Four crumb cakes drizzled with icing on a wire cooling rack.

Mini Crumb Cakes

I first made this recipe way back when Gourmet Magazine was still publishing monthly in print. Yeah, decades ago. Before paywalls were a thing.

The recipe was called New York Crumb Cake. I think it was a restaurant's recipe; I'm fuzzy on the details.

Anyway, per the recipe, I baked it in a 9 x 13 inch pan in a conventional oven.

That's a big crumb cake for a two person household. Yet it never went to waste. It's dangerously delicious.

My sweet tooth isn't what it used to be. So I've reduced the recipe to four substantial mini crumb cakes.

The original recipe generously dusted the cake with powdered sugar. If you don't serve them soon after baking, the powdered sugar dissolves into the cake without leaving a trace.

Try the optional icing if you want to zhuzh up the crumb cakes. The icing won't disappear like a magic act.

Mini Crumb Cakes

Text and Photo by Jac Kyles Baker

Makes 4 crumb cakes

Ingredients

For the cake:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 tsp salt

2 TB unsalted butter, melted

2 TB vegetable oil

3 TB sour cream

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1/2 tsp vanilla

For the crumb topping:

4 TB unsalted butter, melted

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

Icing (optional):

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp water or lemon juice

Preparation

Butter or line with parchment 4 microwave safe ramekins or small bowls with a 1/3 cup capacity.

Make crumb topping:

In a large bowl, stir melted butter, salt, brown sugar and cinnamon together. Stir in flour.

Press the mixture into large and small clumps with your fingers. Place crumb topping in freezer while making cake batter.

Make cake:

Whisk together flour and baking powder in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl: whisk together butter, salt, sugar and vanilla. Stir in egg.

Make a well in the flour. Add a third of the wet ingredients to the well. Stir in a third of the flour. Repeat until wet ingredients are absorbed into the flour. Do not over mix.

Add batter 1 TB at a time into prepared ramekins/bowls until all batter is evenly distributed. Smooth out batter.

Spread crumbs evenly on top of cakes.

Microwave on 70% power (MED/HIGH) for 2 minutes. Check progress after 1 minute.

When a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, cake is done.

Cool cakes on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container.

For icing:

In a small bowl, combine water or lemon juice and powdered sugar until smooth. Drizzle over cooled cakes. Allow icing to set before serving.

To warm crumb cakes:

Wrap one crumb cake in a paper towel. Microwave at 50% power for 15 to 20 seconds.

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