Strawberry Coffee Cake

When I first started looking at food blogs, and I mean like, the second blog I ever looked at, the one I checked from beginning to end and became obsessed with, was a cute little blog written by a sweet lady named Sherry. It was called "What Did You Eat?" and I'm sorry to say that by the time I got there, the most recent post was a memorial her husband had put up because she had lost her life to a sudden heart attack, though apparently she was no stranger to health problems by the end. Anyway my point is that I loved this woman's blog and it got me started on my road to blogdom. I know I go on and on about Ree (Pioneer Woman), but Sherry's blog will hold a place in my heart and I plan to make more of her delicious food. Her blog is where I found this cake's recipe and I thought of her while I made it. (Even though she got it from another friend's blog. Har.)

Oh boy. This cake was good. And super easy. And I mean that. The longest part was making the crumbley topping and that was only annoying because the butter started to melt. I could have put it back in the fridge for a bit but I was in a hurry. I made this cake while mom was visiting and the 6 people besides me who tried it all thought it was really good. You should try it too, it took no time to whip up!

If you leave it covered and on the counter, the topping will lose some of its crispness from the moist berries underneath and it isn't quite as delectable as the first few days so try to polish it off quickly. Next time I make it I'll store it in the fridge and see if that helps. Maybe I should have done that in the first place. OH WELL.

I didn't make a cast of characters shot because I was in a hurry. Butter, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, vanilla, milk, eggs, and strawberries. Honestly the only thing I had to buy for it was the berries, everything else was on hand.

Dry ingredients in a bowl. Sift them if you're fancy. One day I'll be fancy.

Yeah I know, shadow. SORRY I AM NOT AMAZING AT TAKING PICTURES. The lighting in my apartment is so all over the place. I quit.

Slice your berries in half! The recipe calls for 3 cups of berries and I found that one of those packages you buy from the store was almost exactly enough to make a layer over the top of the batter with only a few leftover to eat.

Wet ingredients and melted butter. Oh I just realized I forgot to take a picture of the crumbles and the making thereof. Oh well. You'll all figure it out, it's pretty simple.

Mix your wet and your dry ingredients together till combined. Smelling so yummy already. I love cinnamon in baked goods, it makes me happy.

Pour that batter into a greased 9x13 pan or baking dish and layer all your strawberry halves on top. Isn't it pretty?

Take your crumbles from the fridge and spread all over the top.

Then bake! Oh the finished cake is neat looking. Little pools of berry juice, bits where the cake has risen up over everything. Boy is it good.

Do yourself a favor and make this today. Or tomorrow. Just make it.

Strawberry Coffee Cake (original recipe by Butta Buns, recipe gotten from here)
Crumble Topping

• 1 c. flour
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1 stick of margarine (stick form is necessary), cold from the fridge  (I'm a hopeless butter fanatic--so I used it instead.)

To make crumble topping, sift the sugar and flour together in a large bowl. Place the margarine in the center of the bowl and sprinkle a little of the sugar and flour mixture over it. Place all 10 fingers on the stick and start crumbling it by making cat-kneading gestures with your fingers so the margarine turns into little pea sized bits. If you need a visual, refer to this little fella. Keep crumbling until the stick is completely whittled down.
Keep the bowl of crumbles in the fridge until you’re ready for it.

Strawberry Coffee Cake

• 2 c. flour
• 1 c. sugar
• 2 tbsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 c. milk
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 c. margarine, melted (Again, like Paula Deen, I use butter!)
• 3 c. strawberries, sliced

-Sift the first four ingredients together in a bowl and set aside
-Whisk the milk, eggs, vanilla, and melted margarine together in a bowl.
-Add the mix of wet ingredients to the bowl of dry ingredients.
-Beat together with a handheld mixer until well incorporated.
Pour into a pre-greased 13×9 pan. Arrange the sliced strawberries on top of the batter. Sprinkle the crumble toppings.
Bake at 350F for 35-45 minutes.

Thank you for this great recipe, Butta Buns and thank you Sherry for the delicious cake and for starting my addiction to food blogs.

Soooo gooooood.

Also, I miss my mommy. :(