I’m sorry I’ve been such a blogging slacker! I promised to get better and
then I didn’t. Okay, I’m really going to try because I want you to keep coming
back. I’m sure you miss me when I’m away, right? We had a busy weekend around
here. My parents came up for a visit and spent the night. They were our first
overnight guests. So exciting! I had to do something special so I decided to
make this crumb cake that I made for my Christmas brunch a couple of years ago.
This cake is so delicious! It is the best crumb cake you will ever taste, I
promise. It’s probably one of the best things you will ever taste period! Yes,
it is that good. If you are looking for a great brunch recipe, this is it. I
think I’ll make this for my in-laws too. You can go wrong with this recipe. Just
look at how delicious it looks in that photo. My stomach is growling and I’m
drooling a little on the keyboard so let’s keep going. Here’s what you need to
get started:
For the crumb topping:
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon
- 1 cup butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 2 1/2 cups flour
For the cake:
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 12 tablespoons butter (1 1/2 sticks), at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/4 cups sour cream or Greek-style yogurt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch x 13-inch pan.For the crumb topping: In a medium size bowl, stir both the sugars, salt and cinnamon. Add the melted butter and stir until well combined. Fold in the flour until absorbed and set aside. I wouldn’t recommend a whisk though, most of the crumb topping is all stuck in the middle. I had to work it all out with a knife. Next time I’ll use a spoon!
For the cake: Whisk (it's safe to use here) together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium size bowl. With an electric mixer, cream the butter until completely smooth. Add the sugar and beat until the mixture is fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until well incorporated. Scrape down the bowl and beat again for 30 seconds. Add the sour cream (or yogurt) and vanilla and mix until just incorporated. Add the dry ingredients in three parts, scraping down the bowl after each addition, beating until just incorporated. Look how beautiful the batter looks!
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. It’s going to be thick so you’ll need to spread it out. Man, that looks so delicious!
For the topping, use your hand to grab handfuls of the topping and make a fist. Break off chunks and drop them over cake (you want big chunks, not crumbs). The topping layer will look just about as thick as the cake layer – that is correct and beautiful! The crumb topping is making me drool.
Bake the cake for 45-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Store tightly covered at room temperature, up to 3 days.....if it lasts that long! Of course, you'll need to sample a piece right away like I did. Caution...you WILL burn the roof of your mouth if you are as impatient as I am! Enjoy!
