Cake - why is it so crumbly?

17 years ago

This is my favourite coffee cake but if falls apart so easily. Is there anything I can do to make it hold its shape a lot better?

1 1/2 cups flour, 2 tsp powder, 1 tsp soda,1/4 tsp salt, 1/2 cup butter/marg (I usually use marg), 1 cup sugar, 2 eggs, 1 tsp vanilla, 1 cup sour cream

sift measure flour (don't sift), resift with powder, soda and salt (another step I skip). Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy (usually stir until combined). Add eggs to combined mixture, one at a time, beating well, stir in vanilla, add dry ingredients with sour cream.

Pour half mixture in pan add a layer of topping (br. sugar, cinnamon & nuts) sprinkle 1/2 over batter and add remaining batter. Sprinkle with remaining mixture. Bake 45-50 min at 350.

Is it because I am slacking when prepping the ingredients? Any help would be great. Thanks.

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Comments (9)

spedigrees z4VT
17 years ago
I don't know as there is any way to avoid the crumbly texture. Your coffee cake sounds very similar to the bisquick coffee cake I make, also tasty and also crumbly. I think it is just the nature of the beast (or nature of the cake.)
cookie8
Original Author
17 years ago
I am on snack duty tomorrow and wanted to bring this but may change my mind since it falls apart too easily. Muffins it is, I guess.
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I may have made the wrong assumption, was it a dry crumbly or moist crumbly? I thought it was crumbly from being too moist, but now I need to make sure after thinking about it again. If it's from being too moist, I wouldn't use larger eggs, or an extra egg. --Are there tunnels channeling through the cake crumb? That means the batter was over-mixed or there was too much egg. --Cracks on top can mean: *It was over-mixed. Don't use an electric mixer - use a Danish Dough Whisk or a wooden spoon to help prevent over-mixing the batter and developing too much gluten. Or if you use an electric mixer, only mix the dry ingredients in until they are incorporated, and no more than that) *The batter was too firm. *Can be due to too all the add-ins. *Too much leavening. *Oven door opened too early. I would cream the fat and sugar, then add the eggs and mix lightly, and finally the applesauce; not all together as the instructions indicate. I bet that one change would improve the cake. Did you need to let the cake "ripen" due to the high concentration of fruit before slicing it? -Grainlady
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lindac
17 years ago
One of the things is it probably has too much flour....sift it...those directions are there for a reason.
And cream the butter and sugar together with a beater....again those directions are there for a reason.
I make that same coffee cake, I call it Margaret's coffee cake because that's who gave me the recipe...I cook it in a tube pan (angel food pan) and follwo the prep directions....and other than the topping, it's not crumbly at all.
Sift your flour....then measure then sift again with the b.powder and soda....and cream the eggs and sugar....it will make a duifference.
Linda C
khandi
17 years ago
I agree... you have to CREAM the butter and sugar, not just COMBINE.
cookie8
Original Author
17 years ago
Okay, this is why I am such a miserable baker - way too lazy. Thanks.
Daisyduckworth
17 years ago
Are you using the recommended size cake tin? Sometimes, if your cake is spread out too thin, it will cook more quickly and become too dry.

Does the batter see too heavy when you pour it into the tin? It should be quite moist and flow fairly easily. If it doesn't, it wouldn't hurt to add a little milk to it. I tend to judge 'by eye' rather than 'by recipe', adding more flour it the mixture seems sloppy, or more liquid if it seems too dry. And flour does vary, batch to batch, in the amount of liquid it requires.

And Linda C is quite right. Never, ever skimp on the creaming process, or the sifting! The butter and sugar must be fully incorporated together, and the sifting not only helps to combine mixed ingredients evenly, but incorporates air into the flour, making the end-product lighter.

There is another solution. You could use self-raising flour, and omit the baking powder and soda. Still needs sifting to aerate, however.

Also check to see your oven temperature is accurate.
cookie8
Original Author
17 years ago
Well, that helped. Held together perfectly. Now if I can only get my days right - I'm on coffee/snack next week not today, grrr - hope it freezes well.
lindac
17 years ago
Eat it.....make another!
shirleywny5
17 years ago
I have a similar recipe which bakes in a 9 X 13 pan. I cut in half and freeze for those last minute "Bring Anything" events.

Cake - why is it so crumbly?

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spedigrees z4VT

cookie8
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khandi

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Cake - why is it so crumbly?

Comments (9)

spedigrees z4VT

cookie8Original Author

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lindac

khandi

cookie8Original Author

Daisyduckworth

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cookie8
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