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Why yes, I used my new camera, can you tell? I could hardly take a break to eat it, I was enjoying my camera so much. But I digress.
Ask anyone the best part of crumb coffee cake and they 99.9% will say the crumb topping. The other .01% also believes that reality TV is completely real. If it’s crumb you want, this recipe delivers.
I made it today and broke out the new camera. Check out this shot of me pouring sugar.
You can almost COUNT the granules. Whee!! I love this thing.
In the midst of making the cake, I also took a few other shots in the kitchen of the cooking witnesses. Like this cat who loves to lick butter whenever she finds it. Luckily I had more in the fridge. You didn’t really think I’d cook with butter the cat licked, would you? Come on, that was just one time. Can’t you let it go!?
And yet another witness.
Not that the Dog wouldn’t be all over that butter if I left the room. The Cat is just stealthier.
Here’s the recipe.
PERFECT RATIO CRUMB CAKE
3 sticks butter (You heard me, Paula Deen!)
1 c. sugar
2 large eggs
3/4 c. milk
4 1/2 c. flour (separated)
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. vanilla
1 c. brown sugar, firmly packed
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 sticks butter, melted
Powdered sugar for dusting
Directions
- Cream butter and sugar. Watch out for the butter-thieving cat.
- Beat eggs and milk; mix with butter.
- In another bowl, mix flour and baking powder, then add to butter mixture.
- Stir in vanilla.
- Pour batter into a greased 9 x 13 pan.
- In a medium bowl, combine remaining 2 1/2 cups flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
- Pour melted butter over flour mixture, and toss with a rubber spatula until large crumbs form.
- Sprinkle crumbs over batter, and bake for 25-30 minutes until cake tester comes out clean.
- Cool slightly. Dust with confectioners’ sugar. Add more sugar. Dust again. Cut and pick off the crumb topping and eat it with your fingers.
February 21st, 2008 at 7:40 am
The pictures look great…so does the crumb cake. I would love to make that it is right up my alley but everyone in the house is screaming for pudding!!!
February 21st, 2008 at 9:34 am
You seriously crack me up! Your pets are adorable witnesses to your kitchen shenanigans. I also love the crumb topping on coffee cake and will go out of my way to find the piece that has the most and then cut it from wherever that may be.
February 21st, 2008 at 11:37 am
The crumb really is the best part!! I’m definitely going to try this one. I just made a recipe calling for 3 sticks of butter, too. Mmmmmm, butter!
February 22nd, 2008 at 12:47 pm
This looks so freaking good!!! Holy butter Batman!
YUM!
February 22nd, 2008 at 2:09 pm
Oh, it was good, Boy Wonder. It was good.
February 22nd, 2008 at 2:13 pm
I must admit 3 sticks of butter isn’t really keeping with my health plan this year. So my next few recipes will definitely be good for you AND good to eat.
February 23rd, 2008 at 9:34 pm
Healthy, no…but everyone knows the cake is only a vehicle to get the crumb topping into your mouth…so it doesn’t count. At least in my imagination it doesn’t.
February 24th, 2008 at 2:37 pm
Oh…I thought the cake was just like a plate to hold the crumb topping. Huh. You learn new things every day.
February 25th, 2008 at 12:47 am
3 sticks of butter! Heck yeah, now we are talking.
February 25th, 2008 at 6:05 am
Well, yeah because 4 would be simply too much.
February 26th, 2008 at 8:45 pm
I completely appreciate the perfect ratio cake too. There’s nothing worse than if there isn’t quite enough of one part or too much. Conversely there’s nothing as gratifying as the perfect ratio that can lull a crowd into a satisfied silence.
By the way, I’ve “tagged” you. To see what that means, there’s an explanation on my site when you’ve got a spare minute. Just like tag in the playground really for food bloggers!
February 27th, 2008 at 8:27 am
that really *is* the perfect ratio. and 3 sticks of butter; a baker after my own fucking heart.
plus, i love any posts that include pictures of adorable dogs.
February 27th, 2008 at 11:12 am
Bonus dog not impressed by soup is my favorite caption this year.
February 28th, 2008 at 6:00 pm
I LOVE crumb cake. Your recipe looks great – the right amount of crumb and the right amount of cake. I am going to give the recipe a try this weekend. Love you blog.