New York-Style Crumb Cake

I love a good pastry -- just ask my thighs.  There is nothing better in the morning with a nice cup of freshly brewed coffee than a GOOD pastry.  But with the nearest bakery of quality (and when I say quality I'm not talking Bread Co/Panera or Starbucks, both of whom I do patronize and enjoy, and both have good muffins and such, I'm talking the bakers-in-the-back making crumb cakes, tarts, and danish kind of bakery, the scent of which wafts through the shop greeting you at the door when you walk in, kind of bakery...A BAKERY!) more that 15 miles away, if I want something handy at breakfast time I'm going to have to make it myself.


This morning I found a recipe that certainly fills the bill.  It's a product of the BAKED bakery shop in Brooklyn, NY and now you can make it in your own home thanks to the proprietors' latest book Baked Explorations: Classic American Desserts Reinvented, a sequel to their first book, simply entitled Baked.


It is dense, moist, and delicious with a hefty amount of crumbs (something I deem absolutely necessary in a good crumb cake), and the beauty of this particular recipe is that the cake is honestly better the next day.  It freezes well too, if you have any left (I tend to dole out slices to anyone who have them and offer up an opinion), and is enhanced, I think, by warming in the microwave for about 15 seconds before consuming.  Oh, mamma, you're going to love this one!

New York-Style Crumb Cake


For the Crumb Topping:

1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1-1/2 tablespoons cinnamon

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and warm

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

For the Cake:

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

12 tablespoons (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter

1-1/2 cups granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1-1/4 cups sour cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and position the rack in the center. Butter the sides and bottom of a glass 9 x 13-inch pan.

Make the Crumb Topping:

In a medium bowl, stir together both sugars, the salt, and cinnamon. Add the melted butter and whisk until combined. Fold in the flour until it is absorbed and set the mixture aside.

Make the Cake:

Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into medium bowl. Set aside.

In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter until it is completely smooth and ribbon-like. Scrape down the bowl and add the sugar. Beat the mixture until it starts to look fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again for 30 seconds. Add the sour cream and vanilla and beat just until incorporated. Add the dry ingredients in three parts, scraping down the bowl before each addition, beating only until it is just incorporated.

Assemble the cake:

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Use your hands to scoop up a handful of the topping and make a fist. The topping should hold together. Break off in chunks and drop them over the cake. Repeat to use all the topping. Remember, the topping layer will look outrageously thick.

Bake the cake for 45 to 55 minutes or until tester inserted in the middle comes out clean. Rotate the pan two times during the baking process. Cool the entire pan on a wire rack for about 30 minutes before serving.

Buy the book:

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