I made this at 6 AM on a Sunday in yesterday’s sweatpants because I forgot to buy bagels and the idea of facing the weekend without carbs was genuinely terrifying. If you have ever felt personally victimized by coffee shop pastries that skimp on the streusel, this new york crumb cake is your revenge. I have a serious lack of self-control when it comes to butter and brown sugar, to the point where I usually eat half the topping before it even hits the oven. This recipe fixes that problem by making the topping exactly as thick as the cake itself. It is unapologetic, heavy, and completely necessary. Here is exactly how I do it.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- The Ratio – The topping-to-cake ratio is 50/50, which is honestly the only acceptable ratio for a crumb cake recipe.
- Breakfast Acceptance – It is essentially a socially acceptable way to eat butter and sugar before 9 AM.
- Crowd Pleaser – It feeds a massive group, making it the ultimate cinnamon sugar crumb cake for brunch when you want people to think you have your life together.
- Zero Finesse Required – You do not need a fancy mixer to make the crumble, just a fork and some aggressive stabbing motions.
Tools You’ll Need
Nothing fancy, I promise.
- 9×13 baking pan – You need a big one. This cake is heavy and takes up space.
- Electric mixer – Handheld or stand, just something to cream the butter so your arm does not fall off.
- A fork – For mixing the crumble. Put the whisk down, or you will end up with a solid paste.
Ingredients
For the Crumb Topping
- 1 cup packed light or dark brown sugar – Do not skimp, this is the soul of the topping.
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar – For structural integrity.
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon – Gives it that classic cinnamon crumb cake flavor.
- 1/2 teaspoon salt – Absolutely mandatory unless you want a cloying sugar bomb.
- 1 cup unsalted butter, melted – Yes, two whole sticks. Look away if you must.
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour – Spoon and level it, or you will get dry powdery rocks.
For the Cake
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour – The foundation that holds up our ridiculous topping.
- 1 teaspoon baking soda & 1/2 teaspoon baking powder – The lift squad.
- 1/2 teaspoon salt – Balance is key.
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened – Room temperature means it yields to a gentle poke.
- 1 cup granulated sugar – Because the topping was not enough.
- 3 large eggs – Room temp! Put them in a bowl of warm water if you forgot.
- 1 cup full-fat sour cream – This is what makes it a proper sour cream coffee cake. Do not use low-fat, I am begging you. If you need help with the butter step, King Arthur has a great guide on creaming butter and sugar.
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract – The good stuff if you have it.
How To Make New York Crumb Cake
Clear your counter, accept that you will be cleaning flour off the floor later, and let’s make a mess.
- Prep the pan: Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and grease a 9×13-inch baking pan. If you forget to grease it, you will be eating this straight out of the pan with a spoon, which honestly is not the worst fate.
- Make the crumbs: Mix the sugars, cinnamon, and salt, then stir in the melted butter and gently toss in the flour with a fork. Keep it in large crumbles—if you overmix this into a paste, that is between you and the baking gods.
- Whisk the dry: Whisk the dry cake ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt) in a bowl and set aside.
- Cream the butter: Beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together until smooth and creamy. Take the full 3 minutes; impatience leads to flat cake.
- Add the wet: Add the eggs, sour cream, and vanilla, and beat until combined. The batter will look curdled and gross right now—do not panic, it is totally fine and will smooth out.
- Combine: Mix in the dry ingredients on low speed just until combined. The batter will be thick and sticky, kind of like wet cement, but tastier.
- Assemble: Spread the batter into the pan, dump the mountain of crumb topping over it, and press it down tightly so it sticks. If you skip pressing it, the crumbs will avalanche off every slice.
- Bake: Bake for 45-55 minutes. Check it at 45. If the top is getting too dark, throw some foil over it and pretend you meant to do that.
♥ The Misfit Tips!
- Do not use your hands for the crumb I once tried to rush the crumb mixing and used my hands to squeeze the butter and flour together. I ended up with a solid block of cinnamon dough instead of crumbles. Use a fork and a light touch.
- Skip the Greek yogurt If you want the absolute best crumb cake recipe ever, do not substitute the full-fat sour cream for Greek yogurt. I tried it to be “healthy” once and the cake tasted like sadness.
- Make the topping ahead You can make the crumb topping a day ahead and keep it in the fridge. Cold crumbs actually bake up beautifully and hold their shape better.
Make It Yours
You can add chopped pecans or walnuts to the topping for crunch. You can add a light powdered sugar dusting after the cake cools. You can also serve each slice with vanilla ice cream when brunch turns into dessert.
This new york style crumb cake with thick crumb topping gives you the bakery-style ratio that makes the recipe special.
Perfect Pairings
These go perfectly with a complete disregard for your morning calorie count.
- A massive mug of black coffee to cut through the sugar – obviously.
- A cold glass of whole milk, because we are already committing to the bit.
- A lazy Sunday morning when nobody is asking you for things.
- A side of salty bacon to balance out the sweet.
How to Store
❤
- Fridge: Store the cake in an airtight container for up to four days.
- Freezer: Wrap individual slices tightly and freeze them for up to three months.
- Thaw: Thaw slices on the counter overnight.
- Reheat: Microwave one slice for 15 seconds.
- Note: Powdered sugar dissolves into the topping after the first day, so dust the cake again before serving.
New York Crumb Cake
This new york crumb cake combines a tender sour cream coffee cake base with a thick cinnamon brown sugar topping that matches the cake layer almost bite for bite. The crumb cake recipe needs no complicated decoration, while the generous streusel creates the bakery-style texture everyone wants. Serve this cinnamon crumb cake as a cinnamon sugar crumb cake for brunch, or bake it when you want the best crumb cake recipe ever without leaving the house.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and grease a 9×13-inch baking pan or line with parchment paper. You can use a glass, ceramic, or metal baking pan. The bake time is similar for each, but use a toothpick to test for doneness. Metal baking pans cook cakes faster. Set pan aside.
- Mix the brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt together in a medium bowl. Stir in the melted butter, then gently mix the flour using a fork. Keep the mixture as large crumbles, do not over-mix. If over-mixed, this will turn into a thick paste. Set aside.
- Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together. Set aside.
- Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and granulated sugar together on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. (Here’s a helpful tutorial if you need guidance on how to cream butter and sugar.) Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a silicone spatula as needed. Add the eggs, sour cream, and the vanilla. Beat on medium-high speed until combined. The mixture may look curdled; that’s ok. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low speed, mix in the dry ingredients until smooth. Do not over-mix. The batter will be thick, creamy, and sticky.
- Spread the batter evenly into prepared baking pan. Top with crumb topping. Using a silicone spatula or the back of a large spoon, press the crumb topping tightly down into the cake so it sticks.
- Bake for 45-55 minutes. Baking times vary, so keep an eye on yours and begin checking at 45 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If you find the top or edges of the cake is/are browning too quickly in the oven, loosely cover it with aluminum foil.
- Remove the cake from the oven and set on a wire rack. Allow to slightly cool for at least 30-45 minutes before cutting. If desired, dust with confectioners’ sugar before slicing and serving. Use a sifter/fine mesh sieve.