Baked french toast

This has become a Christmas morning favorite at our house. I like it because I make it and breakfast pie (here) in advance the night before. Then I get up an hour before everybody else and put them in the oven.  Christmas morning breakfast done.

1 loaf french bread
8 eggs
2 c. milk
1/2 c heavy whipping cream
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
2 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon

Topping
1/2 c flour
1/2 c brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 cube butter, cut into pieces

Grease the baking pan with butter. Tear the bread into chunks, or cut into cubes, and evenly distribute in the pan. Crack the eggs in a big bowl. Whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon and vanilla. Pour evenly over the bread. Cover the pan tightly and store in the fridge until needed (overnight preferably)

Topping
Mix the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt and some nutmeg in a separate bowl. Stir together using a fork. Add the butter and with a pastry cutter, and mix it all together until the mixture resembles fine pebbles. Store in a re-sealable plastic bag in the fridge

When you're ready to bake the casserole, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the casserole from the fridge and sprinkle the topping over the top. Bake for 45 minutes for a softer, more bread pudding texture or for 1 hour or more for a firmer, crisper texture. 

Serve with buttermilk syrup if you dare.