New York-Style Crumb Cake

Before you make this crumb cake, make sure you have lots of people to share it with.  With all the sugar and butter, you probably don't want to be eating this one on your own.  I have to say though it's worth every calorie.  It's a moist sour cream cake covered in a thick layer of crunchy delicious streusal topping.  Very much like a coffee cake.  I LOVED this cake.  I brought the whole thing into my workplace where it was quickly gobbled up.  I thought it was outstanding and will definitely be making this again.

New York-Style Crumb Cake

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Topping:

1 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 T ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup unsalted butter, melted, warm

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Cake:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/3 cups sour cream

1 tsp. vanilla extract

For topping, mix both sugars, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to blend.  Add warm melted butter and stir to blend.  Add flour and toss with fork until moist clumps form (topping mixture will look slightly wet).  Set aside.

For the cake, position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350F.  Butter a 13 x 9 glass baking dish.  Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl.  Using an electric mixer, beat room-temperature butter in a large bowl until smooth.  Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy.  Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add sour cream and vanilla extract and beat just until blended.  Add flour mixture in 3 additions, beating just until incorpoarted after each addition.  Transfer cake batter to prepared baking dish; spread batter evenly.  Squeeze small handfuls of topping together to form small clumps.  Drop topping clumps evenly over cake batter, covering completely (topping will be thick).

Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean and topping is deep golden brown and slightly crisp, about 1 hour.  Cool cake in dish on rack. 

Cut cake into squares and serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

Makes 24 servings.

Source:  Bon Appetit - April 2010