This is mega buttery and moist New York-style crumb cake with EXTRA brown sugar cinnamon crumb topping. Yes, the crumb topping is just as thick as the cake layer! The topping is soft, not crunchy, and the cake is perfectly sweet. If you’re looking for a classic go-to crumb cake recipe, this one’s mine. You’ll fall in love too.
I’ve published a plethora of crumb cake/coffee cake/breakfast cake recipes on my website. One of my forever favorites has been (and will always be!) my apple crumb cake. Usually prepared a few times during the fall months, this tall towering beauty is buttery, moist, and absolutely LOADED with a soft crumb topping. Readers have loved this breakfast cake too.
My sour cream crumb cake recipe is similar—soft and cakey—though smaller and comes with fewer crumbs on top. Last month, I decided to combine both recipes to make a “plain” crumb cake that’s just as irresistible as my apple version and still boasts those delicious brown sugar cinnamon flavors.
That’s where we land on my New York-style crumb cake recipe.
Perfect New York-Style Crumb Cake
When I asked bakers for their opinion on what makes crumb cake “New York style”, most said the description means extra crumb topping with a soft and buttery tight-crumbed (but not dense) cake underneath. Today’s recipe checks all those boxes. Some highlights:
- Soft, yet sturdy cake layer
- Same ingredients used in both layers
- Crumb topping as thick as the cake itself
- Topped with a dusting of powdered sugar
- Crumb topping is soft (not hard or crunchy)
It’s perfect.
Ingredients for Crumb Cake
This is a butter and sour cream based cake (two powerhouse ingredients in my classic coffee cake recipe as well), so you already know it’s going to be flavorful, tender, and moist. The ingredients in the cake and crumb topping are mostly the same, which is extra convenient—especially since you’re likely making this before you’ve had your morning coffee. Good morning!
- Flour: All-purpose flour is the structure of this cake. It’s sturdy enough to support the thick wet ingredients and crumb layer on top.
- Baking Soda + Baking Powder: Baking soda and baking powder help the cake rise.
- Granulated Sugar: Granulated sugar sweetens the cake.
- Butter: Butter adds flavor and provides structure in the creaming process. If you’re interested, here is more on how to cream butter and sugar.
- Sour Cream: Sour cream is the star of the show. It helps us achieve texture bliss—this cake is a little heavier than fluffy white cake. It has tight crumbs like pound cake, but it’s not quite as dense. Somewhere in between both cakes!
- Eggs: Three eggs add moisture and bind the cake together.
- Salt + Vanilla Extract: Use both for flavor.
- Cinnamon: We can’t have crumb cake topping without cinnamon!
- Brown Sugar: Brown sugar promises a soft, moist, sweet, and flavorful crumb topping layer.
Overview: How to Make New York-Style Crumb Cake
- Make the crumb topping. I like to make the crumb first so it’s ready to go as soon as the cake batter is done.
- Whisk the dry ingredients together.
- Cream butter and sugar together. Then add the eggs, sour cream, and vanilla, and beat until combined. The mixture may look curdled—that’s OK and simply a result of varying textures/temperatures trying to emulsify.
- Combine wet & dry ingredients. The batter will be thick and creamy.
- Spread batter into pan. A 9×13-inch baking pan is best for this volume of batter.
- Add crumb topping to the top of the cake. Press it down so it sticks.
- Bake. If you find the top and/or edges of the cake are browning too quickly in the oven, loosely cover the cake with aluminum foil. This is a large cake, so it takes at least 45-50 minutes to bake through.
Feel free to dust with confectioners’ sugar right before serving, too!
Soft (Not Crunchy) Crumb Topping
Now it’s time to chat about that luxurious crumb topping. Have you ever had crunchy streusel topping before? It’s good, but not quite what I’m delivering to you today. This crumb topping is thick and soft, as long as it’s not over-mixed or over-baked. Think of it like soft cookie crumbles on top of your breakfast cake. YES!
We use the same crumb topping, but scaled down, for cranberry Christmas cake and blackberry cream cheese crumb cake. Give those both a try!
3 Tricks to the Best Crumb Topping
- Follow the order of ingredients. First, mix brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt together. Stir in melted butter. Finally, use a fork to lightly mix in the flour. If you add the flour before the butter, the flour will absorb it all before the sugar can.
