New York Style Crumb Cake

FunkyHulaGirl · ‎06-25-2011

New York-Style Crumb Cake

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

Yield: 12 servings

Make sure you use cake flour for this recipe - all-purpose flour will yield a dry and tough cake. A few people have commented that their crumbs have sunken into the cake - the key to keeping the crumbs on top is to gently lay them out on top of the batter - do not push them down. This recipe yields an 8x8-inch crumb cake but you can easily double the recipe using a 9x13-inch pan.

Ingredients

For the crumb topping:
1/3 cup granulated sugar (2 2/3 ounces)
1/3 cup dark brown sugar (2 2/3 ounces)
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon table salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), melted and still warm
1 3/4 cups cake flour (7 ounces)
For the cake:
1 1/4 cups cake flour (5 ounces)
1/2 cup granulated sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon table salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter (3/4 stick), cut into 6 pieces, softened but still cool
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup buttermilk
Confectioners’ sugar for dusting

Instructions

To make the topping: Whisk sugars, cinnamon, salt, and butter in medium bowl to combine. Add flour and stir with rubber spatula or wooden spoon until mixture resembles thick, cohesive dough; set aside to cool to room temperature, 10 to 15 minutes.

To make the cake: Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 325° F. Cut 16-inch length parchment paper or aluminum foil and fold lengthwise to 7-inch width. Spray 8-inch square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and fit parchment into dish, pushing it into corners and up sides; allow excess to overhang edges of dish.

In bowl of standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt on low speed to combine. With mixer running at low speed, add butter one piece at a time; continue beating until mixture resembles moist crumbs, with no visible butter chunks remaining, 1 to 2 minutes. Add egg, yolk, vanilla, and buttermilk; beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute, scraping once if necessary.

Transfer batter to baking pan; using rubber spatula, spread batter into even layer. Break apart crumb topping into large pea-sized pieces between your thumb, pointer, and middle fingers and spread in even layer over batter, beginning with edges and then working toward center. Bake until crumbs are golden and wooden skewer inserted into center of cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool on wire rack at least 30 minutes.

Remove cake from pan by lifting parchment overhang. Dust with confectioners’ sugar just before serving.

Notes

source: Cook's Illustrated May 2007

house_cat · ‎03-09-2010

I made this recipe yesterday! OMgoodness! It's exactly what I remember... maybe even better!

If you grew up with this cake and were wondering, as I was, whatever happened to it... here it is!

Thanks for posting it, FHG,

crumb cake.jpg

~ house cat ~

gkelly · ‎04-22-2010

thanks for the recipe & thanks for the picture!! I wll be making this this weekend!

Sammijo10 · ‎05-14-2011

Thank you,thank you, thank you! I can't tell you how many different versions of this I've made to try to find the right one. This comes at a perfect time as we are having company this week. HC, your photo looks scrumptious.

cece5231 · ‎01-05-2012

This is just how I remember a very favorite coffee cake. Will make it soon. Thanks for sharing the recipe....and the picture that brings back happy memories of Sunday breakfasts. Nice!

house_cat · ‎03-09-2010

@Sammijo10 wrote:
Thank you,thank you, thank you! I can't tell you how many different versions of this I've made to try to find the right one. This comes at a perfect time as we are having company this week. HC, your photo looks scrumptious.

I have to be honest - that picture was from the recipe website, not my kitchen. I have to say, though, that mine came out just as nice and it was EXACTLY like I remember it.

Thanks FHG!

~ house cat ~