German Crumb Cake Recipe, Streuselkuchen
Streuselkuchen is German for crumb cake. It's a delightful yeast dough covered with a sweet crumb topping called Streusel. The Streusel is made simply with flour, butter and sugar. For a special treat you can replace some or all of the flour with left-over cake crumbs. It's always great to store any leftover/stale bread or cake in the freezer for use in recipes, like this one! This cake takes a bit of patience since there are a lot of "resting" times. It's a great cake to make while doing house chores or writing hubs! ^_^
Cook Time
Streusel (topping) Ingredients
- 1 cup cake crumbs
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 3/4 cup cold butter
If you don't have cake crumbs use all purpose flour
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1 package dry yeast
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 4 Tbsp cold butter
- 1 tsp lemon or orange zest, finely grated
- all purpose flour
The cooking definition of Scald: To heat a liquid, usually milk, to just below the boiling point.
You'll know when this is by the presence of tiny bubbles that begin to form on edges of the milk.
The Cake Dough
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Streusel Topping
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Putting it all Together!
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Instructions
- Take your 2 eggs out of the refrigerator and set them out on the counter. This will ensure they are at room temperature by the time you need them.
- Scald the milk in a small sauce pan over low heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes. Do not add the yeast until it had cooled the 10 minutes!
- Sprinkle milk with yeast and a teaspoon of the granulated sugar. Let rest another 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, combine the flour with remaining granulated sugar in a large bowl.
- Cut butter into at least four pieces and add the the flour along with the lemon or orange zest. Use a pastry blender, scissors or crisscross two butter knives to crumble the butter into the flour. Do this until there are no butter chunks larger than a peanut.
- Once the yeast mixture has rested 10 minutes it should be very frothy. Add the yeast mixture and eggs to the flour mix. Using a sturdy wooden spoon combine all ingredients until all the flour is incorporated.
- Using the wooden spoon or your hands to vigorously knead the dough for about 6 minutes. It will still be sticky but when you pull your hand or spoon away most of the dough should stick to itself and not your hand/spoon.
- Sprinkle dough with 1 tablespoon flour and cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Let sit for 1 hour while it doubles in size.
- While you wait make the Streusel. In a medium mixing bowl combine the cake crumbs, flour and sugar.
- Cut the cold butter into pieces, tablespoon size is fine. Add to the flour mixture and use a pastry cutter, scissors or crisscross two knives to crumble the butter into the flour mixture. Do this until the crumbs are no bigger than pea size. To make this step faster you can pulse mixture in a food processor. Store streusel in the fridge until ready to use.
- Once the dough has doubled in size turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Turn to lightly flour all sides. Divide dough in half and form into two balls. Cover lightly with a clean kitchen towel and let rest 10 minutes.
- Butter two 8-9 inch round or square pans (or one of each) with room temperature butter.
- Roll each ball dough until roughly the size of the bottom of your pans. press dough into the pans.
- Distribute the streusel evenly between the two pans. Spread it out and press into the dough. Cover the pans with the kitchen towel and let rest 20 minutes. Preheat your oven to 350'F at this time.
- Once it has rested 20 minutes bake your cakes in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
- Serve warm, sprinkled with powdered sugar if desired.
