Pomegranate Molasses Crumb Cake
Author Notes: This recipe, which is adapted from America's Test Kitchen and How Sweet It Is, yields a dessert that, thanks to the addition of pomegranate molasses in the crumb and the cake, is tangy, a tad fruity, and slightly acidic. It's got all the best parts about a classic crumb cake (namely, lots and lot and lots of buttery crumbs) without the blandness or dryness of an Entenmann's store-bought variety. —Sarah Jampel
Serves 8 to 10
For the crumb topping:
-
1/3
cup white sugar
-
2
teaspoons pomegranate molasses
-
1/3
cup packed brown sugar
-
1/4
teaspoon salt
-
3/4
teaspoon cinnamon
-
8
tablespoons butter, melted and slightly cooled
-
1 3/4
cups flour
For the cake:
-
1 1/4
cups flour
-
1/2
cup sugar
-
1/4
teaspoon salt
-
1/4
teaspoon baking soda
-
6
tablespoons butter, slightly soft but still cool
-
1
teaspoon vanilla
-
1/3
cup buttermilk
-
1
large egg
-
1
large egg yolk
-
2
tablespoons pomegranate molasses
- Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
- In a small bowl, mix the white sugar and pomegranate molasses together with the back of a spoon, trying to break up the pockets of molasses and stir it as uniformly into the sugar as best you can.
- Add the brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon and mix until well combined, with minimal clumps.
- Pour in the butter and stir until smooth.
- Add the flour and stir until the mixture is combined. Set aside for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the cake. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda. Add the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the mixture is uniformly sandy in texture. Add in the rest of the ingredients and beat on medium-high for at least one minute, until smooth and thick.
- Spread the cake batter into the pan, then distribute the crumb topping, breaking it up into pebble-sized pieces.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes before removing it and slicing into squares.
- This recipe is a Community Pick!
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3 months ago ome escobar
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over 1 year ago tranquility
I loved the taste of this cake but something clearly went wrong when I made it. The cake part was super dense and not at all like in the picture. Not sure what exactly went wrong and I'm not a beginner when it comes to baking. I'm determined to make it again to see if I can get it right because I HATE failures in the kitchen.
over 1 year ago Sarah Jampel
Sarah is Food52's senior staff writer & stylist.
Huh! So sorry to hear that. The base of the cake is from America's Test Kitchen. I found that using all-purpose cake flour worked well, but they suggest cake flour, so that might be worth a try—and let me know what happens!
about 3 years ago chris
This was seriously moist and delicious, with unexpected tangy acidic notes, as advertised. My cake was darker than the one in the picture, so I was probably a bit generous with the pomegranate molasses. I thought I had w-a-y too much crumb topping, so only used half. As it happens, the topping melts down, and I had non-crumbed cake around the edges. I added a few more tablespoons of topping, and baked another 5 minutes; for a total of 45 mins. "Let sit 30 minutes before cutting" ... hah, seriously? We lifted it out of the pan after 10 minutes and devoured half, with our mid-morning coffee. Seeing I have all those crumbs left, I'm going to make another batch of the cake, and bake it in muffin pans. (Note: I didn't have enough brown sugar, so rounded up with coconut sugar. I think date sugar would work well, too.) Loved this recipe. Try it!
about 3 years ago Sarah Jampel
Sarah is Food52's senior staff writer & stylist.
YAY! So glad.
about 3 years ago Rachel Christensen
Rachel Christensen is the Director of Audience Development for Food52.
I really loved eating this.
about 3 years ago maria
I was a bit disappointed with this recipe. The cake turned out quite dry, and the cake to crumb ratio seems wrong to me—too much crumb, even for a recipe that makes that its selling point.
about 3 years ago Sarah Jampel
Sarah is Food52's senior staff writer & stylist.
Sorry to hear that, Maria! I'd eat those crumbs by the spoonful, but it is indeed a crumb-heavy cake!
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