where can I find a crumb cake like that?

You know...I wish I had a Starbuck's cake, I wish I had a Starbuck's cake. Where can I find a crumb cake like that? Well, usually under that illuminated glass showcase of delectable baked goods at that quaint, yet overpriced coffee shop. But today, I baked up the signature coffee cake (complete with that incredible crumb topping) in my very own kitchen. Except one change...strawberries! Yep, strawberries were layered into this amazing crumb conundrum.

Oh...and 10 points to whoever can name the song that inspired this blog title! *Answer at the bottom of the page. Hehe, gotta love Pandora. :) And wouldn't it be hilarious if I pranced into Starbuck's one day singing this song, complete with altered lyrics? In fact...maybe they'd give me a slice of coffee cake for free! Siiigh...I really do live in my own imaginative world far too much sometimes. Always a good thing? No. Entertaining? Yes, very much so. :)


So let's talk about substitutions for a sec. This recipe called for sour cream. Hmmm. Sorry, but do could do today...not a dollop of sour cream in this house. But no worries...because buttermilk can be used in place of sour cream! Ummm...problem. What if you don't even have the slightest splash of buttermilk in your fridge? Voila! We have an answer:

1 cup milk + 1 tbsp. lemon juice + let sit for 15 minutes = 1 cup buttermilk

Letting the sludge sit is key: this is the part that makes it all thick and buttermilk/sour cream-like. So don't skip this step, got it?! After that, just use an equal amount of lemon milk sludge for the sour cream or buttermilk you're replacing.

So the best part of this coffee cake is clearly the crumble. Ohhh, the crumble. You know...those big chunks of cinnamon-y sugar-y goodness. That sit proudly atop your slab of coffee cake. That melt devinely in your mouth and crumble down into your light-ice-sugar-free-vanilla-double-macchiatto-latte. Ahhh, the simplicity of coffee shop lingo...

But yes, these are definately Champion Crumbles in this coffee cake. In fact, the recipe instructs you to make these crumbles 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch in size. Yes...definately the sumo wrestlers of the crumble-topped dessert world. Hands down.

Oh, and while we're here...please acknowledge and respect the University of Michigan mixing bowl pictured above. Perhaps it was The Michigan Difference that made this crumb cake so devine?

So this crumb cake was just so so good. It was buttery, moist, and delicious. And really, who are we kidding? It's really the crumble that makes the cake.

Ohhh, the Leaning Tower of Crumb Cake! And if we had absolutely no decency at all, my mom, David, and I easily could've polished off this entire tray of cake. Thankfully, though, we did not, so there will be more to enjoy tomorrow. :)


Sumo Strawberry Crumb Cake

Altered from The New York Times 6/6/07

For strawberry filling:
1 cup strawberries, rinsed and patted dry, then halved
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. cornstarch

For crumbs:
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 cup melted butter
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

For cake:
1/3 cup sour cream or buttermilk or…lemon milk sludge
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
6 tbsp. softened butter, cut into chunks

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray an 8-inch-square baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Prepare filling: toss halved strawberries with sugar and cornstarch. Set aside.

Make crumbs: in a large bowl, whisk together sugars, cinnamon, salt and butter until smooth. Stir in flour with a spatula. It will look like a solid dough.

Prepare cake: in a small bowl, stir together the sour cream, egg, egg yolk and vanilla. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add butter and a spoonful of sour cream mixture and mix on medium speed until flour is moistened. Increase speed and beat for 30 seconds. Add remaining sour cream mixture in two batches, beating for 20 seconds after each addition, and scraping down the sides of bowl with a spatula. Scoop out about 1/2 cup batter and set aside.

Scrape remaining batter into prepared pan. Spoon strawberries over batter. Dollop set-aside batter over strawberries; it does not have to be even.

Using your fingers, break topping mixture into big crumbs, about 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch in size. They do not have to be uniform, but make sure most are around that size. Sprinkle over cake. Bake cake until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean of batter (it might be moist from the strawberries), 45 to 55 minutes. Serve warm or cool.

*"Jessie's Girl", by Rick Springfield