Carrie & Martha - Streusel Cupcakes

These cupcakes are exactly what Martha says to introduce them: "all the features of a traditional coffee cake - tender cake base, crumbly streusel top, and simple milk-and-sugar glaze."

They came out pretty yummy. I believe I over baked them just a tiny bit due to the fact that it is a bit difficult to tell by their tops if they are done. Be sure to use a cake tester to see if they are done in the middle.

They are incredibly crumbly, which means messy. Very messy. Keep your dustbuster handy while eating them!

My big suggestion on these cupcakes is for the streusel topping. Although it was my first attempt at making these cupcakes and I haven't perfected them yet, I would suggest adding a little bit of extra butter to the streusel topping, possibly 1 or 2 Tbs. I felt that even after some crazy usage of my pastry blender (first time use!) and some finger squishing of the topping, I blended it properly with a correct amount of crumbliness. However, even after coming out of the oven, the topping simply looked like brown sugar clumps hanging out on top of the cupcakes. The butter seemed to have very little baking effect and didn't brown the brown sugar to my liking. I believe that it would help to make the streusel less crumbly and more baked to add a little more butter.

Streusel Cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. coarse salt
• 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbs. (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/2 tsp. pure vanille extract
• 1 1/4 cups sour cream
• Streusel Topping (recipe follows)
• Milk Glaze (recipe follows)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder,and salt.
   
2. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scarping down sides of bowl as needed. Stir in vanilla by hand. Add flour mixture and sour cream; stir until just combined.
3. Divide batter evenly among lined cups. Sprinkle half the topping over cupcakes, gently pressing it into the batter. Sprinkle evenly with remaining topping. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until golden brown and a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes.
4. To finish, place cupcakes on a wire rack set over a baking sheet; drizzle evenly with milk glaze. Glazed cupcakes can be stored up to 3 days at room temperature in airtight containers.

Streusel Topping
(makes enough for 24 cupcakes)

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup packed dark-brown sugar
• 2 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp. coarse salt
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tsp. (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
  

Whisk together flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt; cut in the utter using a pastry blender, your fingertips, or two table knives until combined but still crumbly. Regrigerate30 minutes before using.

Milk Glaze

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
• 3 Tbs. milk

Whisk together ingredients until smooth. Use immediately.