Open Face Crumb Cake Recipes

SHEET PAN CRUMB CAKE

Steps:

• For the crumb: Combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. Drizzle in the butter and mix with a fork until just combined. Add the flour and mix with the fork until it has been evenly distributed and small to medium clumps have formed. Do not overmix or it will turn into a paste.
• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 18-by-13-inch rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.
• Beat the butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the egg one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the sour cream in 2 batches, starting and ending with the flour. Beat until just incorporated.
• Spoon the cake batter (it will be very thick) into the prepared baking sheet and smooth with an offset spatula. Sprinkle on the crumb topping and press gently into the batter to adhere.
• Bake until the cake and topping are golden brown, and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool completely in the baking sheet, about 1 hour. Slice and serve from the baking sheet.

OPEN-FACE CRUMB CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a nine-inch springform pan.
• Cream eight tablespoons of the butter with three-fourths cup of the sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and beat well.
• Sift flour, baking powder and salt together. Add to batter, stirring lightly, and stir in vanilla.
• Spread batter in prepared pan and arrange sliced plums on top. Sprinkle with remaining sugar and dot with remaining butter.
• Bake one hour. Cool slightly before removing sides of pan. Dust with confectioners' sugar. Serve warm or cool with whipped cream.

CRUMB CAKE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Using a spoon, stir in the cake flour one cup at a time, until the mixture forms a cohesive dough, like a very thick and clumpy cookie dough. As you add the last cup of flour, the mixture will be difficult to stir, so feel free to ditch the spoon and use your hands to mix it in. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack to the middle position. Grease a 9 x 13-in cake pan.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar on medium-high speed, scraping the bowl as necessary, until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until incorporated after each addition (don't worry if the batter looks a little curdled at this point). Beat in the vanilla and scrape the bowl to make sure everything is evenly combined. Add the flour mixture alternately with the sour cream (half of the flour/all of the sour cream/then the remaining half of the flour), mixing on low speed with each addition, until just combined.
• Spread the cake batter evenly in the cake pan (it will only come about ¾ inch up the sides of the pan). Top the batter with the streusel crumbs, using your fingers to break it apart and form it into roughly ½-inch chunks. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool fully on a rack. Dust with powdered sugar and cut into squares to serve. Cover the cake with aluminum foil and store at room temperature; it will keep nicely for up to 3 days. To keep the cake fresher longer, store it in the refrigerator but bring it to room temperature before serving.
• Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cake can be frozen for up to 3 months. After it is completely cooled, wrap it tightly with aluminum foil or freezer wrap. Thaw overnight on the countertop before serving.

OPEN-FACE CRUMB CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a nine-inch spring form pan.
• Cream eight tablespoons of the butter with three-fourths cup of the sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and beat well.
• Sift flour, baking powder and salt together. Add to batter, stirring lightly, and stir in vanilla.
• Spread batter in prepared pan and arrange sliced plums on top. Sprinkle with remaining sugar and dot with remaining butter.
• Bake one hour. Cool slightly before removing sides of pan. Dust with confectioners' sugar. Serve warm or cool with whipped cream. YIELD 6 to 8 servings.