Turn Store-Bought Cake Mix Into The Most Delicious And Easy Streusel Topping

If you're familiar with what streusel is and why it works as a coffee cake topping, you probably know why this stuff is so crave-able no matter where it shows up. It's composed of all the best things in your baking arsenal: flour, butter, and sugar, often with spices mixed in. As streusel bakes, all those ingredients caramelize and toast into crispy little flavor bombs that provide textural contrast to your treat. It's basically engineered to be irresistible. 

Still, for some, preparing streusel is an added step in the process that stands in the way of sweet satisfaction. Fortunately, there's a quick hack that can convert your box of cake mix into a simple topping using only one additional ingredient: butter. By combining butter with store-bought cake mix, you have the makings of a crunchy ingredient that not only levels up your coffee cake, but adds a customizable boost to a whole range of treats.

This shortcut streusel isn't massively different from the standard method. You'll still combine the butter with the dry mix until it forms those signature clumps — only here, you won't have to measure multiple dry ingredients. You can use cold butter or melted butter, and you'll want to start with about 4 to 6 tablespoons per 2 cups of mix (you can always add more if you're having trouble getting clusters to come together). After that, you can either bake your prepared crumbles on a parchment-lined sheet pan spread out in a layer, or you can just crumble it on top of your unbaked coffee cake or muffins and bake according to your recipe.

When picking your cake mix, remember that not all boxed varieties are created equal. The best options are the ones that have ingredients you recognize (like flour, sugar, and salt). Try a chocolate cake mix for a decadent twist, confetti mix for pops of color, or even go gluten-free. Customize your streusel with spices or add crunch and flavor with nuts. 

Whether baked right on top of your treats or on its own, this cake mix streusel can be enjoyed in so many ways. Bake it atop cranberry streusel bars or classic cinnamon sour cream coffee cake, or sandwich the baked version into a layer cake, or sprinkle it on homemade vanilla ice cream. Once you've mastered this crunchy stuff, the toughest part will be deciding how to use it.