RECIPE: Crumb Cake

One of the things I love about our family's summers is baseball. My son has played travel baseball with the same core group of boys in our town for 5 years. Though the weeks of July are very busy with gymnastics practices most weekday mornings and baseball games most weekday nights, I have thoroughly enjoyed spending the summer evenings on the bleachers of baseball fields with my neighbors, and often our parents, while also experiencing a gamut of emotions as we chat, laugh, and cheer our boys through their games. Truly, these are some of the best years of my life...

Well, one of the highlights of this summer's baseball season was this crumb cake recipe! I have LOVED crumb cake since working at a neighborhood bakery at 16. Seeing, then tasting, this recipe during the summer's home-run derby (thanks to my friend Jeanie's 80 year-old mom) brought back a flood of memories...it looked and tasted just like the fresh bakery-version! Jeanie's mom was happy to share her easy recipe with me, but under the condition that I actually follow-through and make it. She warned me saying that she would check-up on me ;-). So, of course, I was more compelled to make this delicious addition to any cup of coffee or tea:

INGREDIENTS:

1 box of yellow cake mix (Betty Crocker or Pillsbury)
3 eggs
1 & 1/3 cups water
1 tsp vanilla extract

Crumb Topping:

3 sticks of butter, melted
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
3 tsp cinnamon
3 tsp vanilla extract
3 & 1/2 - 4 cups of baking flour
powdered sugar

INSTRUCTIONS:

Mix eggs, water, and vanilla in a mixing bowl with a hand mixer until blended.
Slowly empty contents of the box of yellow cake mix into the bowl; mix altogether for 2 minutes.
Spread the yellow cake mixture evenly onto a greased cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until light brown. Allow about 5-10 minutes to cool after pulling out of the oven.
While the cake is baking, melt 3 sticks of butter in a clean mixing bowl; then add sugars, cinnamon, and vanilla. Mix after each addition.
Slowly add 3 & 1/2 - 4 cups of baking flour, mixing as you go; until the crumb mixture is somewhat dense/dry.
Drop crumb mixture in lumps all over the top of the cake, then bake in the oven for 18 minutes at 350 degrees.
Let crumb cake cool completely. Sprinkle powdered sugar along the top, generously, before serving.