Here’s a classic New York–style Crumb Cake — soft, buttery cake with a thick, cinnamon-brown sugar crumb topping. Simple, cozy, and perfect with coffee.
Classic Crumb Cake
Ingredients
Crumb Topping
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
- Pinch of salt
Cake
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup milk
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
1. Prep
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Grease an 8×8-inch baking pan (or line with parchment).
2. Make the Crumb Topping
- In a medium bowl, mix brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt.
- Pour in the melted butter and stir until large clumps form.
- Set aside — it should be chunky.
3. Make the Cake Batter
- In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- In another bowl, whisk egg, sour cream, milk, melted butter, and vanilla.
- Pour wet ingredients into dry and mix gently until just combined (batter will be thick).
4. Assemble & Bake
- Spread cake batter evenly into the pan.
- Scatter crumb topping generously over the batter — press lightly so it adheres.
- Bake 30–35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Cool slightly, then dust with powdered sugar if desired.
Tips
- For extra thick crumb (like bakery style), double the topping.
- Don’t overmix the batter — that’s the key to a tender cake.
- Swap cinnamon for a pinch of nutmeg or cardamom for variation.
If you want, I can give you:
✨ A sour cream bakery-style crumb cake (super tall crumb)
🍎 An apple crumb cake
🍋 A lemon crumb cake
🎄 A holiday spice crumb cake
Which one sounds good?
