Saturday, July 2, 2011

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:
Baked Explorations: Classic American Desserts Reinvented
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12 comments:

  1. Have mercy!!! That looks so yummy, Pattie. Thanks for a wonderful recipe.

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  2. Oh. My. Gosh. Beautiful, beautiful. Those crumbs are glorious! Coincidentally, I made an awesome Big Crumb Rhubarb Coffee Cake this week, although my crumb topping in not quite as beautiful as yours! (I will post my recipe after the holiday weekend in case anyone is interested.)

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  3. This looks deeeelish :) I made my first ever coffee cake yesterday (using The Pioneer Womans recipe) which i willpost about very soon, and fell in lust with it at first bite. If you fancy trying another i would highly recommend it! Yours looks absolutely gorgeous too, and now i have a new found love for coffee cakes I would like to try this one with the sour cream addition to see how it changes it :) lovely post, thank you!

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  4. Nothing like coffee cake to go with your morning cup of joe; this looks so yummy, and those guys at baked definitely know how to whip up a delicious thing or two.

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  5. Just ask my thighs? Haha. I love it. This crumb cake looks soooo good! I am definitely going to try it!

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  6. That looks absolutely delicious! My husband's grandmother used to make something similar so I'd love to try this.

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  7. Holy smokes, just look at that crumb topping. This looks like MY kind of crumbcake. Thanks for linking up to Sweets for a Saturday.

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  8. My thighs are grateful too now! Thank you for sharing this yummy cake, had a go at making it and shared ur blog on my flickr project check it out! x
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/64358519@N07/5962937378/in/photostream

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  9. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  10. Looks good and yummy! Want to stick a fork in it right now! :)

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  11. Pattie,

    Hi! This crumb cake looks moist and crumbly all at the same time. AND to top that off, it looks scrumptious!

    Hi! You have a golden gem here. Thank you for sharing.

    Cheers,
    Marie

    A new fan visiting today from Totally Tasty Tuesdays.

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Thank you so much for commenting, I love every one of them! I am, however, unable to respond to anonymous comments.