New York Style Crumbcake Fosters Market NC
Submitted by ancameni on August 14, 2010 at 1:20 pm

DESCRIPTION
"We've served this rich breakfast cake since we opened, for all the New York transplants and homesick Duke students. As you make this, you'll think you have too much topping and not enough crust. Don't worry: that's how the cake should look.

SUMMARY
Yield 2 dozen Source Fosters market File under crumb cake

INGREDIENTS
• Topping:

5 cups a/p flour
2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
1 TBS plus 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1lb (4 sticks) unsalted butter, melted

• Cake:

3 cups a/p flour
1 cup sugar
1 TBS plus 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups milk
1/4 cup canola or safflower oil
1TBS plus 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar, to garnish

INSTRUCTIONS
Topping: Combine the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl and stir to blend well. Stir in the butter and set aside.

Cake:
1. Preheat oven to 325F.

2. Grease and lightly flour a 12 by 17 by 1-inch jelly roll pan.

3. Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt, in a large bowl.

4. Combine the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla in a separate bowl, and whisk until well blended.

5. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture, and stir just until the dry ingredients are moist and blended, do not overmix.

6. Spread the cake batter evenly in the bottom of the jelly roll pan. The batter will barely cover the bottom of the pan, it should look sparse.

7. Sprinkle all the crumb topping evenly over the top of the dough and press gently into the batter.

Notes:

David's modifications
For an 8" x 8" pan, David uses the same batter amount as the initial version given, but the amount of topping, of course, is less.

1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup (1 stick) melted butter

Thanks again, David!

Bettina's notes/observations
1. If you were to follow the "timing sequence" given here, for preparing the crumb topping mixture, you will have a very greasy-ish mix to work with. I prepare the crumb mix, before starting the cake batter, I allow about 20 minutes, which permits the butter to be fully absorbed by the flour, by the time you're ready to top the batter, it'll be "just right".

2. I find it easiest to use a 9x13 1/4 sheet pan, paper lined(I use deli wrap paper!)which I've prepared with pan grease, both the pan, and the paper...this way I can just lift the whole thing out, when cool, makes it easier to cut.

3.Try the addition of a bit of vanilla powder, mixed into the crumb mixture. This was a hint from KIDPIZZA. The crumb mixture, as given(with maybe just a "tetch" more cinnamon!) is very good, as is.

4. This took exactly 23 minutes, in my oven, tested with a wooden skewer.

5. The cake batter is rather "thickish", a cross between a dough/batter consistency, but will spread nicely, make it as even as you can.

6. The crumb topping, while I was satisfied with the coverage, and amount(no peeking cake!), may not be enough for someone else, so you might want to "up" the amount, to your taste. I think the ratio, as given, is fine, it's a good offset.

7. This really needs to "age" a bit, just like a poundcake, the flavor/consistency develops, after it sits for a few hours, or even overnight, as we found out.

Well, it's quick, easy, and pretty darn good! Have at it!