Cinnamon Crumb Cake
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The irresistible, extra thick, cinnamon brown sugar crumb topping is just the beginning of this fun-to-eat New York style Cinnamon Crumb Cake.
I’ve more than doubled the thickness of the buttery crumb topping. I didn’t want just a small crumb, so you’ll be happy with the generous crumb on this recipe. I also made it a point to create a super moist, melt-in-your mouth cake layer. It has just the right amount of butter, vanilla, sour cream and sweetness to get you craving more of this crumb cake.
I found using a 9×9 inch cake pan was the best for this recipe. I used an aluminized, non-stick pan, not glass. The size of the pan to get the perfect height of the crumb and cake is just as important as balancing out the ingredients to get the perfect size to the crumb, crumble and crumb to cake ratio! Note: this recipe was tested in an 8×8 inch pan, but overflowed in the pan and the middle did not cook through.
I really wanted a moist cake layer and a thick crumb layer for this recipe. There is just nothing worse than a dry, crumbly cake in my opinion! I’ve worked out all the kinks, so you don’t have to, to make the most delicious Cinnamon Crumb Cake.
If you’re a big fan of cinnamon, check out my recipes for Cinnamon Banana Bread, Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cookies, and Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls!
Reasons Why You Will Love My Cinnamon Crumb Cake
- It’s a great crowd-pleasing dessert.
- It’s the perfect treat for breakfast, brunch, served with coffee, or after dinner with scoop of ice cream.
- It is easy to make.
- It is so moist that if you have stored it properly, it will be just as moist 2 to 3 days after baking!
What is the difference between crumb cake and coffee cake?
The biggest difference between crumb cake and coffee cake is the crumb. With Crumb Cake, the crumb is bigger and you have so much more crumb that you can pick off the large chunks of crumb and pop them in your mouth (it’s like getting two desserts in one). On a Coffee Cake, the crumb size is much smaller so you can’t really pick off the crumb. Since we have so much more crumb on a crumb cake, there is more sugar in the recipe, so the crumb cake is sweeter than the coffee cake.
Ingredient Notes
- Cake flour: If you know me you know I love baking with cake flour. Especially for this recipe. Using cake flour will create soft and tender cakes.
- Baking powder: This lightens the texture of the cake by enlarging the bubbles in the cake batter.
- Baking soda: Interacts with acids in the recipe creating carbon dioxide which creates bubbles. These bubbles cause the batter to rise.
- Cinnamon: gotta have some cinnamon in a Cinnamon Crumb Cake!
- Kosher salt: The fine grain of Kosher salt is great for baking, because it disperses quickly into ingredients
- Unsalted butter: Room temperature to mix together easily. The butter in the crumb topping will be melted.
- Eggs: room temperature so they mix more evenly into the cake.
- Sour cream: the creamy texture of sour cream makes the cake more moist than if you just used milk. I haven’t tested this recipe with Greek yogurt but I think that would be a fine substitution.
- Whole milk: the purpose of using whole milk is that the fat content makes the cake more moist, so it is always best to use whole milk when a recipe calls for milk.
- Vegetable oil: The cake will be loftier, will have more of a crumb, and will be more moist. This was something I added into the cake after a few rounds of testing to really help with the moist texture!
- Confectioners sugar for topping: A light dusting adds the finishing touch to this delicious cake.
Step by Step Directions
These are just brief step by step directions. Be sure to scroll all the way to the recipe card for the full detailed instructions.
- Make the crumb topping first and set aside.
- Make the cake layer next.
- Spread cake layer into a 9×9 inch cake pan.
- Crumble the crumb topping over the top of the cake batter.
- Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar, slice and enjoy!
Tips and Variations
- When mixing in the dry ingredients, be sure to keep the mixer on low speed.
- Careful not to over mix the crumb topping or the cake batter.
- There are so many options when it comes to customizing your crumb cake: Raspberry, blueberry, apple, peanut butter, chocolate, or salted caramel.
- For the perfect soft and moist crumb cake do not over bake.
- When adding the crumb topping gently press the topping on top of the batter just so it sticks.
- Make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature so they will mix easily and quickly.
- It’s important to measure your flour accurately.
- Make sure your brown sugar for the crumb topping is soft and moist.
FAQ
Why is my crumb topping soggy?
This often happens if the crumb topping is over mixed or the melted butter was too hot when you mixed it in.
How long does crumb cake stay fresh?
Stored in an air tight container on the counter, it will stay fresh for 2 – 3 days.
Can I freeze crumb cake?
Yes, my Cinnamon Crumb Cake recipe is freezer friendly. Just wrap it once it has cooled and store in an air tight container and pop it in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Can I bake it in a 9×13 pan?
I haven’t tested this recipe in a 9×13 inch pan. But, I am sure it would work, they cake and crumb would just be thinner and you would need less bake time. I did test this recipe in an 8×8 inch pan and it overflowed, so I wouldn’t recommend that.
