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This New York style crumb cake is equal parts soft, moist cake and buttery crumb topping. Whip up the batter in minutes with pantry staples and bake in an 8-inch pan until golden. Perfect for breakfast or dessert, a classic anytime cake. Serve dusted with powdered sugar!
I’ve never met a crumb-topped cake I didn’t love, and this homemade version is no exception! Super plush and buttery, the moist sour cream-based cake stands up beautifully to the generous layer of brown sugar and cinnamon crumb topping.
Sliced into squares and dusted with powdered sugar, it’s the ideal cake to snack on all day long (I love it with a mug of coffee). So simple and delicious!
Craving more crumb cake? You may also like my moist buttery strawberry crumb cake or homemade blueberry crumb cake!
Tips for Success
- Use room temperature ingredients. They incorporate much more smoothly into the cake batter, and you’re less likely to overmix it.
- Don’t overmix. The cake batter is thick (similar to my sour cream coffee cake recipe) so use a rubber spatula to scrape down the mixer bowl as needed to ensure that the wet and dry ingredients are fully incorporated.
- Bake low and slow. Dropping the oven temperature to 325°F ensures that the cake bakes through evenly and doesn’t dry out at the edges. This is my tried and tested secret to a perfectly moist crumb cake!
Step by Step: How to Make Crumb Cake
Make crumb topping: Combine all-purpose flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a medium mixing bowl. I like the extra molasses flavor from dark brown sugar, but light brown sugar works perfectly too!
Add melted butter to the bowl and toss the mixture with a fork until fully incorporated and large crumbs form. The goal is to form crumbs, not crush or flatten the mixture. Chill topping in the refrigerator while you make the cake batter.
Make cake: Beat room temperature butter, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Mix in the egg on low speed until incorporated.
Combine sour cream and milk in a small bowl, stirring to combine. With the mixer on low speed, add dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with sour cream mixture.
The mixed batter will be thick (and able to stand up to the weight of the crumb topping).
Spoon the batter into prepared baking pan and tap the pan sharply several times to settle the batter and reduce air bubbles. Sprinkle the top evenly with all of the crumb topping.
Bake for about 45 minutes, until the topping is golden and a tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean (some crumbs are ok!). Let cool completely on a wire rack before lifting from the pan and cutting into squares.
The best knife to use is a serrated knife – it slices easily through the cake without compressing the topping. Dust with powdered sugar and enjoy!
More favorite breakfast recipes:
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Bakery Style Crumb Cake with Sour Cream
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 9 servings
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
This New York style crumb cake is equal parts soft, moist cake and buttery crumb topping. Whip up the batter in minutes with pantry staples and bake in an 8-inch pan until golden. Perfect for breakfast or dessert, a classic anytime cake. Serve dusted with powdered sugar!
Ingredients
Crumb Topping
- 1 1/4 cups (175 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (100 g) dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 2 tsp (4 g) ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup (112 g) unsalted butter, melted
Cake
- 1 1/2 cups (210 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp (5 g) baking powder
- 1/2 tsp (3 g) baking soda
- 1/2 tsp (3 g) salt
- 1/2 cup (112 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 2 tsp (8 g) vanilla extract
- 1 large egg (50 g), at room temperature
- 3/4 cup (180 g) sour cream, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup (60 g) milk, at room temperature
- Powdered sugar (confectioners’ sugar), for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F and spray an 8-inch square baking pan lightly with nonstick spray. Line the pan with parchment paper.
- Make crumb topping: Combine flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl; add melted butter and toss mixture with a fork until incorporated and large crumbs form. Chill topping until needed.
- Make cake: Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Beat butter, sugar, and vanilla in a large mixer bowl at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low and mix in egg until incorporated. Combine sour cream and milk in a small bowl. Beat in flour mixture in three additions, alternating with sour cream mixture (begin and end with flour mixture), just until incorporated.
