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We have a bottle of Booker's (still in its wooden box) that we're saving for when the weather gets a little colder, but usually Knob Creek is my go-to for the winter months.

I really enjoy a rich crumb cake and anything with that much butter has got to be good. Then with the sour cream GIVE ME A FORK a gallon of whole milk and get out of my way!

NY style crumb cake is 2 - 3 parts crumbs to 1 part cake, so if you're freaking about the butter, halve the crumb recipe for regular crumb cake.

Or better yet, use only half; freeze the rest airtight and have uber-fast crumb cake next time.

Also, regarding flat topping: I'm surprised that "domestic goddess" Martha apparently doesn't know the secrets to great crumb topping:

1. using fingertips, push clumps of topping together to form large crumbs (large peas to kidney bean sized).
2. make the crumbs BEFORE the batter and refrigerate or freeze until ready to place evenly on the batter.
3. You need to place the larger crumbs so the entire top is covered and you don't break the clumps you invested your time in making.

The chilled clumps retain their shape during baking so the cake is be-yoo-tiful and the big crumbs provide a great texture treat.

If I'm serving this for a plate & fork situation, I like to incorporate a thin layer of perfectly ripe sliced summer fruit in the batter. (In the cake, not between the cake & crumbs: that makes the sugar dissolve and the cake soggy.) Can make the cake too tender to eat out of hand.

Hope this is helpful to someone.

I've made this before but it's not my favorite. I have been on a quest for the perfect crumb cake and the best so far was by Carole Walter from GREAT COFFEE CAKES, STICKY BUNS, MUFFINS & MORE. It's yummy although best eaten the first day. I still make new crumb cake recipes whenever I can find a good one, just in case it's "the one".

this is my favorite cake in the whole world, but i use cake flour, and it makes everything so light you won't even notice all that butter going down!

This sucks. I love a lot of things burned and well done....

damn.

Miriam Nestle is about to join the current administration. I can assure you that toast is not the only thing she will be banning.

whatever, i could care less. one more thing, right?

i do recall one of my favorite calvin & hobbes strips tho:
"hey hobbes-look, it's magic! you put bread in....and TOAST comes out!"
"where did the bread go?"
"i don't know-amazing, right?"
(something like that....oh bill waterson, why did you have to retire?)

@arm - will you have toasted poundcake????

@egghunt. Unfortunately, it isnt an "additive". The acrylamide forms as part of the chemical reaction when bread gets toasted. So its pretty unavoidable if you're going to toast your bread. Granted, burning it to a crisp certainly is worse than a light browning. And if Pavlov is correct (and i think he is) nearly all breads with a crust will have the same problem.

I have toast about once or twice a week. I think I'll be ok.

@lo - Haha. Totally have that song in my head now. Poor persecuted witches.

@casperOne - locanda verde! the first link.......YUM