Here’s a simple guide to making a classic crumb cake, a soft cake topped with a sweet, buttery crumb topping—perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dessert:
🍰 Ingredients
Cake:
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup sour cream or plain yogurt
- ¼ cup milk
Crumb Topping:
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
🍳 Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9-inch square or round baking pan.
- Make crumb topping:
- Mix flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
- Cut in cold butter with a fork or pastry blender until it forms coarse crumbs. Set aside.
- Prepare cake batter:
- In a bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In another bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla.
- Mix in sour cream and milk.
- Gradually fold in the dry ingredients until just combined.
- Assemble:
- Pour batter into prepared pan.
- Sprinkle crumb topping evenly over the batter.
- Bake:
- Bake for 35–40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool slightly before serving.
💡 Tips
- For extra flavor, add chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans) to the crumb topping.
- Use brown sugar for a deeper, caramel flavor.
- Serve warm with coffee or tea for a classic treat.
✅ Benefits:
- Crumb cake is moist and tender, with a sweet, crunchy topping.
- Can be made ahead and kept for a few days in an airtight container.
If you want, I can also make a low-sugar or whole-wheat crumb cake version that’s lighter but still delicious. Do you want me to do that?
