This recipe comes directly from Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook. And I must say… it’s an awfully good one.
The texture of the base batter is very thick. It spreads rather thin (I thought…), but it rises up a fair amount to create a nice cake layer.
Here’s the shocking part… are you ready for this? I’m seriously embarrassed to even admit that I made this, and I was totally freaked out and grossed out at the same time. The crumb topping has 3 1/2 sticks of butter in it. !!!!!!!! EEK. I decided that Martha Stewart probably knows what she’s doing and just went for it anyways. I was also super surprised that the crumb layer was a good 1/2-inch thick. It kind of seems like you don’t need that much crumb when you’re making the cake, but it really does turn out perfect in the end.
Martha calls this a “foolproof cake – perfect for beginners.” I’d say that she’s right. It was so easy to prepare, and it turned out exactly as I was hoping it would. It was a big hit on Christmas morning with my relatives. I tried to warn them how much butter was in the cake, but no one seemed to care. Everyone went back for seconds anyways! As for my nephew and his ranch, I must say… Martha’s Crumb Cake might be a nice addition to the Ranch’s breakfast offerings! By the way, I hope to visit the ranch this summer, since my son quite enamored with fly fishing and outdoor boy stuff. If the chef adds this crumb cake to his menu, we just might have to seriously consider making a reservation 😉 Other good-lookin’ coffee cake recipes on the blogs: Mom’s Sour Cream Coffee Cake by Shutterbean Coffee Cake Cupcakes by The Shiksa Cinnamon- Cream Cheese Coffee Cake by Bake or Break Lemon Pull- Apart Coffee Cake by Leite’s Culinaria Gluten- Free Pumpkin Coffee Cake Muffins by Jeanette’s Healthy Living