Monday 3 September 2012

NYC Crumb Cake for Random Recipes #20 (and Tea Time Treats!!)


NYC Crumb Cake Outsider Tart


Well, this is my first ‘proper’ Random Recipe for Dom at Belleau Kitchen. I missed the deadline for August (I am new to this after all) so thought I would get in there early for number 20! In July he asked people to submit pics of their cookbooks (although mine’s are mostly magazines, they were allowed!).



For this month's, there is a new twist in that 'Random Recipes' has got jiggy with another challenge 'Tea Time Treats' (hosted by Karen at Lavender and Lovage and Kate at What Kate Baked) and mutated into 'Tea Time Random Recipes'. I have followed the rules for number 20 and taken my actual books, closed my eyes, prayed for the best and I couldn’t have asked for better really! Although 'Tea Time' is a British staple, being a Yankophile as I am, NYC Crumb Cake was right up my street (should that be 5th Avenue?!). I think it would certainly be at home alongside other tea time goodies. This is from p130 of Baked in America, the recipe book from the boys at the Outsider Tart bakery in London. I’m sure I had had Crumb Cake years and years ago (although not when I was in the big apple) and liked it. However, I had never made it and I was quite impressed with the results! It comprises a moist cake on the bottom, with huge cinnamon flavour cookie type crumbs atop said cake…

NYC Crumb Cake

Crumb:
225 grams unsalted butter, melted
380 grams plain flour
225 grams dark brown sugar
115 grams light brown sugar
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Cake:
525 grams plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon salt
225 grams unsalted butter, softened
340 grams caster sugar
3 large eggs
1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
340 grams soured cream

Method:
Preheat your oven to 180oC. Spray a 13”x9” baking pan with baking spray, line the bottom with baking paper, spray again then coat in flour. Nothing sticks this way.
In a mixer combine the melted butter, plus all the other crumb ingredients and mix until it becomes crumbly looking. Set aside.



For the cake, whisk together the flour, bicarb, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, cream the butter and caster sugar together for about 6 minutes, then add the vanilla and eggs, one at a time. Now add your flour in three lots to the butter/sugar/egg mix, adding half the sour cream between each flour addition. Mix until just combined. Spoon the thick batter into the prepared pan, coaxing it with a spatula (it is very thick!!). 



Now crumble the crumb topping onto the top of the batter. Big and small crumbs are the order of the day here. Pat these gently into the batter and then pop the pan into the oven. The book says for 45 to 60 minutes. A skewer came out of mine’s clean at 45 minutes, but results will probably vary. I left mine to cool over night. I sprinkled mine with some icing sugar, then sliced it into 24 bars, but realised that the 24 pieces were HUGE and cut each one in half, so yielded about 48 pieces. If you like it bigger, stick to 24!

The cake is moist and light, and the crumb topping, is sweet and spicy with the cinnamon, and almost cookie like. You will enjoy!!


17 comments:

  1. What a GREAT entry into the Take over the world Tea Time Random Recipes challenge! THANKS so much and I could do with a slice if that RIGHT now! Karen

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    1. Thanks Karen - it went very quickly, else I'd mail you some lol!

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  2. You should show us your magazines anyway Stuart, I like a bit of a nosy at other people's books and mags, I'm sure other people would look too.

    What a great crumble crumb topping, I don't think I've seen anything like that before.

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  3. This looks delicious and I can speak with some authority on the subject, as you know! ; ) I would have a great chunk of this cake with a steaming mug of black coffee! Actually, I wish I COULD have a great chunk with a mug of coffee!

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  4. I love crumb cake; it's actually one of my favorite treats. Yours looks great!

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    1. It is good Laura, isn't it? I think it's the cinnamon that does it for me!!

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  5. Yay for Outsider Tart! and Yay that you're random recipe you landed on was an American one...although I'm guessing in your recipe collection the odds of it being American would probably be pretty good! Can you believe I've never had crumb cake before? it just doesn't appeal to me, not enough frosting - haha! but maybe I should try some for real in America soon and see how it tastes, yours does look and sound super yum! p.s only 5 more days til I am living in the land where Lucky Charms & Root Beer will be freely available on my supermarket shelves!! (not to rub it in or anything!)

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    1. Thanks Gem - I am jealous needless to say ;) but I really hope your move goes well and I hope to hear from you soon and see what north American inspiration you can provide - keep in touch!

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  6. This looks like it has some fascinating textures going on. That's a serious amount of cinnamon.

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  7. Oh my god i'm so sorry i haven't commented on this sooner, I've just been so stupidly busy I forgot to come visit... it's a great bake and what a wonderful treat to pick this as your first random recipe... lucky you!... thank you so much for coming on board this month x

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    1. Thanks Dom and apologies for delay in replying - the Algarve, the sun, caprioska's are all my defence ;) x

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  8. Beautiful crumb cake! I often do fruit crumbles but I forget about their sister, the coffeecake with crumble. Thanks for the reminder and this wonderful recipe.

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    1. My pleasure Stacy! My thanks to Outsider Tart ;)

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  9. That looks fantastic - the crumb topping sounds absolutely delicious - yum!

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    1. Cheers Ruth - the crumb topping REALLY makes it :)

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