Crumb Cake

Published April 15, 2015. Updated June 27, 2019

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The world needs more crumb cake. I mean how could your day go wrong if you start it out with a piece of this dreamy and decadent, over-the-top Crumb Cake? How I wish I could have this every day for breakfast.

Crumb Cake | Cooking Classy

You’ll love then generous layer of crisp, buttery, cinnamon laden crumbs atop that pillowy-soft, moist cake that’s swirled with notes of vanilla and an ever so light tang from the sour cream. This is one of my favorite breakfast cakes, like ever.

I’m a crumbaholic. If it has crumbs I need it, and this is overloaded with them to the max! I just love the contrast of a fluffy cake next to a dense crumbly crumb.

Last year I attempted several times to make a crumb muffin and it just never worked for me because the crumbs would either end up swallowed up by the muffin or all spread out to the edges (which made since because I never used a super tall cupcake liner to keep everything intact).

Luckily, things worked out much better in cake form. This cake turned out to be the best crumb cake I’ve ever had and I already can’t wait to make it again!

Crumb Cake | Cooking ClassyCrumb Cake | Cooking Classy

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4.81 from 47 votes

Crumb Cake

A deliciously soft and tender cake topped with a crisp buttery crumble. Perfect for a weekend breakfast or holiday brunch. 
Servings: 9
Prep25 minutes
Cook35 minutes
Ready in: 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients

Crumbs

Cake

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8 by 8-inch baking dish then line with two sheets of parchment, butter parchment (alternately you can just butter and lightly flour the dish if you don't care to lift out the whole cake).
  • For the crumbs:
  • In a mixing bowl whisk together brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon and salt. Pour in melted butter and stir to combine.
  • Slowly add flour and mix with wooden spoon or a spatula until no streaks of flour remain. Set aside to rest while cake batter is prepared.
  • For the cake:
  • In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt for 20 seconds, set aside.
  • In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip together butter and granulated sugar until pale and fluffy. Mix in egg and vanilla. In liquid measuring cup used to measure milk, whisk together sour cream with milk.
  • Add in 1/3 of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and blend just until combined, then add 1/2 of the milk mixture and mix just until combined. Repeat process once more, then end by mixing in last 1/3 of the flour mixture until nearly combined. Scape down sides and bottom of bowl using a rubber spatula and fold batter to fully incorporate.
  • Pour batter into prepared baking dish and spread into an even layer. Break crumb mixture into pea size crumbs and drop evenly over batter.
  • Bake in preheated oven until toothpick inserted into center comes out free of batter and cake doesn't sink when touched in center, about 32 - 35 minutes. Cool in cake pan 10 minutes, then using parchment overhang lift cake from pan and cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container.
Nutrition Facts
Crumb Cake
Amount Per Serving
Calories 400 Calories from Fat 171
% Daily Value*
Fat 19g29%
Saturated Fat 12g75%
Cholesterol 66mg22%
Sodium 167mg7%
Potassium 114mg3%
Carbohydrates 54g18%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 28g31%
Protein 4g8%
Vitamin A 587IU12%
Calcium 54mg5%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition values are estimates only. See full disclaimer here.

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140 Comments

  • RG

    Question: I would like to incorporate apples into this. Do you have a recommendation on the best way to do that and any adjustments that should be made if I were to try that?

    • Jaclyn

      Jaclyn Bell

      I would just peel and dice into small cubes and toss with a little bit of flour before adding.

  • Heather Benedict

    My crumbs didn’t look anything like the picture! They were very fine and basically fell off of the cake when I cut a piece and picked it up. I measured everything carefully. The cake portion tasted good. It ended up looking like cake with sand on the top.

    • Elaine Sinclair

      Made exactly as directed, except used a greased and floured 8″ round pan. It was exactly what I wanted it to be. Saved in my recipe files.

      I do recommend bringing egg and dairy to room temperature before using. Simply take them out of fridge and measure beforehand. Do make crumb dough (will look like dough) before cake batter. It does need to sit to become crumbly when you rip some off. Don’t skimp on any ingredient (meaning butter). That affects crumb texture.

  • Liv

    I made this quite a few times and it’s always a HUGE hit! Even for my friends who aren’t big on dessert absolutely love this and asked for the recipe.

  • Chocolate Bear

    A seriously wonderful recipe, I call it the sugar cookie of cakes.
    I did not have sour cream and used yogurt, it was still amazing so that works if you don’t have sour cream.
    I would love to make cinnamon rolls with the cake batter, it was so fluffy and pleasant, I loved all of it. It was good even when chilled.

    Thank for you sharing your recipes and providing great pictures.

  • Shelly

    This is a wonderful crumb cake, the best I have ever had. Making it again today for the 4th. time. Thanks