The Best Crumb Cake of All Time

If you’re ever wondering how to do very well in high school without carrying any books ever, this crumb cake is the answer. Well, this and chocolate chip cookies.

This recipe comes together in under an hour, doesn’t require any fancy tools or equipment, and is perfect for a weekend breakfast when you’re craving something sweet and only have a few ingredients around.

This is straight up Martha Stewart’s recipe, I haven’t changed one single thing because not one single thing needs changing. However- I have made this in many different ovens and sometimes it bakes for 20 minutes and it’s done and sometimes it needs 30 minutes, so just keep an eye on it after 20 and poke it with a toothpick every so often until comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs attached.

Take note that while this cake is DELICIOUS straight out of the oven, it’s most authentically eaten at room temperature, when the crumbs have had a chance to cool and congeal. This is one of the only times that we’re happy about things congealing and not grossed out by it. Once this cake is cool, the crumbs will have that beautiful melt-in-your-mouth texture. This cake keeps really well for up to a week stored in an airtight container!

Perfect Crumb Cake
Recipe from Martha

1 1/2 c flour
1/2 c sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1/2 c milk
2 TBSP canola/veg oil
2 tsp vanilla

1 c light brown sugar
2 1/2 c flour
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 sticks unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1/2 c confectioners sugar

Preheat the oven to 325.

Grease and flour a 9x13” cake pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the 1 1/2 c flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, oil and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until combined. Spread into the 9x13” pan and set aside.

In the bowl you used the dry ingredients for, stir together the light brown sugar, remaining flour and cinnamon. Stir in the butter until combined and using your hands, break crumbs of the mixture off and cover the entire cake with crumbs. Bake for 20-30 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

When the cake has cooled slightly, dust the top with confectioners sugar.

xo,
Audrey

Ballin' on a Budget: Three Ingredient Tomato Sauce

Homies. This recipe is truly a magic trick. You turn a can of tomatoes, a half a stick of butter & half of an onion into the richest, dreamiest pasta sauce you’ve ever had. YOU DON’T EVEN HAVE TO CHOP ANYTHING! All there is to it is to open a can and combine all of the ingredients in a pan- let them simmer away for 45 minutes and you.are.in.bidnezzzzz.

The key here is to use niiiiice canned tomatoes. San Marzano are a non-negotiable here, as the quality of San Marzano tomatoes is what makes this sauce so simple and good. They are typically a few bucks more than your average mass produced canned tomatoes, but even with a pound of pasta this recipe comes together for way less than 10 bucks.

San Marzano tomatoes are much like Champagne in that they come from a specific region- San Marzano. They’re grown in the volcanic soil at the base of Mt. Vesuvius which somehow cuts the acidity. They also have thicker walls and fewer seeds than a traditional Roma tomato, which fills them with flavor. They are expertly cared for and picked at peak ripeness so you can be positive that every can of San Marzanos you pick up will be well, perfetto.

As always, you can check out the video for this recipe HERE on my IGTV!

(I can take no credit for this recipe as it is well well known and exploded the internet about 8 years ago- I’m just reminding you about it in case you’ve never heard of it!)

Three Ingredient Tomato Sauce
makes enough for 1 lb pasta

28 oz can San Marzano tomatoes, whole peeled
1/2 stick butter
1/2 medium onion

Place all of the ingredients in a large saucepan over medium-low heat and bring to a simmer (yes, leave the onion halved!). Allow to simmer for 45 minutes- after fifteen minutes, use the back of a spoon to press the tomatoes against the side of the pan to help them along in their breaking-down process.

Boil water in a large stockpot for the pasta and heavily salt it. I’m talking like three enormous pinches. Maybe four. Cook the pasta until al dente and add one ladle full of the starchy, salty water to the sauce just before tossing the pasta with the sauce to serve- this helps the sauce stick to the pasta! Top with shaved parmesan if you’re into that sorta thing!

xo,
Audrey