Reliable Recipes: Best Ever Crumb Cake

Crumb Topping Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3  cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2  teaspoon salt
10 ounces (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut up into
small cubes, softened

Cake Ingredients:

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
3/4  cup granulated sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2  teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
3/4  cup milk (preferably whole)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Confectioners’ sugar, for sprinkling (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Make the crumb topping:

In a large bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, sugar, cinnamon and salt…mixing well to blend all dry ingredients.

Stir the butter cubes into he bowl and gather up handfuls of the topping mixture to alternately knead, squeeze, rub and press the butter into the flour mixture.

Repeat this until everything is well combined.  Press handfuls of the crumb mixture into tennis-ball-size clumps.

Set aside.

Prepare the cake

Heat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Butter and flour the bottom and sides of a 9-inch square baking pan.

In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until creamy and light, about 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.

Add the eggs to the butter mixture, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping the sides and bottom to mix thoroughly.

Alternately beat in the milk and vanilla with the flour mixture, in four additions, mixing on low speed just until blended.

Scrape down the sides as needed until a smooth batter forms.

Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.

Take the reserved crumb balls and break them roughly over the batter to create a thick, chunky layer of topping.

Lightly press on it to adhere to the batter;  bake for 1 hour, or until the center feels firm when gently pressed.

Cool in the pan.

If desired, sprinkle the top lightly with confectioners’ sugar.