An easy cake recipe

A slice of crumb cake and a cup of tea are on a wooden table

I’m a cake fiend. I love it! I’d eat it all day long if I could, but alas my body doesn’t need that much sugar, so I try to keep it for a weekend treat. This recipe is my easy one that I’ll do on a Sunday afternoon if I’m not feeling like making a big production and the box cake mix makes it ridiculously easy (no judgment needed on my love of boxed cake mixes.)

Here’s the very cool thing about a crumb cake. You can get adventurous and customize exactly as the moody takes you by adding other fillings to the middle - dice up some apples and blast them in the microwave or oven to soften up, then add them in with the sugar filling. I’ve roasted Rhubarb and added it. I’ve added chocolate chips. Raspberry jam is one of my favs! Serve with a good strong cup of British tea and life is good.
Crumb cake and tea on a wooden table

Recipe:
For the filling and topping:
8 tablespoon butter 
1 cup flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoon cinnamon
*if you are planning not to use this mix for the filling and use something like jam, half the ingredients.

Cake mix:
If you’re some sort of cooking pro (or just not a lazy bum like me) then make up your fav vanilla cake mix. 

If you’re feeling my pain and want to go boxed, use a Yellow cake mix (Trader Joes vanilla cake mix is also excellent for this!)  Add 1 extra egg than the boxed recipe calls for. If the recipe calls for water, use Milk instead, and if it calls for oil, use melted butter.

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350F.
  • Make the boxed cake mix according to the instructions, and add the extra egg to the mix.
  • Make filling & topping: add the butter, flour, brown sugar and cinnamon to a food processor and pulse until coarse crumbs form. Or use your hands/pastry cutter to mix.
  • Grease a 9x9 baking pan. Pour in ½ of cake batter, and spread to all four corners. Sprinkle the filling over top, then pour in remaining cake batter, and spread carefully across the top, disturbing the filling layer as little as possible.
  • Sprinkle the remainder of the topping over the top and press lightly so it adheres.
  • Bake in preheated oven for 45-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool for a while, and devour!
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