Old-Fashioned Crumb Coffeecake

Adjust oven rack to center position and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 8-inch round cake pans, or a 9- by 13-inch pan, or a 9- or 10-inch tube pan; dust pan(s) with flour, knocking out excess. Set aside.

Make the Crumb: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, wisk together the flour, sugar, salt and cinnamon.

Melt the butter in the microwave or in a small saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and almond extracts. Gradually drizzle the melted butter mixture into the flour mixture while continuously and gently tossing with a fork. Continue to toss until all the butter is absorbed and you have a uniformly moistened crumb mixture. If texture of crumb is too small, gently squeeze small clumps together to make large crumbs ranging in size from that of a pea to that of a grape, about 1/4- to 1/2-inch in size. (Adding the butter too fast and/or over-mixing can result in the crumb mixture coming together as a solid dough. If that happens, simply use your fingers to break-up the solid crumb mixture into big crumbs, about 1/4- to 1/2-inch in size. Crumbs don't have to be uniform, just try to get most about this size.) Set aside while you make the cake batter.

Make the Batter: In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer on high speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and sour cream, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder. Add flour mixture to the sour cream mixture and beat on low or stir with a large spoon until evenly combined.

Turn the batter into the prepared pan(s) and spread evenly. Sprinkle the crumb mixture over the batter with your fingers, covering the batter evenly and completely. Bake 8-inch rounds for 20-25 minutes, or a 9- by 13-inch pan for 30-35 minutes, or a 9- or 10-inch tube pan for 35-40 minutes. Cake is done when a wooden pick or cake tester inserted near the center comes out clean, and the sides of the cake are golden and slightly pulling away from the edge of the pan. Remove from the oven and let the cake cool in its pan(s) set on a wire rack. Carefully transfer the cake, crumb side up, onto a serving plate. Dust with confectioners' sugar, if desired.

Makes 16 (2-inch) wedges, 24 (2-inch) squares or 16 (1 1/2-inch) slices.