VIBES: Sade “Kiss of Life” + “Flower of the Universe”

INGREDIENTS: 

Streusel topping

• 1/2 cup (99.5g) granulated sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt (if you use unsalted butter)
• 1/2 cup (60.5g) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons (42.5g) butter, melted

Filling

• 1/2 cup (106.5g) brown sugar, packed
• 3/4 tablespoons cinnamon

Cake

• 6 tablespoons (85g) butter, at room temperature, at least 65°F
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (3/4 teaspoons if you use unsalted butter)
• 3/4 cups (149g) granulated sugar
• (35.5g) brown sugar, packed 
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 medium eggs, at room temperature
• 6 Tbsp (85g)  sour cream or plain yogurt, at room temperature
• 2/3 cup (141.5g) milk (anything from skim to whole), at room temperature
• 1 3/4 cup (227g) All-Purpose Flour

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9″ round (or square) cake pan.
2. Make the topping by whisking together the sugar, salt, flour, and cinnamon. Add the melted butter, stirring until well combined. Set the topping aside.
3. Make the filling by mixing together the brown sugar + cinnamon. Set it aside.
4. To make the cake, in a large bowl, beat together the butter, salt, sugars, baking powder, and vanilla until well combined and smooth.
5. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
6. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sour cream or yogurt and milk till well combined. You don’t need to whisk out all the lumps.
7. Add the flour to the butter mixture alternately with the milk/sour cream mixture, beating gently to combine.
8. Pour/spread half the batter into the prepared pan, spreading all the way to the edges. Then sprinkle the filling evenly on the batter.
9. Add the remaining batter over the filling. Use a table knife to gently swirl the filling into the batter, as though you were making a marble cake. Don’t combine filling and batter thoroughly; just swirl the filling through the batter.
10. Sprinkle the streusel topping over the batter in the pan.
11. Bake the cake until it’s a dark golden brown around the edges; medium-golden with no light patches showing on top, and a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 45-55 minutes for a 9″ round pan. When pressed gently in the middle, the cake should spring back.
12. Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool for 20 minutes before cutting and serving. Serve cake right from the pan.

Adapted from this recipe.