Tomorrow is definitely going to be a snow day for most of the northeast. What better time to make cake for breakfast? This crumb cake is easy, most ingredients are probably in your pantry right now, and, most importantly, it is delicious. Tender vanilla cake covered with a sandy cinnamon crumb. What could be better with coffee or hot chocolate as you watch the snow flakes coming down?
Crumb Cake
Makes one 9-inch cake
2 cups / 300 grams all purpose flour
1 cup / 200 grams sugar
3/4 teaspoon / 4.5 grams fine sea salt
10 tablespoons / 140 grams cold, unsalted butter, diced
1 teaspoon / 6 grams baking powder
1/2 teaspoon / 2.5 grams baking soda
3/4 cup / 180 grams buttermilk, room temperature
1 teaspoon / 4 grams vanilla paste or extract
1 large egg, room temperature
2/3 cup / 140 grams packed dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon / 2 grams ground cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350°F. (180°C.)
Butter and flour a 9-inch spring form cake pan and set aside.
Put the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor and pulse to blend. Add the butter and pulse until the butter is thoroughly cut into the flour and it forms a uniform sandy, mixture. Remove 1 cup of the flour mixture and set aside in a small bowl for the streusel. Add the baking powder and baking soda to the remaining flour mixture in the food processor and pulse 2-3 times to blend. Add the buttermilk, vanilla, and egg and process until smooth. The mixture will form a thick batter. Scrape the batter into the prepared cake pan and spread it evenly with a spoon or small offset spatula.
Add the brown sugar and cinnamon to the reserved flour mixture and use your fingers to mix and squeeze everything together until it comes together and forms sandy crumbs. Scatter all of the brown sugar crumbs over the top of the cake batter. Set the cake pan on a sheet pan and bake it for 45-50 minutes, until the cake is firm to the touch and a cake tester comes out clean.
Transfer the pan to a rack and let it cool for10 minutes. Gently remove the outer ring of the spring form pan and cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.
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January 26, 2005
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