Crumbly Coffee Cake Muffins

I have been completely under estimating coffee cake these past few years. If I am in the mood for a sweet and decadent breakfast I would much rather have a donut, croissant, or muffin. And what is so exciting about a fluffy cake topped with a generous helping of sweet and crunchy streusel? Um, how about everything!? Okay, it may not be exciting, but boy is it delicious! Sometimes I forget that simplicity can still be delicious. 

To me, the best part of any coffee cake is the super crumbly, crunchy, sweet, and salty topping. There isn't really a trick to streusel topping, you can just about as much sugar, cinnamon, and salt you want to suite your taste. Except I would recommend that you don't forget the flour, like I did in my first batch of muffins. The flour holds together the little crumbles of streusel so they stay in tact on top of the muffin. Without the flour, my first batch just melted down into the muffin. Don't get me wrong, it was still delicious, but not really coffee cake material. On the second round I remembered the flour and the streusel turned out perfectly! 

I know I have talked a lot about the the topping, but it is the contrast with the light and spongy cake beneath that makes it such a classic. I like to lightly season my cake with a bit of cinnamon and nutmeg to compliment the top. 

You could definitely make this in a square pan as a cake and it would be just as good. But I like the muffin size because it is so much easier to transport  (since I bring most of my baked goods to work) and I think the topping to cake ratio is a bit better since it doesn't all fall off when you cut into it. 

Buttery, sweet, and delicious. Perfect to accompany your morning cup of coffee.

Recipe

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients

Muffin:

• 5 tbsp butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 tsp vanilla

Topping:

• 1 cup flour
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup butter, chilled and cubed

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin tin with liners.
2. In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix eggs one at a time.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
4. In a measuring cup measure out buttermilk, then spoon in sour cream until milk reaches the 1 cup mark. Then pour in vanilla and mix to combine.
5. Spoon 1/3 of the flour mixture into the butter mixture and mix to combine. Pour half of the liquid ingredients in and mix. Repeat with half of the remaining flour mixture and liquid ingredients, ending with the last of the flour mixture. Mix until just combined, then set aside.
6. To make the topping, whisk together the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Then cut in the butter using a pastry cutter or two forks until the mixture looks like gravel.
7. Spoon the cake batter into the muffin liners until they are only halfway full, then top with the streusel topping until it reaches the level of the liner.
8. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean and the topping is golden brown.