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Classic Crumb Cake

This crumb cake is heavenly! The cake is super moist but slightly dense. The crumb topping is full of rich butter and cinnamon goodness. Together, these two elements make an unforgettable cake that you'll want to have any time of the day!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time55 minutes
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12 slices

Ingredients

For the crumbs:

  • 1/3 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup butter unsalted, melted
  • 1 cup + 2 tablespoons flour all-purpose

For the cake:

  • 1 cup flour all-purpose
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 5 tablespoons butter unsalted, softened
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup sour cream

Instructions

For the crumbs:

  • Whisk sugars, cinnamon, and salt together in a medium mixing bowl. Add melted butter and mix with a spatula or wooden spoon to combine.
  • Add flour 1/3 of a cup at a time. Mix until fully combined. Place in refrigerator while you make cake batter. Don't worry -it shouldn't look like crumbs yet.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees (325 if you have a dark-coated pan). Prep your 9x9 square pan by lining it with parchment paper with a little hanging over for easy cake removal. Grease the paper with butter to prevent sticking.

For the cake:

  • Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in small bowl to combine. Set aside.
  • Whip butter and sugar together with a stand mixer or a hand mixer until it becomes light and fluffy. If using a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment.
  • Add egg and vanilla. Mix on low until fully incorporated.
  • In a separate small bowl, mix sour cream and milk together.
  • Add 1/3 of flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until just combined. Add 1/2 of the milk mixture to the butter mixture and mix until just combined. Repeat again until flour and milk mixtures are fully incorporated into the butter mixture. Now you have the batter ready to go!

Assembling the cake:

  • Take a spatula, scrap down the sides of the bowl of the cake batter to make sure you have all the ingredients mixed in. Pour batter into prepared dish and spread into an even layer.
  • Remove crumb mixture from the fridge. Using both hands, break apart the mixture into pea-sized chunks and cover evenly over the batter. They do not have to be even chunks. In fact, varied sizes gives the cake more character.
  • Bake the cake in the preheated oven for 32-35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. If you want a crispier top layer, cook for full 35 minutes.
  • Once finished baking, place on rack to cool for 10 minutes while still in cake pan. Then remove from cake pan to finish cooling on the rack. Can be served warm or cooled.