New York Crumb Cake

Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem




I don't know why, but I've always been very intimidated by coffee cakes. Maybe its because I don't drink coffee? Or the big crumb layer seemed so...crumbly? But the thought of making one from scratch just scared me. Until I had a sister over and couldn't think of anything else that paired with afternoon tea better then coffee (eh, tea?) cake. And if you're gonna make a coffee cake, you gotta do it New York style! This was surprisingly easier than I imagined and took a little under 30 minutes to bake. And that thing, messy top layer of sugary crumbs? It's actually stays put! Well, most of it anyways ;)







New York Crumb Cake

Ingredients

(after reading some reviews, I decided to add more oil and vanilla to make up for a dry cake and additional cinnamon and a pinch of salt in the crumb topping)

• 2 tablespoons canola oil, plus more for pan (I added one more tablespoon)
  
• 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract ( I doubled this amount)
  
• 1 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon( I doubled this amount)
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Directions

1. Place rack in center of oven, and heat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly brush a 9-by-12 1/2-inch baking pan with canola oil, dust with flour, and tap to remove excess. Set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together 1 1/2 cups flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a second bowl, whisk together egg, milk, canola oil, and vanilla. Using a rubber spatula, fold dry ingredients into egg mixture.
2. Spread batter evenly into prepared pan, and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine remaining 2 1/2 cups flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Pour melted butter over flour mixture, and toss with a rubber spatula until large crumbs form. Sprinkle crumbs over batter.
3. Transfer pan to oven, and bake, rotating pan after 10 minutes. Continue baking until a cake tester comes out clean, about 10 minutes more.
4. Transfer baking pan to a wire rack to cool. Dust with confectioners' sugar. Using a serrated knife or bench scraper, cut into 3-inch squares. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.