Grandma Helen’s Crumb Cake

Calling all coffee cake lovers!

I won’t mention names, but someone in my house is always asking for coffee cake.  That same person usually has lots to critique about the results, such as, the lack of moistness or the unsatisfactory crumble on top or too much fruit, or there really should not be fruit in coffee cake at all.  The list goes on.

It is nice to get honest feedback about my attempts with new recipes. Sometimes.

Truly, it is important to hear what your family really thinks about what you have made as painful as it may be, it will only help you with the next recipe. Alternatively, it may help you identify a new household cook.

After my last attempt at coffee cake I needed something reliable.  I needed to redeem myself after that mediocre performance so I scoured my books.  Yes, books, for a win.  Something I could count on.  I went in search of the ol’ Grennan cookbook, Around the Table.  In there I found several possibilities but went straight to this Crumb Cake recipe because

1.  I have never made a crumb cake
2.  It was my sweet Grandma Helen’s recipe

That was all I needed to move forward and gather my ingredients.  Grandma Helen Grennan made such a huge impact and difference in all the lives she touched, her memory will always be held in a special place in my heart.  We should all strive to be so well loved and remembered so fondly in our community as well as among family.

Coffee cake vs. crumb cake

First off, the question you all want answered -What is the differences between a coffee cake and a crumb cake? Answer-They are almost the same.  Coffee cake is made up of a super moist cake on bottom and  is topped with a crumbly streusel mixture, whereas crumb cake gets its name due to the fact that body of the cake is actually made from those delicious  sweet crumbs usually reserved for the topping.  That’s the best damn part of the coffee cake!  That is the only reason to eat coffee cake as far as I am concerned.

I made this in a loaf pan which I like because you can slice yourself a nice big piece and it  looks fancy served on a  plate.  It is quite difficult to remove from the loaf pan successfully, however. You need to wait until it cools, use a knife to loosen around the edges and probably remove the first piece in order to get the rest of it out.  And you will need to have at least one sturdy long,  slim spatula  on the ready for the removal process.

It’s much easier to use a 9×9 pan for this recipe or make muffins. This recipe make about a dozen crumb cake muffins.

Next time you are in search of reliable recipe be sure to give this one try,  Grandma Helen would never steer you wrong.

Be sure to leave me a comment and tell me whether you prefer crumb cake or coffee cake