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Feeling Crumb-y…

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These New York Style Crumb Cakes are made in honor of the Hostess crumb cakes I ate growing up as a kid only much better.

I’ve had the sinus infection to end all sinus infections for the last two weeks.

I’ve been a sad little looking creature, wandering the halls of our house in my faded penguin pj’s with my greasy looking sick hair and Kleenex stuffed up my nose.

A sight that is no doubt beyond sexy to my husband. Ha. 😛

It is times like these that I am happy that I have “reserves” saved up from when I have been in a baking mood.

For obvious reasons, little baking has been done in the last two weeks.

Cooking neither.

Awhile back now I was on the lookout for Hostess Crumb Cakes.

I loved them as a kid.

Come to find out, just like almost all things I love, they no longer make them.

While I can still have my chocolate (chocolate-like) Donettes (yes, for some reason I love them), there are no crumb cakes.

I thought for sure I could figure out how to make them.

One Saturday morning while watching PBS, America’s Test Kitchen had on New York Style Crumb Cake.

It looked similar to the Hostess version and I decided that I would make my own.

The recipe is for it to be in a pan, but I made mine in a muffin pan (my new square muffin pan I found).

So that they could be New York Style Crumb Cakes.

They were not really that close in flavor to the Hostess ones, and of course that could be the lack of preservatives and additives in the Hostess ones ( 😛 ), but it did have a good flavor.

I might add a little sour cream next time as they were a tad on the dry side.

So the quest still continues to recreate my crumb cakes of my childhood but these will do in the meantime.

It’s a great day to order my cookbook.

Want More Crumb Topped Recipes?

Creamsicle Crumb Topped Cinnamon Rolls

Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Crumb Topped Muffins

Oatmeal Crumble Caramel Apple Pie

Hot Cocoa Crumb Cake

Banana Fosters Crumb Cake

New York Style Crumb Cakes

New York Style Crumb Cakes

Ingredients

  • For the Crumb Topping:
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup dark brown sugar
  • ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 8 TBSP unsalted butter (1 stick), melted and still warm
  • 1 ¾ cups cake flour
  • For the Cake:
  • 1 ¼ cups cake flour
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ tsp baking soda
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 6 TBSP unsalted butter (3/4 stick), cut into 6 pieces, softened but still cool
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup buttermilk

Instructions

  1. For the Crumb Topping:
  2. Whisk sugars, cinnamon, salt, and butter in medium bowl to combine. 
  3. Add flour and stir with rubber spatula or wooden spoon until mixture resembles thick, cohesive dough; set aside to cool to room temperature, 10 to 15 minutes.
  4. For the Cakes:
  5. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Cut 16-inch length parchment paper or aluminum foil and fold lengthwise to 7-inch width. 
  6. Spray 8-inch square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and fit parchment into dish, pushing it into corners and up sides; allow excess to overhang edges of dish. 
  7. Since I made individual ones, I used a muffin pan(my square one). Just butter and flour(or use baking spray).
  8. In bowl of standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt on low speed to combine. 
  9. With mixer running at low speed, add butter one piece at a time; continue beating until mixture resembles moist crumbs, with no visible butter chunks remaining, 1 to 2 minutes. 
  10. Add egg, yolk, vanilla, and buttermilk; beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute, scraping once if necessary.
  11. Transfer batter to baking pan(or muffin pan if you are doing individual); using rubber spatula, spread batter into even layer. 
  12. Break apart crumb topping into large pea-sized pieces and spread in even layer over batter, beginning with edges and then working toward center. 
  13. Bake until crumbs are golden and wooden skewer inserted into center of cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes (the individual ones only take about 22 minutes…watch them closely). 
  14. Cool on wire rack at least 30 minutes. 
  15. Remove cake from pan or from muffin tins.
© Peabody

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Comments

  3. Those are so cute! Love the square muffin pans…another reason I stay out of Target cookware section…no room for more cookware, darn it. But you, dear Peabody have a big kitchen now. Yay!!
    Hope you feel better soon and are back to enjoying bacon.

    Reply

  4. Awww…sorry the sinuses are acting up! Hope you’re better soon. I love crumb cakes. Well, actually, I love the crumb part! I could probably just eat that and leave the cake part for someone else!

    Reply

  5. Those look delicious! I made the big recipe when it was in the magazine. I agree that it was a little dry. Hope you’re dry soon!

