My Yeast-Raised Crumb Cake Will Have the Family Demanding Seconds!

Here is a piece of my Yeast-Raised Crumb Cake.

I can’t believe how fast summer is flying by. Instead of most of the country having beautiful warm weather, we have been dealt a bad hand with too much rain, severe storms, and unseasonably cold temperatures lately.  So the next time you find yourself staring out your window and watching those big drops ruin yet another weekend, I thought you might be in the mood to try my delicious Yeast-Raised Crumb Cake!
        
My recipe is quite easy to make as well as economical. Using just one teaspoon or packet of dry yeast, I am able to make three cakes without eggs and milk, which is great with the price of eggs and milk rising with each trip to the store. Although you can add an egg or two and replace one cup of the water for milk, I honestly don’t think you will miss them.

My cake has a nice, soft texture that is complimented with my scrumptious crumb topping.   With the portions that I am sharing, you will have enough topping for all three cakes for the thickness of the crumb layer that I like.  If you want a thicker layer, you will need to increase the amount so just do the math.

By all means, I only use a butter not margarine for the crumbs.  A margarine has too much water for crumbs, which always seem to sink into dough.  Butter, however, gives a wonderful sweet, pastry-like nugget that stays intact.

One last piece of advice, if you are afraid of working with yeast because you have never done so–then now is the time. Mary B. will take you through it so just read carefully and before you know it, you will never think it was hard to bake with yeast in the first place!


My Yeast-Raised Crumb Cake

2 cups of very warm water with 1 teaspoon of sugar
1 teaspoon of dry yeast
½ cup of canola or corn oil
½ cup of sugar
1 teaspoon of salt
6-1/2 to 7-1/2 cups of sifted flour

Crumb Topping:

2-1/2 cups of flour
1 cup of brown sugar (light or dark), firmly packed
3/4 cup of butter (not a margarine)
1-1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon

To make the dough:

Pour two cups of very warm water (not hot) in a large mixing bowl.  Test the temperature on the back of your wrist as you would for a baby.  Add the one teaspoon of sugar and the teaspoon of dry yeast to it.

Allow the yeast to feed on the sugar for a few minutes to proof it.  When you see some bubbling action, you will know it is time to add the flour.

Take out a wooden spoon because you will need it to combine the dough.  DO NOT ADD ALL THE FLOUR AT ONCE because you may need more or less of the amount I gave you depending on the weather, etc.  Sift a few cups, then stir in the salt.  Gradually, you keep adding and stirring the flour in until the dough feels soft, but not sticky. 

Knead on a floured surface or even in that large mixing bowl, which I do to cut down on dishes.  You won’t be playing with the dough forever, only until nothing sticks.  

Cover your bowl and allow the dough to grow for about two hours.
 
When that time is up and the dough is rising, you will grease three sheet cake pans approximately 15" x 10" x 2" in size. You can use larger pans.  I use the smaller sizes because I like to store some in the freezer.

Divide the dough into three pieces of the same size.  You can roll out for a prettier appearance or just pat a piece of that dough into each cake pan.  

Top each cake with some of the crumb mixture and let grow in the pan for about 1-1/2 hours.

Bake in a 400-degree oven for about 15 to 20 minutes, depending on how your oven is regulated.

To prepare the crumb topping:

Prepare as you would pastry by rubbing the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and butter together until you mix into yummy nuggets.  This is enough to top all three of your cakes.

ENJOY!

This is how many of my Yeast-Raised Crumb Cakes you might expect from this recipe.

Recipe: My Chocolate Chip Raised Dough Coffee Cake Is a Great Weekend Treat!

Unlike a quick bread type of coffee cake, my recipe is for a delicious yeast raised sweet dough version complete with chocolate chips that you make in a tube cake pan. This light and tender dough is topped with a yummy chocolate and nut crumb topping that carries this coffee cake to glorious new heights to remind you of one from a bakery.

The next time that you are in the mood to bake, I do hope you think of me and print out this recipe.   


My Chocolate Chip Raised Dough Coffee Cake

Cake Dough:

½ cup of milk
1 stick of margarine (not spread) or canola oil
2 packages active dry yeast (2 teaspoons)
1/3 cup of sugar + 1 teaspoon
3/4 teaspoon of salt
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
½ cup of very warm (not hot) water
2 large eggs, beaten
3-1/2 cups of sifted flour
½ cup of chocolate chips


Crumb Topping:

½ cup of sifted flour
1/3 cup of brown sugar, firmly packed
½ cup of chopped nuts
½ cup of chocolate chips
1/4 cup of margarine (not spread)
1-1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon


To prepare the dough:

Scald the milk and then take off of the heat.

Add the margarine, vanilla, sugar, and salt and stir together. Allow mixture to cool to lukewarm.

Judge how hot the very warm water is by testing the temperature on the wrist before stirring in the yeast and teaspoon of sugar. (The sugar feeds the yeast and helps speed up the growing process). Stir until dissolved.

When the yeast begins to bubble in your mixing bowl, add the milk mixture, eggs, and 2-1/2 cups of the flour.

You can use an electric mixer and beat until smooth for about 30 seconds or so.

Now is the time you will want to grab a large wooden spoon to mix instead of your mixer. Slowly, you will finish adding the rest of the flour and chips to combine.

Take your batter and turn it out into a well greased 10-inch tube cake pan.

Top with the crumb topping mixture that you prepare by rubbing the flour, sugar, nuts, margarine, cinnamon, nuts, and chips together with your fingers as you would do for typical shortening pastry dough.
   
Cover and let the cake rise in a warm place until doubled in size (about 1-1/2 hours).

Bake in a 400-degree oven for about 35 minutes, depending on how your oven is regulated.

ENJOY!

Recipe: Let Me Tempt You With Lick Your Lips Coffee Cake!

This coffee cake is so easy to make.

You may be wondering how this coffee cake got this unusual name.  Just blame the name on my silly family.  They love this cake so much that every time they want me to make it my gang does this crazy thing.   They sit around the table, look at me, and start licking their lips.  Weird, I know but they're yours and this is what they do.  Though goofy as they are, this little ritual was effective and became a running joke with us--and there you have it--the truth about Lick Your Lips Coffee Cake.

This is not your typical coffee cake with a coarse crumb.  The texture is a finer one and buttery while moist.  You'll be surprised at how well my recipe keeps too.  Before you know it, your crew will be licking their lips, hoping you'll get the hint and make it for them too!

Lick Your Lips Coffee Cake

This coffee cake is so tender and moist.

1 egg
1 cup buttermilk or 1 cup sour milk or 1 cup milk + 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon baking soda (dissolve in your milk)
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup margarine
2 teaspoons of baking powder
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

My Easy Coffee Cake Topping

1/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Mix together and sprinkle on your batter once in your pan.

Cream the sugar and margarine thoroughly.  Add your egg.  Sift flour, salt, and baking powder together in your mixing bowl.  Add alternately with the buttermilk that you dissolved your baking soda in.  This will be a thicker dough. 

Mix well and place in a buttered 10-inch pie pan.   Sprinkle your Coffee Cake Topping over the batter.  Bake at 375 degrees for about 30-minutes or until you insert a toothpick and it comes out clean.