I'm not sure that there's anything better than waking up to the smell of this cake. On a lazy Saturday morning, the smell of cinnamon and brown sugar heavy in the air and a pot of coffee percolating on my counter top are sure to get my family moving. It works, every single time. We have to talk about those crumbs though - those ENORMOUS, brown-sugar and butter crumbs. I could eat them, I have eaten them, right off the top of the cake. My girls always eat the crumb topping first, and I can't say that I blame them.
I recently discovered a new product at my grocery store that I just have to tell you all about. C&H® Pourable Golden Brown Sugar has come in handy in my kitchen so many times. It is packaged in a convenient flip-top dispenser that makes measuring out brown sugar for recipes neater, without having to pack the sugar. It's a pourable brown sugar, so it doesn't clump or harden, and it has a recloseable, flip-top lid that keeps the sugar fresh. It's SO convenient!
We've even started keeping an extra canister handy, my girls love to sprinkle it over their oatmeal and fruit, and my husband puts it in his tea occasionally. But mostly, I love that it's easy to use in baking - it's a cup-to-cup measurement ratio to regular brown sugar. So, if a recipe calls for a cup of packed brown sugar, you would just replace it with a cup of pourable brown sugar. Easy!
You can find C&H® Pourable Golden Brown Sugar in your baking aisle at the grocery store right next to all of the other sugar. Visit their website ( here) for coupons, recipes and retail locations. Or, if you live in the eastern half of the U.S., check out C&H®'s sister brand, Domino® Sugar (click here).I encourage you to give it a try - it's saved me time and effort a number of times. And for those of you who are wondering, you can't tell the difference at all.
Back to the crumb cake - we should talk quickly about the method used for the topping, because it's a bit different than a traditional crumb topping. I have come to prefer this method because it's easy and makes these big, beautiful crumbs that just can't be replicated with the traditional method. First, you dissolve sugar in melted butter. Then, you stir in flour with a rubber spatula until the butter/sugar mixture just barely absorbs the flour, and you pour the whole thing out onto a cookie sheet to "dry" slightly while you make the cake batter. That's it! No pastry cutters, no super-cold butter, and no rushing. It's easy and I think it makes the best crumb topping I've ever had.
Hope this post helped you out today. I love to discover new products to make things easier in the kitchen and of course to share them with you all. I just made a delicious cinnamon bun recipe with my new brown sugar, and I have big plans for a brown sugar creme brulee that's just SCREAMING for this as a topping. I'll share it with you, soon!
What's your favorite way to use brown sugar? Tell me in the comments to enter for a chance to win a $100 VISA gift card!
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- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 and ¼ cups brown sugar, packed
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 and ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F).
- Prepare a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Make crumb topping: in a medium bowl, combine sugars, cinnamon and salt. Add melted butter, and whisk to combine.
- Add flour and combine with a rubber spatula until just moistened.
- Pour mixture on to a baking sheet and allow it to dry while you make the cake.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add eggs one at a time until well combined.
- Beat in vanilla.
- With the mixer on low speed, add the sour cream and the dry ingredients alternately in 3 parts, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, beating just until incorporated.
- Pour the batter in to the prepared baking dish.
- Sprinkle with the crumb topping, gently pressing the crumbs into the batter.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
- To make the glaze, combine brown sugar, vanilla and 2 tablespoons water. Whisk until smooth.
- When the cake is done, cool for 10 minutes and drizzle the glaze evenly over the top.
- Enjoy!