What type of pan should I use?
I found using a 9×9 inch cake pan was the best for this recipe. I used an aluminized, non-stick pan, not glass. This recipe has not been tested in a glass pan. If using glass, the bake time will be longer.
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Cinnamon Crumb Cake
Ingredients
For the crumb topping
- 1 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 3/4 cup white granulated sugar
- 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour, divided
For the cake
- 3 cups cake flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2/3 cup sour cream, room temperature
- 1/3 cup whole milk, room temperature
- 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
- powdered sugar for garnish
Last step! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F
- Line a 9×9 inch aluminized steel cake pan with parchment paper or grease with baking spray. Set aside. (Note: This recipe was not tested in a glass cake pan).
- Make the crumb topping first: whisk together 1 ½ cups of flour, both sugars, cinnamon and salt. Mix in the melted butter until mostly combined. Then slowly add in the remaining 1 cup flour until large crumbles form. I like to use my fingers to make large clumps and careful not over mix. Set aside.3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed, 3/4 cup white granulated sugar, 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon, 1 tsp. salt, 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour, divided, 1 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- Make the cake next: whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a medium sized mixing bowl. Set aside.3 cups cake flour, spooned and leveled, 1 tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. baking soda, 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1 tsp. salt
- Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the softened butter and granulated sugar until creamy and fluffy. About 3 minutes on medium high speed. Scrape down the sides once or twice as needed.1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature, 1 cup white granulated sugar
- Turn the mixer down to medium low speed and add in the eggs. Then, add in the sour cream, milk, oil and vanilla. The batter will look curdled at this point but it's ok.2 large eggs, room temperature, 2/3 cup sour cream, room temperature, 1/3 cup whole milk, room temperature, 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil, 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
- Add in the dry ingredients on low speed. Stopping to scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Batter will be thick.
- Spread into the prepared pan. Tap the cake on the counter a couple times to release any air bubbles.
- Add the crumb topping, keeping most of the crumbs large and whole, and press down gently.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the very middle comes out clean. Careful not to over bake.
- Let cool in the pan completely. Dust powdered sugar on the top. Slice and enjoy! (I think this is best enjoyed the very first or second day. And I love popping it in the microwave for a few seconds to get warm again!)powdered sugar for garnish
Video
Notes
- Stored in an air tight container on the counter, it will stay fresh for 2 – 3 days.
Nutrition Information
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is automatically calculated. It should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Kroll’s Korner can’t make any guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
Making this cake was such a fun project. It was featured as the February 2023 Kroll’s Korner Baking Challenge recipe!
Whelp! It seems I’m not as careful as I’d think. While I was distracted and making dinner at the same time as this beautiful crumb cake, I missed (A) the TEMPERATURE and the (B) pan size. I grabbed my trusty 8×8 (I do actually have a 9×9!) and made this superb cake. Nice big crumb texture and excellent crumbly topping just like you’d find in any east coast dinner and many coffee shops. Another solid win!
haha! Still looks incredible – thank you so much!!
The cinnamon crumb cake was so easy to follow and came our delicious! I will definitely be using and following more recipes!
So happy you enjoyed it, thank you!!
So yummy!! The cake is super fluffy and crumb topping, delicious! I used the 1/2 recipe and baked in an 8×8 pan. Worked perfectly! This recipe is definitely a keeper!
Thank you so much, Teresa!! I’m so glad you loved it! 🫶🏻
Look the corner of the recipe and make the 1/2 recipe and it will fit an 8×8 pan.
Made this for the holiday challenge. I only had a8x8 pan which didn’t fit all the batter and crumb so it spilled out but other than that it was delicious!
So tasty!!! Mine came out a little raw in the center, but that did not stop me from devouring it! It’s not overly sweet which I love and goes great with morning coffee 🙂
I used a bundt cake pan because I didn’t have a 9×9. I highly recommend using the 9×9 per recipe instructions! This crumb cake was moist and delicious. The crumble was fantastic! So much crumb topping!
Yay! Thank you Kim!
I used this recipe for a birthday cake for my dad and he loved it! I baked it in a round pan and added homemade strawberry sauce to decorate it. So good!
Delicious crumb cake! The crumb is just right and the cake is tender and light. Another keeper recipe!
In my over confidence of having made numerous coffee cakes/crumb cakes, I failed to pay attention to the dimensions of the pan and used an 8×8. All seemed fine until I poured the crumb topping on and realized my big mistake! Well…I cooked it anyway with a baking tray underneath thinking it would spill over just a little. Oh no, it spilled over a lot! Lol. And namely because of all the crumb topping…it was so much denser than the batter that it sunk into the middle while the batter rose and got pushed out the sides. You can see the little pools of butter in the middle ? it was a glorious mess! But man was it the best tasting mess I’ve ever made! Done right, I have no doubt this would have been perfect!