Sunday, April 1, 2012

Crumb Cake




 
From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite....This is one of my favorite brunch cakes,  though I've never shared it with our guests. There is just no way it can be eaten without showering clothes with crumbs and powdered sugar and I hate to do that to  friends who usually dress for the occasion. So, this lovely classic crumb cake has become private stock and is reserved only for my family who dress for the occasion only when threatened with bodily harm. I found this recipe on the King Arthur Flour site years ago and it has been my crumb cake of choice ever since. The cake base is moist and appropriately dense and it's buried under a generous layer of very tasty crumbs. The cake comes together quickly and it really is delicious. It does have one flaw. It stales quickly, so it is best eaten slightly warm on the day it is made. There are no secrets to share or tricks needed to make this successfully. This is a cake that can be made by anyone who can read. The recipe appears below. I can't let April Fools Day pass without sharing my favorite prank with you. It happens to involve food, so I thought it would be appropriate to include it here. Ready? On April Fools Day in 1957, a BBC news show announced that Swiss farmers had been able to grow spaghetti, and,  to bolster the claim, they aired footage of peasants pulling spaghetti down from trees. Viewers began calling in to the BBC to find out how they could grow their own spaghetti. The BBC replied, "place a sprig of spaghetti in a tin of tomato sauce and hope for the best." Truth is stranger than fiction.

Crumb Cake...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite adapted from King Arthur Flour.com

Ingredients:

Cake
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1-1/4 cups granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
3 large eggs
1-1/2 cups all-purpose Flour
heaping 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
Topping
4 tablespoons chilled butter, cubed
4 tablespoons solid shortening
1 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon lemon extract
1 to 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar or non-melting white sugar, for sprinkling on top

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9" square cake pan. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper. Grease paper.
2) In a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat together butter, sugar, salt, and flavorings for 2 minutes, till smooth. Add eggs, beating well after each addition; continue beating after adding last egg for at least 3 minutes at medium-high speed. Batter should look fluffy, with no grains of sugar visible.
3) Add flour and baking soda to butter mixture, beating gently to combine.
4) Add yogurt and beat gently until well blended.
5) Spread batter in prepared pan. Bake cake for 30 minutes.
6) While cake is baking, mix all topping ingredients just until medium crumbs form.
7) After 30 minutes, remove cake from oven. Quickly and gently sprinkle crumbs on top, and return to oven. Bake for 15 minutes longer, or until a cake tester inserted into center comes out clean. Remove cake from oven and cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Cover surface of cake with aluminum foil (to catch wayward crumbs) and invert onto a cooling rack. Remove parchment paper from bottom of cake and invert again, so crumb side is facing up. When cake is completely cool, sprinkle it with confectioners' sugar. Yield: One 9-inch square pan.











One Year Ago Today: Mango Mousse

















Two Years Ago Today: Pork Tenderloin Baked in A Salt Crust

33 comments :

Diane said...

Sounds good to me. I will insist that we eat it outside with as little clothes on as possible on a sunny day ;) Have a good day Diane

Katarina said...

I love crumb cakes and I like your cake recipes. Have a great day!

A Paixão da Isa said...

hummm esta uma refeiçao muito bem apresentada e o bolo ele esta 5* muito fofinho adorei parabens e bom domingo beijinhos

Clint said...

This look scrumptious. I would love it with some good, strong joe. And BTW, Mary---you can invite us over any time---we won't get crumbs and stuff all over us or your floor. We are quite meticulous in scouring up every edible ort.

Becki's Whole Life said...

Oh Mary! Crumb cake ranks right up there with cinnamon rolls in terms of my favorite breakfast/brunch confections. This sounds like a great recipe. I like the lemon extract and the cake looks nice and buttery!

Margaret Murphy Tripp said...

Crumb cake is one of my favorite breakfast treats. Yours looks so moist and delicious. I'll definitely be trying this recipe. Have a peaceful Sunday.
~Margaret

Sue/the view from great island said...

I just bought a square of this at Starbucks...I should have checked your blog first! Looks delicious.

Caroline Taylor said...

This sounds so good, I like how it looks too!

SImple and Serene Living said...

I think my One Perfect Bite folder is becoming full to overflowing :)

Red Nomad OZ said...

How do you mean 'flaw'? A cake that has to be eaten immediately is the best - if not ONLY - kind!!

T.W. Barritt at Culinary Types said...

A beautiful crumb cake, indeed! I like nothing more than a thick, chunky layer of crumbs, and I actually love seeing myself showered with powdered sugar!

Cindy@NorthofWiarton said...

LOL, love the recipe and loved the April Fools "prank" .... good day for you Mary & Happy April Fools Day as well !

From the Kitchen said...

Crumb cake is one of my favorites; however, it is Oliver the dalmatian who has asked me to thank you for this recipe. He has an after-dinner ritual of coming over to me, placing his paws on my shoulders and giving me a hug. In truth, he is searching for any crumbs that have dropped onto my bodice.

Hope you don't become fooled too badly today.

Best,
Bonnie

Buttercup said...

Yummy recipe! Thanks for the April fool's smile.

Judy@SavoringToday said...

Lemon Crumb Cake, oh my, I don't know if it would be safe for me to make since I'm not sure I could stop eating it. The crumb looks so moist and perfect.

Big Dude said...

Your desserts always look sooo good.

Cindy said...

Mary,the lemon crumb cake looks delicious!!!
Love your recipes!!
Have a great day!
Blessings
Cindy

Jane said...

I like that April Fool's joke! People can be gullible at times - especially me! Your cake looks delicious - I love the slight lemon flavor!

Dining Alone said...

Sounds like this is one my dogs would love for me to make, they are always at the ready to catch anything I may drop! It looks delicious.

My Unfinished Life said...

crumb cake...the husband shall feed it mostly to his shirt/tee..since he usually manages to spill any food on his shirt most of the times.....

http://sushmita-smile.blogspot.in

Beth said...

This sounds wonderful. I do love a good crumb cake!

Unknown said...

Cute April fool's story! Love it! And speaking of love.. crumb cake is one of those things I will never pass up!! Yours looks simply divine, Mary!

Ciao Chow Linda said...

I've heard that April Fool's story somewhere too Mary and find it incredulous that people believed it. Love the crumb cake - it has a perfect "crumb" inside and wonderful coating on top. This was one of my husband's favorites.

Brittany said...

You had me at cake..yum!

Sir Eatalot said...

OMG!! This looks heavenly! My tastebuds are simply going into overload!

Rosita Vargas said...

Cake de migas me encanta luce absolutamente bello y exquisito,abrazos hugs,hugs.

pam said...

I love a good crumb cake, and yours looks fantastic!

Ellen Whyte said...

Delicious! We wouldn't' mind being covered in crumbs. not one little bit.

Joanne said...

That is an awesome crumb cake AND an awesome practical jokes. though...I kind of do wish that spaghetti grew on trees!

tender b. said...

I'm trying to grow my own spaghetti right now. Is there anyway to grow a crumb cake beside it?

Bites from life with the barking lot said...

I used to have crumb cake when I lived in the East.....this is making me long for a slice....I'll have to make some soon. Loved the spaghetti prank!

BeetleBuggy said...

That was a hilarious bit of info on a BBC prank! I think you have a very fun family and it reminds me of my own. I accept this crumb cake with all its flaws, or should I say, especially its flaws ;) That way I'll be forced to finish it in a day without any guilt.

France@beyondthepeel said...

My husbands family is all about crumb cakes, brunch cakes, coffee cakes. I think it's there favorite dessert.
I know what to make him the next time I get myself in a pickle. :)

Related Posts with Thumbnails

Printfriendly