Streuselkuchen Sugar-Crumb Cake
By: Stephan Fassmann
Published: Monday, March 15, 2010 - 12:49pm

Ingredients




CAKE

cup l/4  lukewarm water (110° to 115°F)
1 package active dry yeast
1/4 teaspoon plus ⅓ cup sugar
1/4 cup lukewarm milk (110° to 115°F)
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
1 egg, at room temperature
2 egg yolks, at room temperature
3 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
TOPPING

1/2 pound butter (2 sticks), cut into bits and thoroughly chilled
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup melted butter

Preparation

1 Pour the lukewarm water into a small shallow mixing bowl and sprinkle it 2 With the yeast and 1/4 teaspoon of the sugar. Let the mixture stand for 2 or 3 3 Minutes, then stir to dissolve the yeast completely. Set the bowl aside in a 4 Warm, draft-free place-such as a turned-off oven-for about 5 minutes, or 5 Until the mixture almost doubles in volume. Then stir in the lukewarm milk 6 And the lemon peel. 7 In a large mixing bowl, beat the remaining 1/3 cup of sugar, the egg and 8 The egg yolks together, and then stir in the yeast and milk mixture. Add 3 9 Cups of the sifted flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue 10 To beat until a soft dough is formed. Then beat in 6 tablespoons of the 11 Softened butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, and gather the dough into a compact 12 Ball. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead it by pushing it 13 Down with the heels of your hands, pressing it forward and folding it back on 14 Itself. Repeat this process for about 10 minutes. or until the dough is smooth and elastic, gradually adding the remaining 1/2 cup of flour to prevent the 15 Dough from sticking. Gather it into a ball again, place it in a buttered bowl 16 And dust the top lightly with flour. Cover the bowl with a towel and put it 17 Aside in a warm draft-free place for about 1l/4 hours, or until the dough doubles 18 In bulk. 19 Preheat the oven to 375°. With a pastry brush, lightly coat the bottom 20 And sides of an 11-by-17-inch jelly-roll pan with the remaining 1 tablespoon 21 Of soft butter. Set aside. 22 Prepare the Streusel topping by combining the 1/2 pound of chilled butter 23 Bits, 2 cups of flour, 2/3 cup sugar, and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon in a large 24 Bowl. Working quickly, rub the flour and fat together with your fingertips 25 Until they look like flakes of coarse meal. 26 When the dough has risen, punch it down and knead it on a lightly 27 Floured surface for 3 or 4 minutes. Then place it in the jelly-roll pan and 28 Stretch and smooth it out with your hands or a rolling pin until it covers the 29 Bottom of the pan. . 30 Screw the Streusel mixture evenly over the top of the cake and sprinkle it 31 With 1/4 cup of melted butter. Bake in the middle of the oven for 35 minutes, 32 Or until the top is crusty. To serve, cut the cake into 2-inch squares and 33 Serve warm or at room temperature. Traditionally, Streuselkuchen is served at 34 The German coffee table. 35 NOTE: To make Pflaumenkuchen or plum cake, prepare the dough as described 36 Above, but in place of the Streusel, cover the top with neat rows of 37 Firm ripe purple freestone plums, about 3 pounds. 38 Cut the plums almost in half, pit and spread them open. Overlapping the 39 Plums slightly, stand them flesh side up in parallel rows across the entire 40 Width of the cake. Sprinkle them evenly with 1 cup of sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon 41 Of cinnamon, and before baking dribble 1f4 cup of melted butter evenly 42 Over the top of the cake_ 43 Apfelkuchen, or apple cake, may be made in the same fashion. Peel, core 44 And slice 6 medium-sized cooking apples, and toss them with 2 tablespoons 45 Of lemon juice, 1 cup of sugar and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. 46 Arrange the apple slices in parallel rows side by side across the width of 47 The cake, and before baking dribble 1/4 cup of melted butter over them.