The folks from Krusteaz* recently contacted me and asked if they could send some bake mixes to review. Since I already love Krusteaz’s fat-free Cranberry Orange Muffin Mix (I add fresh blueberries for an extra special muffin), I did not hesitate to say “Yes, please and thank you!”

Krusteaz sent me four mixes, three of them just in time for fall baking:

• Cinnamon Swirl Crumb Cake and Muffin Mix
• Pumpkin Spice Muffin Mix
• Pumpkin Pie Bar Mix
• Light and Fluffy Buttermilk Pancake Mix

I started off with the Cinnamon Swirl Crumb Cake and Muffin Mix and I have to say – Wow! I opted to make the cake instead of the muffins and it turned out crazy moist and wonderfully delicious. As suggested on Krusteaz’s website, I added a cup of diced apples to the mix, which blended great with the cinnamon and added a slight crunch to the cake. Gabe and Lexi loved, loved, loved this. So did I.

Ingredients

• 1 box Krusteaz Cinnamon Swirl Crumb Cake and Muffin Mix
• 2/3 cup water
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup apple, peeled, cored and diced small (I used a Red Delicious)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8x8x2-inch pan or spray it with cooking spray.

Place the cake mix, egg, apple pieces and water in a large bowl and stir until moistened. Batter will be slightly lumpy.

Place the cinnamon topping in a bowl and continue to follow the directions on the box.

Bake for 40-45 minutes. Let cool before serving.

OK, I must admit that I didn’t follow all of the directions and instead poured half of the cake batter into the greased pan and sprinkled it with half of the cinnamon topping and then repeated this step before making several swirls in the batter with a knife. I did bake it for 40 minutes as directed.

My cake probably didn’t turn out as pretty as it looked on the box, but that’s OK because it tasted phenomenal! So, so moist. And so, so easy. No one will know that it isn’t homemade! You can find Krusteaz mixes in the baking aisle of most grocery stores.

This goes great with a cup of hot coffee.

Next up: Krusteaz Pumpkin Spice Bars and Pumpkin Spice Muffins. If they are as wonderful as this crumb cake, it’s going to be a great weekend!

*Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Krusteaz in any way.

Bon appétit!

Eat, drink and be merry!

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