Easy Crumb Cake

This Easy Crumb Cake with streusel topping is the best coffee cake you can make, even if you are a beginner baker. The perfect dessert to serve with coffee or tea!

If you enjoy baking coffee cakes, you may also like my Apple Crumb Cake or my Pumpkin Coffee Cake. All perfect desserts for fall!

Raise your hand if you are a crumb cake fan! I am too! It’s one of my favorite cakes to bake. It’s very easy and the streusel topping is absolutely perfect! Over the years, I perfected it and it never fails.

What I am looking for in a delicious coffee cake are a soft, fluffy cake base and a perfectly crunchy streusel topping. And while I just love the streusel, the cake layer needs to be delicious too! This one is soft, fluffy and not too sweet so it lets the crumb topping shine.

Crumb cake ingredients:

• all-purpose flour
• sugars: granulated and brown sugar
• baking powder and baking soda
• salt
• ground cinnamon
• eggs
• buttermilk
• vanilla extract
• vegetable oil

Crumb topping ingredients:

• flour
• granulated sugar
• brown sugar
• salt
• cinnamon
• butter: I melt and cool it completely

How to make Crumb Cake?

• Preheat the oven and prepare the pan.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk dry ingredients.
• Whisk wet ingredients in a large measuring cup or a medium bowl.
• Combine all and stir until combined. Do not overmix.
• Pour into prepared pan.

How to make a crumb topping?

• Start by melting butter in a bowl, in the microwave.
• Cool it completely. It should be cool to the touch.
• Mix dry ingredients in a bowl and add melted butter.
• Stir the mixture with a fork until it resembles coarse crumbs.
• Sprinkle over the cake layer and bake the cake!

Does coffee cake have coffee in it?

This is one of the most common questions I get on my coffee cake recipes. It is also the biggest misconception about this dessert. The cake does not have any coffee in it BUT it is the perfect dessert to serve with coffee (or tea) because it does not have frosting or a fruit layer. The cake and coffee pair perfectly!

Expert tips:

• I highly recommend using buttermilk in place of just milk in the cake batter. It will produce a fluffy crumb.
• My favorite way to make crumb topping is with melted and cooled butter. It has to be cool to the touch, otherwise, it will “cook” the flour mixture when stirred in and not form a proper crumb top.
• Always cool cake completely before slicing.
• You can use a square or round baking pan.

Storing:

Any leftovers should be store in a container with lid. You can keep it in the fridge or on the counter. Let it sit in room temperature before serving.

More cake recipes:

• Pineapple Coconut Crumb Bars
• Cinnamon Roll Cake from Scratch
• Apple Dump Cake 
• Cinnamon Apple Cake

For more recipes like this one, feel free to browse our Dessert category.

If you like this recipe and make it, snap a photo and share it on INSTAGRAM! Tag me @crunchycreamysweet so I can check it out and leave a comment!

5 from 3 votes

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Easy Crumb Cake

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

35 mins

Total Time

50 mins

 

This Easy Crumb Cake with streusel topping is the best coffee cake you can make, even if you are a beginner baker. The perfect dessert to serve with coffee or tea!

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: coffee cake, crumb cake

Servings: 9 servings

Calories: 480 kcal

Author: Anna

Ingredients

for the cake

• 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 large eggs room temperature
• ¾ cup buttermilk see note
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 1 ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

for the crumb topping

• ½ cup unsalted butter melted and cooled
• 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ⅓ cup packed light brown sugar
• ⅓ cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon salt

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375° F. Line 8 or 9" square or round baking pan with parchment paper or grease and flour. Set aside.

2. To make the cake:
3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk dry ingredients.
4. Whisk wet ingredients in a large measuring cup or a medium bowl.
5. Combine all and stir until combined. Do not overmix.
6. Pour into prepared pan.
7. To make the crumb topping:
8. Melt butter in a heat-proof bowl, in the microwave. Start with 20-second increments.
9. Cool it completely on the counter. It should be cool to the touch. Don't rush it and chill in the fridge or it will solidify.
10. Mix dry ingredients in a bowl and add melted butter.
11. Stir the mixture with a fork until it resembles coarse crumbs.
12. Sprinkle over the cake layer.
13. Bake the cake in a preheated oven for 32 to 35 minutes OR until a toothpick inserted in a few places comes out clean.
14. Cool cake completely before slicing.

Recipe Notes

• You can quickly make homemade buttermilk to use in this recipe. Follow my recipe here: https://www.crunchycreamysweet.com/buttermilk-substitute/
• Please note, that the nutrition value can vary depending on what product you use. The information below is an estimate. Always use calorie counter you are familiar with.

Nutrition Facts

Easy Crumb Cake

Amount Per Serving

Calories 480 Calories from Fat 216

% Daily Value*

Fat 24g37%

Saturated Fat 17g106%

Cholesterol 66mg22%

Sodium 265mg12%

Potassium 186mg5%

Carbohydrates 60g20%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 28g31%

Protein 6g12%

Vitamin A 401IU8%

Calcium 89mg9%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.