips on kitchen safety. Image from city of Palm Coast video

Palm Coast Observer
Neighbors

Fire Chief Jerry Forte stood behind a counter laid out with bowls of flour, melted butter and brown sugar.

Chief Forte's Crumb Cake:

Ingredients:

Crumb mix:
7.5 cups flour
3 cups regualar sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons vanilla
6 cups melted butter
*Powdered sugar to dust the top of the cake after baking

Batter:
2 standard boxes yellow cake mix
6 eggs
2 cups water
1 cup oil

Recipe:

Preheat the over to 350 degrees
In a mixing bowl, make the batter: Mix the two boxes worth of cake mix, six eggs, two cups of water and a cup of oil
Grease or butter a standard 13-by-18-inch sheet pan and flour it (or use parchment paper), then add batter to the pan until the batter is evenly spread about half an inch deep
Bake the batter at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes
Make the crumb mix: Mix the flour, regular sugar, brown sugar, vanilla and melted butter thoroughly in a mixing bowl
Spread the crumb mix on top of the cake
Return the cake to the oven, turn the temperature down to 300 degrees, and bake for 30 minutes
Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool
Dust the top of the cake with powdered sugar before serving.

"This is Jerry Forte with the Palm Coast Fire Department. If you're tuning in thinking you're going to get a healthy treat for the holidays that's good for you, you clicked on the wrong channel," he said with a smile.

In the city's 8 minute and 30 second video, Forte showed viewers how to make coffee cake, or crumb cake. "It's a very simple recipe, it works great for Thanksgiving, it works great for Christmas, or if you just want something for the weekend," he said.

The video was the fire chief's way of highlighting cooking safety ahead of the holiday season.

As he prepared the cake, he noted a series of kitchen safety tips:

Keep children and pets away from the kitchen while cooking
Keep work spaces clean while cooking, and maintain plenty of space to move around the kitchen
Keep flammable objects away from hot surfaces
Wear protective gear to avoid burns when handling hot items
Set a timer while cooking to avoid distractions
Make sure hot appliances and are turned off when you're done
Have a fire extinguisher (type 2A or 10 B:C) available for emergencies.

Kitchen fires are common during the holiday season. The city offers free home safety inspections for residents (sign up for one at https://palmcoast.force.com/forms/s/home-safety-inspections).

Watch "Baking with Chief Forte — Safety in the Kitchen" on the city website or Palm Coast's YouTube channel.