New York Style Crumb Cake Cooks Illustrated Recipes

NEW YORK-STYLE CRUMB CAKE - COOKS ILLUSTRATED

Steps:

• 1. FOR THE TOPPING: Whisk sugars, cinnamon, salt, and butter in medium bowl to combine. Add flour and stir with rubber spatula or wooden spoon until mixture resembles thick, cohesive dough; set aside to cool to room temperature, 10 to 15 minutes. 2. FOR THE CAKE: Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Cut 16-inch length parchment paper or aluminum foil and fold lengthwise to 7-inch width. Spray 8-inch square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and fit parchment into dish, pushing it into corners and up sides; allow excess to overhang edges of dish. 3. In bowl of standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt on low speed to combine. With mixer running at low speed, add butter one piece at a time; continue beating until mixture resembles moist crumbs, with no visible butter chunks remaining, 1 to 2 minutes. Add egg, yolk, vanilla, and buttermilk; beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute, scraping once if necessary. 4. Transfer batter to baking pan; using rubber spatula, spread batter into even layer. Following photos below, break apart crumb topping into large pea-sized pieces and spread in even layer over batter, beginning with edges and then working toward center. Bake until crumbs are golden and wooden skewer inserted into center of cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool on wire rack at least 30 minutes. Remove cake from pan by lifting parchment overhang. Dust with confectioners' sugar just before serving. For crumb. Using both hands, break apart the crumb dough, rolling the broken dough between your thumb and forefinger to form crumbs about the size of large peas. Continue until all the dough has been broken down into crumbs. Sprinkle crumbs evenly over the cake batter, breaking apart any larger chunks.

NEW YORK CRUMB CAKE

Steps:

• Place rack in center of oven, and heat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly brush a 9-by-12 1/2-inch baking pan with canola oil, dust with flour, and tap to remove excess. Set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together 1 1/2 cups flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a second bowl, whisk together egg, milk, canola oil, and vanilla. Using a rubber spatula, fold dry ingredients into egg mixture.
• Spread batter evenly into prepared pan, and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine remaining 2 1/2 cups flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Pour melted butter over flour mixture, and toss with a rubber spatula until large crumbs form. Sprinkle crumbs over batter.
• Transfer pan to oven, and bake, rotating pan after 10 minutes. Continue baking until a cake tester comes out clean, about 10 minutes more.
• Transfer baking pan to a wire rack to cool. Dust with confectioners' sugar. Using a serrated knife or bench scraper, cut into 3-inch squares. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

NEW YORK-STYLE CRUMB CAKE (AMERICA'S TEST KITCHEN)

Steps:

• Place a rack in the upper-middle position of the oven. Preheat oven to 325°F.
• In a bowl, combine white sugar, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon, mixing well with your fingers until there are no lumps. Add melted butter and stir until smooth. Stir in cake flour until fully combined. Set aside at room temperature, covered with plastic wrap, to allow the gluten to relax, 10-15 minutes.
• In work bowl of a standing mixer, combine flour, sugar, salt and baking soda using the paddle. (If you don't have a stand mixer, whisk together in a large bowl.) With the mixer running on medium-low, add the butter 1 tablespoon at a time, waiting until each piece breaks down before adding the next. Continue mixing until it has a uniform sandy texture. (If working by hand, cut butter in with pastry cutter until very fine.).
• Add the vanilla, buttermilk, egg and egg yolk. Run mixer on medium-high until batter is smooth and thick, at least 1 minute, or use a handheld electric mixer. The batter will be very thick, almost like frosting.
• Spray an 8"-square baking pan with non-stick spray. Cut a piece of parchment paper 16" by 7 1/2", and lay it into the pan, allowing 2" to overhang each side. Spread the batter into the prepared pan.
• Break the crumb mixture into pieces the size of large peas or small pebbles. Spread crumbs around the outer edge of the pan first, then evenly fill in the center.
• Place pan in preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the pan comes out clean. Cool cake in pan 30 minutes. Dust top with powdered sugar, then remove cake from pan using parchment sling. Cut into 16 2" squares.