New York-Style Crumb Cake Recipe

I know--it's so easy and convenient to search the Internet for recipes and over the top stunning food photos--we all do it. I cannot let myself enter the world of Pinterest if there is anything that needs to be done. It's amazing how quickly one can slide into the sinkhole of Pinning...but I love it! I am still addicted to food and home decor magazines and find it hard, no impossible, to resist reading and/or buying one as I wait in the grocery check out line. As I debate the purchase, eyeing one great recipe and tantalizingly perfect food photo after the other, the little devil on the right shoulder insists..."just go online and read it!"... then the little angel on the left shoulder whispers..."now you know that just isn't the same." I am a full fledged print junkie, and still enjoy the touch of the page in books, newspapers, and magazines. Sad as it is, I know that we must all enjoy them while we can. Gourmet and Chocolatier--I will always miss you!

One bite of New York-Style crumb cake and you'll be a convert.
Photo by Stephen Lewis
 Bon Appétit April 2010 

Having just spent weeks "editing" my bulging binders filled with decades of recipes, I promised myself that no new pages would be added until the recipe had passed the taste test. It could then be added to the appropriate binder: appetizers, vegetables and sides, main courses, breads, breakfast, cookies/bars or desserts. So far I've stuck to my guns, as they say in Texas. I could already tell from the aroma of cinnamon and brown sugar escaping the oven and filling the morning kitchen, that this New York Style Crumb Cake recipe from a 2010 Bon Appétit article about The Great American Cake would be joining my breakfast binder.

April 2010 Bon Appétit

I could tell you that I'm testing this recipe was in honor of the New York Giants winning the Super Bowl, but I'm a Cowboys fan. Truth is it's actually a cold wintry day in Austin; gloomy and in the 40's with no sun. I'm spoiled by past Texas winters, and when a really cold day arrives, I usually stick to my kitchen and cook all day.

As I sorted through a few old food magazines that I hadn't been able to toss, this recipe for New York-Style Crumb Cake in the April 2008 edition of Bon Appétit caught my eye. I decided to bake something sweet and comforting; one cake for a friend's mom who had broken her arm, and a second for someone who just needed a little cheering up. We all have those days!

As I waited for the cakes to be done, my gas oven warmed the cold kitchen and the fragrant scent of cinnamon sugar filled the air. Not a bad way to spend a gloomy Texas morning after all. It gave me hope that the sun would come out after all.

Golden brown and crunchy sweetness tops this crumb cake.

East Coast-style crumb cake has a very thick topping of brown sugar, cinnamon, flour, and butter. My first bite, I was reminded of the Entenmanns's Crumb Cake we ate while living in New Jersey. William Entenmann immigrated from Stuttgart, Germany with his father's recipes and started a bakery. Apparently, the Morgans and Vanderbilts, and later singer Frank Sinatra, always had crumb cakes delivered to them ever week from the Bay Shore, Long Island bakery. My first introduction to this coffee cake was at a new friend's house, where it was served after dinner with coffee, topped with melted butter. Wow--those were the days! The Entenmann family recently sold the business to Bimbo Bakeries USA--what a name! 

Unfortunately, I didn't have any of my 8 1/2' x 11" glass pans at the moment, so I had to improvise. (I've learned the hard way to write my name on the bottom--I'm sure they'll show up eventually!) In the meantime, I used an old  7"x12" Corning Ware pan, and an 8" square metal pan. Since I had doubled the recipe and my pans were smaller, I had about 2 cups of topping left over-- which I happily placed in a baggie and threw in the freezer for future crumb cakes. While the topping is supposed to be quite thick, I decided an inch of sugar was probably more than plenty. I did manage to get all the cake batter into my two pans. The recipe would also work well for muffins.

To make the streusel topping, mix together brown sugar, white sugar, cinnamon, and salt.

Stir until crumbly.

Mix in melted butter.

Stir with fork until blended.

Mixture will be very wet.

Add flour.

Mix with fork until well blended.

Mix sugars, eggs and room temperature butter; add vanilla, sour cream, and dry ingredients.

Spread evenly in buttered pan.

Add small clumps of topping to completely cover in a thick layer.

Bake in 350° oven for one hour. until Streusel topping is golden brown and crunchy.

A slice of this sugary crumb cake, a good cup of coffee or tea, and conversation with a friend, can perk up even the gloomiest day. Good food and friendship can make everything better; or at least it will make you feel that way. Don't forget the melted butter on top, it you want to take it to the next level of sublime.

I had extra topping for future crumb cakes.

Enjoy!


New York-Style Crumb Cake
12 servings
recipe by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito
Bon Appétit April 2010

Printable Recipe

Topping:

1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, warm
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Cake:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/3 cups sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping:

Mix both sugars, cinnamon, and salt in 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.

Cake:

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat room temperature butter in large bowl until smooth. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until well blended after each addition. Add sour cream and vanilla extract and beat just until blended.

Add flour mixture in 3 additions, beating just until incorporated after each addition. Transfer cake batter to prepared baking dish; spread batter evenly with rubber spatula or offset spatula. 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 at least 30 minutes. Cut cake into squares and serve slightly warm or at room temperature. 

Do Ahead:  Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool completely. Cover and let stand at room temperature.

P.S.

Just returned from Williams Sonoma and look what I found--a new cookbook called Baked Explorations by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito! Just published and includes this recipe, plus other classic desserts. The photos are amazing. Yes--I bought it! So much for cleaning out the cookbook cupboard and recipe files! 

I want these cookies!