Crumb Cakes are a Recipe for Old Fashioned Goodness

Crumbcake. A muffin but not.

Usually when you see a recipe for crumbcake it will be baked in a square pan. I like to make them in muffin cups; little individual bites of WOW. By doing it this way you can easily freeze them and have a weeks worth of breakfasts ready to go.

Crumbcakes are especially good with a cup of coffee and really, really hard to resist when you are at the computer late at night…The cake is tender and not too sweet, heady with vanilla. The crumb on top is sweet and spicy with brown sugar and cinnamon.

Let’s chat about cinnamon real quick. I have always been a freak about fresh herbs and spices because of the flavor loss over a relatively short period of time. However, until the blog exchange I did not know that there were different types of cinnamon! Well in the exchange I got several bottles of spices, including four..yes FOUR different types of cinnamon! My favorite is the Korintje which is quite spicy! I am now hooked on Penzey’s Spices. Anyway..the cinnamon will definitely make a huge difference in this so use one that is very fresh if possible.

When you sprinkle the crumb on top of the batter; press down gently. This will affix the crumbs and it will keep the cake flatter on top and less like a muffin.

You are seriously going ot love these.

Old Fashioned Crumb Cakes

Makes 12

2 c flour

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 c oil (light flavored, I use peanut)

3/4 c sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

1/2 c milk

Sift dry ingredients.

Mix wet ingredients. Beat well.

Stir together.

Scoop into muffin cups.

Top with:

1/3 c brown sugar

3 tbs flour

1 tbs cinnamon

2tbs butter

rub together until mixture is crumbly. Spoon a little on the top of each muffin. Gently press down.

Bake at 400 for about 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Image:Marye Audet

Content:Marye Audet for Baking Delights