Is this what crumb cake is supposed to look like?

After a really successful recipe last week, I was a bit hesitant to move forward. I'm really proud of everything I've made so far, but I'm waiting for something to go terribly wrong (like the Italian custard cream.) Buddy's new show on TLC "The Next Great Baker," premiered this week and it is awesome! I am in total admiration of what these people are able to accomplish in the kitchen, and I hope that some of the things I make can even begin to compare. My biggest problem I think, which played out this week, is that there aren't pictures for the recipes, so you don't necessarily know what everything is supposed to look like... but more on that in a bit.

I want to take a moment and get a bit personal. My school lost an amazing student this past weekend, so I want to dedicate this blog to his memory. Despite the loss, it is amazing to see a community come together and be stronger than ever. I have never been more proud to be a member of my school's community and I hope this sense of unity will carry on for a long time.

This week I decided to make the crumb cake recipe that Buddy uses, but instead of a cake I turned them into cupcakes. Because of the way I bring them around campus and have people sample and grade, it's much easier for me (and them) to have a cupcake and not a random slice of cake. The problem with doing cupcakes is that Buddy gives baking times for his cakes, but not the cupcakes. This then involved me standing in front of my oven and checking the cupcakes every minute or so to make sure that they aren't over- or under-baked. My OCD for these recipes is almost comical. I am an average baker, so I think that if I can manage these recipes, then most people should also be able to.

The first part of this recipe involved making the vanilla cake recipe from Buddy. One of the ingredients for this cake happens to be my arch-nemesis: the Italian Custard Cream. The only good news is that it's optional for this recipe. So for now, I did it without.  Eventually I would LOVE to try to make the cake with the cream, but at this point in the semester and my blog, it might just incite a nervous breakdown. The cake batter was pretty simple to make. I don't think I scraped the bowl well enough as it was going, because the batter seemed just a tad too runny and after I had filled all the cupcake sleeves, I found the bottom of the batter to be a bit thicker. The cake part still came out okay, but next time I make the vanilla cake I will definitely know better.

The next part of the baking process was making the crumb part. I followed the directions to a T, and am still not sure that it came out the way it was supposed to. It tasted the way it was supposed to, but I don't think it looked the way Buddy intended it to. It wasn't crumby at all. It almost looked like another batter of it's own. It was smooth and pretty thick. It was at this point that I might have had a tiny freak out, but Stacie, my roommate, assured my that it was probably okay. I tried to go with it and just make my best out of the situation. I admit that I probably overreacted just a tiny bit, but these recipes have become important to me, and I just want to get them right. In the end I think it all worked out.

The average grade for the Crumb Cake Cupcakes was about an A-/B+.   Some comments were:
"Nice fluffy cupcake. Great sweet and salty crumb."
"Very great crumb cake taste, but could have used some coffee or icing-- a little dry."
"Not too crumby. Moist- Delicious :)."
"Very good! Nice cake consistency. Not too moist or dry. Just right."

Overall, I'd say that this was another successful recipe. I know what I need to tweak next time I make them, but I do expect to be making them again!

So I'm not sure if I am going to be making a new recipe this coming week. It's finals week, which puts me in a difficult position. I do plan on baking something for the following week, which is going to be decided by a couple of friends.  I know that I am making cakeballs this week, which is one of my specialties. If it's okay with everyone, maybe I will go off track next week and do an entry on my cakeballs. If you don't know what cakeballs are, then you are in for a treat! 

Thanks everyone for all your support. Keep reading, commenting, giving suggestions, taste-testing, and sending on to your friends! xoxo.