Crumb Coffee Cake

This is the coffee cake your grandmother made on Saturday mornings without even looking at a recipe.

Brown sugar, flour, and shortening get crumbled together first. You set aside ¾ cup for the topping, then mix the rest into a batter with sour milk, egg, baking soda, and baking powder. Into the pan, crumbs on top, and 40 minutes later you’ve got a tender, caramel-scented cake with a crunchy streusel crust.

No mixer needed. No separating eggs. No layers. Just stir, pour, sprinkle, and bake.

Serve warm with coffee and don’t apologize for going back for a second piece.

Kitchen Tips

• No sour milk on hand? Add a tablespoon of white vinegar to regular milk and let it sit for 5 minutes
• The crumb topping is the star. Make sure those reserved ¾ cup of crumbs are chunky, not fine
• Use an 8-inch square pan for the right thickness. A bigger pan will make the cake too thin
• Test with a toothpick at 35 minutes. Every oven is different and brown sugar can make the center look done when it’s not