What makes this crumb cake the best you’ll ever have? It’s all about the cake! I use a classic pound cake recipe (a pound of flour, butter, sugar, and eggs) that’s just the right balance of moist and airy, yet just dense and buttery enough to support the crumb.
I add a dash of vanilla to my cake to complement the crazy delicious crumb topping.
Baked in a shallow pan, this crumb cake is perfect for snacking with coffee or for dessert with a generous scoop of ice cream or whipped cream.
Instead of pies this year, how about a warm crumb cake for the holiday season?
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Makes: 9×13 crumb cake
Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes
Total time: 1 hour and 5 minutes
The Ingredients
For the cake:
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
4 large eggs
1/2 tablespoon real vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder (keeps the crumble from sinking into the cake!)
For the crumb topping:
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
14 tablespoons (1 stick + 6 tablespoons) butter, at room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon real vanilla extract
The Steps
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
For the cake: In the bowl of a mixer with a flat beater attachment, add sugar and butter, and cream until whipped in texture, starting the mixer on low and increasing speed to medium. Scrap down the sides of the bowl. Add eggs and vanilla, and mix on low until combined. Add flour and baking powder, and mix on medium-low until just combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
Pour batter into a greased 9×13 glass pan, spreading the batter out as evenly as possible.
For the crumb topping: In a separate medium bowl, add all ingredients (flour, butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla extract). Use your hands to pinch together and thoroughly combine ingredients into a course crumble. You can also use a fork or pastry cutter but I find using my hands is the easiest method!
Evenly spread crumb on the top of the cake batter in the pan. Do not push crumb down into batter; just let it sit on top of the batter!
To bake: Bake for 37-42 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out with loose crumbs on it (not batter) and the cake looks set.
Let cool for 10 minutes before cutting.
Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days! I find the cake most delicious when it’s warm, so feel free to pop in the microwave or oven before enjoying!
The Steps with Video
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