Crumb Cake
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This classic crumb cake has a thick, buttery cinnamon crumb topping and a soft, tender vanilla cake underneath. It’s the perfect coffee cake for brunch, weekends, or anytime you want a simple bakery-style cake made from scratch.
When I was testing this crumb cake, I had two non-negotiables: a cake that could actually support a thick layer of crumbs and a generous, bakery-style topping that didn’t melt into the batter.
I started by using my vanilla layer cake recipe but the batter was too tender. After a few rounds of testing, sour cream turned out to be the key. I swapped the buttermilk for sour cream and it was perfect. It creates a sturdy, moist crumb that holds its structure under all that buttery cinnamon topping.
The result is a classic crumb cake with big, soft crumbs on top and a tender vanilla cake underneath—exactly the balance I was aiming for.
The cake stays moist thanks to sour cream, while the combination of butter and oil gives it great flavor without drying out. And the crumb topping bakes up in soft, chunky pieces—exactly how a crumb cake should be.
Ingredients
Crumb Topping
- ½ cup (107 g) packed light brown sugar
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (1 stick, 113 g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1 ¼ cups (150 g) all-purpose flour
Vanilla Cake
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Unsalted butter– If you use salted butter then reduce the salt slightly.
- Neutral oil – I recommend using canola or vegetable oil.
- Granulated sugar
- Eggs – Use room temperature eggs so they blend into the cake batter and don’t seize up the batter. Your cake will rise taller and have a finer crumb. Place the eggs in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes.
- Vanilla extract
- Sour cream – Make sure it’s room temperature. Full fat is best. You can also substitute with Greek yogurt.
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 9-inch baking pan. Set aside.
Make the crumb topping:
In a medium bowl, whisk together brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
Stir in the melted butter.
Add the flour and gently toss with a fork until soft crumbs form.
Stop mixing the crumb topping as soon as clumps form. Do not overmix. Set aside.
Combine dry ingredients:
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
Spoon and level flour for accurate measuring. Or use a kitchen scale for best results.
Cream butter, oil, and sugar:
In a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter, oil, and sugar together until smooth and combined, about 2–3 minutes.
Add eggs and vanilla:
Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the bowl as needed. Mix in vanilla extract.
Alternate dry ingredients with sour cream:
Add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the sour cream, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Mix just until combined.
Bake:
Spread batter evenly into the prepared pan. Crumble the topping evenly over the batter, breaking it into small clumps.
Bake for 40–45 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Allow the cake to cool before slicing.
Storage
Store covered at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to 5 days. You can also freeze leftover slices. Wrap well in plastic wrap and then store in a plastic bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before enjoying.
More Recipes To Try
If you’re craving more cake recipes try my chocolate chip coffee cake with a layer of streusel in the middle. I also love my butter cake recipe if you want something simple to bake up!
And you can’t go wrong with my Sock It To Me cake, an easy bundt cake made with a ribbon of pecans and cinnamon in the middle. Or try my caramel cake, a tender yellow layer cake with a pourable caramel icing that’s made on the stovetop.
Crumb Cake
Ingredients
For the crumb topping
- ½ cup (107 g) packed light brown sugar
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (1 stick, 113 g) unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
- 1 ¼ cups (150 g) all purpose flour
For the vanilla cake:
- 1 ½ cups + 2 Tablespoons (195 g) all purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup (½ stick, 57 g) unsalted butter softened
- ¼ cup (60 mL) neutral-tasting oil (canola or vegetable oil works)
- 1 cups (200 g) granulated white sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¾ cup (180 g) sour cream room temperature
Instructions
Make the cake:
- Preheat and prepare pan. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease and flour a 8×8 inch pan (or 9×9 inch pan). Set aside.
- Make the topping. Whisk together brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt in medium bowl until evenly combined. Add melted butter, with a wooden spoon or spatula, and stir to blend. Add the flour and toss with fork until moist clumps form. Do not overmix. You want soft, crumbles, and not a wet paste. Set aside. ½ cup (107 g) packed light brown sugar ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon salt ½ cup (1 stick, 113 g) unsalted butter 1 ¼ cups (150 g) all purpose flour
- Combine dry ingredients. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. 1 ½ cups + 2 Tablespoons (195 g) all purpose flour 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon salt
- Cream butter oil and sugar. In a second large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed, cream butter, oil and sugar together until smooth and combined about 2 to 3 minutes. ¼ cup (½ stick, 57 g) unsalted butter ¼ cup (60 mL) neutral-tasting oil 1 cups (200 g) granulated white sugar
- Add eggs, vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl after each addition. Add vanilla extract. Beat to combine. 2 large eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Alternate dry ingredients with sour cream. Alternate adding the flour mixture with the sour cream, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. ¾ cup (180 g) sour cream
- Bake. Add the batter to the prepared pan. Crumble the topping evenly over the top of the cake batter breaking it up into small clumps. Bake for 40-45 minutes until the cake is done when it's golden brown around the edges and toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove cake from the oven and allow it to cool before serving.
Notes
- Storage: Store covered at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to 5 days. You can also freeze leftover slices. Wrap well in plastic wrap and then store in a plastic bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before enjoying.
- Unsalted butter– If you use salted butter then reduce the salt slightly.
- Sour cream – Make sure it’s room temperature. Full fat is best. You can also substitute with Greek yogurt.
- Neutral oil – I recommend using canola or vegetable oil.
How can I adapt this using sourdough discard? 🙂
Great question! This recipe wasn’t originally designed for sourdough discard, but you could experiment by replacing some of the sour cream with an equal amount of discard. Since discard is thicker and tangier, I’d start by swapping in ¼ to ⅓ cup and reducing the sour cream slightly. The acidity could help tenderize the crumb, but the texture and rise might vary. Let us know if you try it! 😊
Finally the perfect recipe for an all time classic and favorite of mine! I’ve tried many recipes, looking for the nearest to a childhood favorite made by Entemanns. This is it! Making another one today!
Thank you for making my day with this comment! Nothing makes me happier than knowing a recipe brings back fond memories. So glad it’s the one you were searching for—happy baking! 😊