In the universe of coffee cakes, the crumb cake has its own orbit. There’s just something about those
beautifully crisp buttery crumbs that compel us to reach for a slice. The origins may have come from the
streuselkuchens of Germany but make no mistake, crumb cakes are very much a
part of American baking culture as a result of the influx of immigrants to New York.
Crumb cakes are by nature very simple. This one is an incredibly tender cake, thanks
to the brown sugar, butter and milk that moisten and tenderize, resulting in
really nice soft crumb. For something a
little different, I took a slight detour and added cocoa powder to the crumb
mixture. It’s a delicious change-up if
chocolate is your trusty friend.
This cake is super easy to pull together. And since I always think of spring and summer
as brunch season, you’ll want to add this recipe to your collection alongside
all those other kugelhopf, bundt and streusel-laden gems. Let me assure you, the aroma of this cake baking in
your kitchen is the best kind of morning wake-up call, impossible to resist.
Bench notes:
- I use my hands to
mix the crumb topping. It takes about 3-
4 minutes because the brown sugar, flour and cocoa become a
pretty fine powder when combined. But if
you keep working it as directed, it comes together in nice clumps.
- The salt in the crumb mixture is there to enhance the
cocoa powder.
- Room temperature butter is not oily or soft. It should give just a bit when you press a
finger into the surface.
- Cream butter and sugar on medium speed to avoid breaking
the fragile air bubbles you’re trying to create. This is the stage where the texture and crumb
are being developed.
- A quick way to bring eggs to room temperature is to place
them in a bowl of hot water for a few minutes.
Cold eggs will impact the volume of the cake.
- For cake mixing, always add eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly
before adding the next. The batter is ready for the second egg when it
no longer has a shiny slick on the surface.
- Scraping down the bowl of your mixer is crucial to
thoroughly emulsifying the butter and egg mixture and then fully integrating
all of the remaining ingredients. It may seem like a bother but it’s what helps to build the structure of your cake.
- Don’t skip the allspice.
Contrary to popular belief, allspice isn’t a blend of a lot of different
spices. It’s actually the sun dried unripened berry of the Pimenta dioica
plant. It's sometimes referred to as Jamaica Pepper because early spice
explorers striking out to the New World believed they had discovered the black
pepper they coveted. The term "allspice" is likely due to the
fact that its aroma and flavor strongly suggest the flavors of cinnamon,
nutmeg, black pepper and cloves. Allspice does contain a trace of
eugenol, the essential oil that gives cloves their distinctive flavor. I
often use allspice as a backnote to amplify other spices, especially cinnamon.
It’s also a key ingredient in Caribbean jerk dishes.
- My crumbs didn't dislodge when I turned out the cake. You can use a 9" springform pan if you prefer.
- More brunch ideas on Pinterest.
Brown Sugar Chocolate Crumb Cake
Serves 8
Chocolate Crumb
1/2 cup (3 1/2 oz) dark brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup (1 5/8 oz) flour
3 tablespoons (15 grams) cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 oz (4 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter
Cake
1 1/2 cups (7 1/2 oz)
flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking
powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
4 oz (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter @ room temperature
1/2 cup (3 1/2 oz) dark brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup (1 3/4 oz) granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs @ room temperature
1/2 cup (4 oz) milk @ room temperature
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9” x 2
1/2 “ cake pan and line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper.
For the chocolate crumb, place the brown sugar, flour,
cocoa, cinnamon and salt in a bowl. Stir
together until it looks like a fine powder.
Cut the cold butter into 1/4” pieces and toss with the cocoa
mixture. Pinch the butter until it
flattens into smaller pieces that resemble small peas. Then grab big handfuls of the mixture and
squeeze it together until it begins to adhere into large compressed clumps. This will take about 3 – 4 minutes. Then take the large clumps and break them
into smaller clumps. Chill until ready
to use.
For the cake, sift flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and allspice
together and set aside.
Cream butter and both sugars until light and fluffy, about 3
minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add vanilla and
blend.
Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each
addition and scraping down the bowl as needed. Add a third of the flour
mixture
alternately with half the milk, beginning and ending with the flour.
Scrape
down bowl to be sure everything is incorporated. Pour the batter in the
prepared pan and spread evenly. Cover the top of the cake batter with
chocolate crumb mixture and gently press down just a tiny bit.
Bake until a tester inserted in the center of the cake comes
out clean, about 30 – 32 minutes. Place on a wire rack to cool for about 15 minutes. Run
a thin knife along the edges and invert the cake. Remove the
parchment and turn the cake again so it’s right side up. Cool completely.
