Crumb cake, which is not to be confused with good ole streusel-topped coffee cake, has been around for ages and ages.  In New York, it arrived in the late 1800s, when the German immigrants  started sharing their recipe for krummel kuchen. New York bakeries started making their own version, using a traditional yeasted Danish dough, but nowadays, you’re unlikely to find anything like the original.

The finished New York-style Crumb Cake!

Anyone who has been in a supermarket in the last 20 years has seen the Entenmann’s crumb cakes.  When people think of a traditional crumb cake, it’s the Entenmann’s preservative-laden, boxed up version that comes to mind.  But the crumb cake I am sharing with you today, is classy, preservative free, and perfect for many occasions.  Even better, it’s easy to make, and requires ingredients that most home bakers have on hand to begin with.

Beautifully balanced slice of crumb cake!

This recipe is not overly sweet, which makes it great for brunch or breakfast, especially if you pair it with some fresh fruit or berries. Though it has plenty of butter, it isn’t greasy or oily in the least.  It’s the perfect recipe! I highly recommend it with a tall glass of milk or steaming hot cup of tea (or coffee for those of you who go that way).

Recipe:
Fits a standard 9×9 square pan, or nicely in a 9-inch round cake pan. Double the recipe for a 13 x 9 pan.

Crumb Topping

1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup dark brown sugar (yes, you need to use dark, and naturally, it should be packed)
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (fresh ground is ideal, if you have it)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 whole stick of unsalted butter, melted and still warm
1 3/4 cups cake flour (DO NOT use all-purpose flour, see my notes below!)*

Cake Batter

1 1/4 cups cake flour (DO NOT substitute flour, see my note below!)*
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, but not melted
1 large egg
1 yolk from a large egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/3 cup buttermilk or 1/3 cup plain yogurt (but the buttermilk is best!)

1. Make the topping first. Combine the sugars, cinnamon, salt, and melted butter in a medium bowl. Then add the cake flour and stir until the dough is thick and cohesive. Set aside and let it cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes. It should be about ready when you’re all set with the batter for the cake.

The "dough" for the crumb topping

2. Make the cake batter. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees, and make sure the rack is in the upper middle position. Spray pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

3. This works best with a stand mixer, but a hand mixer is okay, too. Mix the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt on low speed until combined. Then, add the butter one tablespoon at a time, until the mixture has a moist crumb appearance. There shouldn’t be any visible chunks of butter.

The flour and butter combined, without any chunks

4. Add the egg, the yolk, the vanilla, and the buttermilk and continue to beat at a medium-high speed until the batter is light and fluffy. It will have a beautiful pale yellow hue to it.

5. Pour into the cake pan, scraping out as much batter from the bowl as possible. Smooth into a nice, even layer.

The cake batter, evenly poured into the pan

6. Going back to the crumb topping, begin by breaking it up into pieces. It will be a little hard, but kind of like stiff, wet sand. Taking pea-size pieces, press together the topping, until the pieces are fairly uniform. No need for perfect spheres, but you want the crumb to look nice.

Shape the crumbs into pea-sized bits

7. Place the crumb over the top of the batter, covering as much of the batter as you can.

Place the crumb (don't push them!) on top of the batter

8. Bake until golden, about 35-40 minutes. A toothpick placed in the center should come out clean, demonstrating the cake has finished baking.

9. Allow the cake to cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes before removing. Dust with confectioners’ sugar before serving. Reheat slightly if desired.

Notes

Cake flour is essential to produce the tender crumb in a traditional crumb cake. All-purpose flour will make the cake turn out too dry and tough. It will also make the crumb too dense, which will make it sink into the batter, which is not good! So yes, you HAVE to use cake flour for this recipe.

If you do not have buttermilk on hand, you can substitute 1/3 cup plain yogurt. However, do not try to use powdered buttermilk. It makes the batter too thin, causing the crumb topping to sink.