    Reply

  8. Get well soon, Peabody 🙂
    For some reason these cakes are reminding me of Seinfeld (“All indications are, he does not like Drake’s coffee cake.”). Supposedly Ina Garten has a mock-up of that recipe.
    The cake looks really good! I’m surprised it was dry, but the sour cream looks like a great idea!

    Reply

  9. Feel better, Peabody. I have the square muffin tin and will make these as soon as it cools down a bit. (My kitchen does not have ac).

    Reply

  10. Oh, I hope you are feeling better soon. I must say, those crumb cakes look great. I love the new pan from Target too. I do have a completely strange sounding suggestion for your sinus infection that actually really does work. Before you go to bed, put a good layer of vaporub on the bottoms of your feet and then socks. You will breath much easier all night and hopefully that will help get you on the mend. I thought it was probably just an old wives tale, but we used this trick several times this winter and it really worked. Good luck!

    Reply

  12. That episode of America’s Test Kitchen was on here a couple of weeks ago. I want to make the blueberry boy bait – my preschoolers were asking for that! I love the square muffin tin! And these look so wonderful – they don’t look dry at all, but the sour cream sounds like a wonderful addition. I hope you’re feeling better now.

    Trying to not be gross, but have you tried irrigating your sinuses? That has always helped my sinus issues a lot.

    Reply

  14. Wow, those NY crumb cakes looks sooo tempting… I love addition of cinnamon in almost everything and my partner even more. I will try it out next time I’m making something sweet 🙂 Thank you for sharing. Margot

    Reply

  16. I feel bad for you because my sinuses have felt like they have gerbils in them. I know what you are going through Peabody!

    At least you made it productive. Delicious looking as always!

    Reply

  17. They look great. I am still planning on trying to make a Devil Dog cake. There is a recipe for that and it was my favorite snack as a child!!!! I love Drakes products…….

    Reply

  18. I can’t believe they don’t make crumbcakes anymore!!! We never ever had snack foods in my house growing up, but even we had the occasional Hostess crumbcake!

    Reply

  19. Sorry to hear about your sinus infection. I get this too, especially during the hot time of year. I don’t fare too well going from extreme temperature changes. Like going from my hot car to an air conditioned store or office. The hot/cold change kills my sinuses!
    I wish I grew up with these delicious tasties! Instead, I got lots of sweet rice for desserts….not the same as yours….but still good!

    Reply

  22. Seriously, what is it with Hostess not making anything we loved as kids? It sucks. I, too, loved the crumb cakes. Give me one of those and some Pringles corn chips (remember those?) and I am a happy camper. These do look incredibly tasty, though. I am a sucker for crumb cake/streussel of any sort. Hope you feel better soon!

    Reply

  24. HEY!

    I hate sinus infections – I have hearing loss from my last one – so watch out!

    You know what I loved about Hostess crumb cakes? The crumb on top that I swear looked just like Rabbit Poop Pellets! HA!

    BTW – they are still made, just only by the outlets in So California (and probably Arizona)

    I can get some for you 🙂

    Reply

  25. I was going to mention Drake’s Cakes but I see someone beat me to it:) Perhaps they can satisfy your craving until you find the perfect recipe?

    Reply

  27. I hope you feel better soon. I’ve had bad sinus infections, so my heart goes out to you.
    Love the square shape, will have to look for one on my next trip to the US and Target.

    Reply

  28. I hope that you’re on the mend! These crumb cakes look delicious, I’m looking forward to the next generation version too. Bring on the sour cream!

    Reply

  31. I need to run to Target to see if I can find one of those pans – I love it!! The cakes sound delicious, as well.

    Hope you are feeling better soon!

    Reply

  34. Fiiii on the sinus infection. I’ve been there Peabody and it’s a place I want you back from never to return. (Oh my your description is only too good or bad which ever side you look at it from.)
    I love the square muffin crumb cakes!!

    Reply

  37. Awww girl, I hope you are feeling better. I am totally with you on the RESERVE posts. That’s what kept my blog going for the past 6 months 😉 That square shape is awesome! And they probably store much more efficiently in a tupperware, no? Get well quickly because you need to keep kicking ass!

    Reply

  42. haha, you should try the crumb cake from entenman’s, it’s pretty darn good. we have an outlet near our house where we can get three whole ones for only five dollars.

    Reply

  45. I used to LOVE those Hostess Crumb Cakes. They don’t make them anymore? Bastards. Seriously, now you have me craving them. Not to worry about the dry cake, since it’s the crumb topping I’d be after!

    Reply

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