- Spoon batter into prepared pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula. Tap sharply to reduce air bubbles, then sprinkle evenly with crumb topping.
- Bake crumb cake for 45 minutes or until crumb topping is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (no wet batter). Crumb cake is done baking when the internal temperature reaches 205 – 210°F. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Lift parchment and place crumb cake on a cutting board. Cut into squares with a serrated knife. Store leftover crumb cake tightly covered with foil at room temperature.
Notes
Baking pan: Use an 8-inch square pan that’s at least 2.25 inches deep. If your 8-inch pan is shallow, use a 9-inch square pan to prevent overflow.
Freeze crumb cake: Wrap each slice tightly in plastic wrap and pop into a freezer bag for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to enjoy, reheat in a warm oven (325°F) for 15 minutes or until heated through before serving.
I absolutely love this crumb cake. It’s so moist and delicious. Mine took a couple minutes longer to bake, so I relied on the internal temperature for doneness.
Great to hear this feedback, thank you Gail!
Is it possible to double the recipe for a 9 x 13 baking pan?
Hi Christine, yes! Just be sure to use a light aluminum baking pan for best results.
Mine is in the oven now. It’s been baking 45 min, and the centre is still jiggly (liquid). I’m going to bake another 10 min and re-check, then will go in 5min increments. I baked in a light coloured 8×8 Fat Daddios pan. Not sure why it’s not baked at 45min? I bake almost daily and have no issues with my oven when baking other things. Maybe bcz its a light coloured pan it’s taking longer?? 🤔
Hi Jody, it sounds like it just needs more time to bake through. I haven’t used Fat Daddio’s pans myself – looking at a picture online, it appears that the sides are substantially thicker than a USA square pan, so that’s likely contributing to the longer bake time.
I ended up baking it 65 min and it came out perfect! Really good height on the cake and the crumb topping stays in place very well.
Looks perfect, thank you for sharing! Also I had one more thought – do you live at altitude? That may also explain the longer bake time.
Yes! I do live at high altitude. 3500ft above sea level.
DELICIOUS!! So moist and buttery!!!
Thanks for your feedback, Joann!
Perfect amount of crumb topping and such moist buttery cake.
Thanks so much, Terri!
Absolutely the best CAKE I ever made! Moist, flavorful, plenty of topping! Just like the bakery. . . Well maybe better! Thank you!
Great to hear this, thank you Cindi! 🙂
can this recipe be made in muffin tins rather than an 8 x 8 pan? How should the oven temp and baking time be adjusted?
Hi Jackie, I haven’t tested this crumb cake in muffin tins. I recommend trying my coffee cake muffins instead. They’re a reader-favorite recipe, and have a nice topping on them too!
I followed the directions carefully and used an 8″ square metal baking dish. However I neglected to put anything under the dish and the batter dropped over the sides as it cooked. I had to extend the baking time about 10-15 min to get it cooked through in the center. Other than dealing with burnt batter in the oven the cake was moist and delicious! Perhaps a 9″ pan would be better.
Hi Donna, sorry to hear that because I know it’s a pain to clean the oven! For future reference, the 8″ square USA pans I use are 2.25 inches deep. I haven’t had issues with them ever overflowing, though your baking pan may be not be quite as deep. If it’s shallower, then a 9″ square pan would probably be a better option.
This crumb cake is THE BEST and tastes like it came from a bakery. I receive so many compliments when I make it for friends and family.
Thank you so much, Sandra! Really appreciate this feedback. 🙂
Absolutely delicious! This is not your average crumb cake. I loved the very generous crumb topping. I’ll definitely make this recipe again. Thank you!
Great to hear this, thank you Marcia!
Was craving a cozy bake today and picked this cake. Great recipe and the cake is so delicious!
Hi Lesley, thanks so much for this feedback!
This looks amazing, Laura!!! Next time I have friends for brunch, I’ll give it a whirl!!!
Thanks so much, Liz! Hope you enjoy! 🙂