Pomegranate Molasses Crumb Cake
Sarah Jampel
Photo by Mark Weinberg
- Serves
- 8 to 10
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.
Ingredients
For the crumb topping:
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 2 teaspoon pomegranate molasses
- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 8 tablespoon butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1 3/4 cup flour
For the cake:
- 1 1/4 cup flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 6 tablespoon butter, slightly soft but still cool
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/3 cup buttermilk
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
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Directions
Instructions
- Step 1
Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
- Step 2
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.
- Step 3
Add the brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon and mix until well combined, with minimal clumps.
- Step 4
Pour in the butter and stir until smooth.
- Step 5
Add the flour and stir until the mixture is combined. Set aside for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Step 6
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.
- Step 7
Spread the cake batter into the pan, then distribute the crumb topping, breaking it up into pebble-sized pieces.
- Step 8
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.