- Do not over-mix. You want a crumbly topping, so don’t over-mix the ingredients after you add the flour. If you mix everything too much, you’ll end up with paste instead of big crumbles. Yes, I’m literally telling you to do LESS!
- Press the topping into the cake. When you add the crumble topping on top of the cake batter, gently press it down into the cake layer so it sticks.
Cake for breakfast is always a good idea. This crumb layer is half of the entire cake and I haven’t heard any complaints about that! Nothing short of a dream.
Treat Yourself with These Breakfast Recipes
- Monkey Bread (cinnamon roll bites!)
- Overnight Cinnamon Rolls
- Crumb Cake Muffins
- Quiche and Mini Quiche (so many flavors!)
- Cream Cheese French Toast Casserole
- Buttermilk Waffles (my favorite!)
- Easy Frittata Recipe
New York Style Crumb Cake
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour, 50 minutes
- Yield: serves 12
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This is my favorite recipe for classic New York-style crumb cake. The cake is buttery and moist and you’ll definitely enjoy the thick crumb topping!
Ingredients
Crumb Topping
- 1 cup (200g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 and 1/2 cups (313g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
Cake
- 2 and 1/2 cups (313g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup (240g) full-fat sour cream, at room temperature*
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- optional: confectioners’ sugar for topping
Instructions
- 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.
- Make the crumb topping: 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.
- Make the cake: 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.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: Prepare cake through step 7. Cover the cake tightly and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze up to 3 months. Bring to room temperature, add icing if desired, and serve.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 9×13-inch Baking Pan | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Silicone Spatula | Sifter/Fine Mesh Sieve
- Sour Cream: Sour cream is a key ingredient in this cake. I don’t suggest subbing the sour cream with a liquid—plain full-fat yogurt would work though. I don’t recommend removing fat from this cake by using a lower fat yogurt or sour cream alternative.
- Room Temperature: All refrigerated items should be at room temperature so the batter mixes together easily and evenly. Read here for more information on room temperature ingredients.
- Crumb Cake Muffins: Interested in making this cake into muffins? Standard size muffins (12 count muffin pan) or jumbo size muffins (6 count muffin pan) are best—I don’t recommend mini muffins because the crumbs are too large. Grease muffin cups or line muffin pan(s) with liners. Fill with batter to the near top of the muffin cup. Press crumbs tightly on top of the batter to help prevent them from falling off as the muffins rise. Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes, then, keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (177°C) and continue to bake for 15-17 for regular size muffins (20-22 minutes total) or another 22-23 minutes for jumbo size muffins (27-28 minutes total). Yields at least 2 dozen standard muffins and 10 jumbo muffins.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Can I add pecans to the topping?
Absolutely!
I love your recipes. Do you have a recipe for chocolate crumb cake?
Hi Elizabeth, we would use a different cake recipe, but fear chocolate cake batter (which is usually thinner and fine due to the cocoa powder) would not be sturdy enough to support a crumb topping.
as always, Sally has delivered another baking favorite in my household!
I do have a question, when I baked my crumb cake, it took a very long time for my cake portion to bake fully, and also my crumb turned out a little crunchier than expected. Can you provide any feedback on what could’ve happened or what I should change for next time??
Hi Sala, so glad you enjoyed this one! If you notice the top browning before the cake is cooked through, you can loosely cover the top with aluminum foil to prevent the top from over-browning. Hope this helps for next time!
The crumb topping is delicious! However I baked the cake in a glass pan and oven temperature should have been lowered to 325; the cake part is very dry and over baked for 45 minutes
My crumbs turned out a little crunchy but I quite liked that and the cake part was sooo nice and moist and buttery Loved the cinnamon and vanilla and buttery flavors!! It was my first time making a crumb cake too and I was super happy with the results
This the the BEST! I’m from New Jersey so this is the type of crumb cake I grew up eating. I’ve made it a bunch of times and my opinion is the sweet spot for the crumb topping is to make 50% more than it calls for. I’ve made it as written and felt like I wanted more crumb. I doubled the crumb and I thought it was too much. Increasing it by half is perfect. My husband said it’s “the best thing he’s ever eaten”!
This recipe is exactly what I had been searching for! This crumb cake was a huge hit and it’s my go to for cake… Who needs frosting when you have this crumb topping?
I followed the recipe exactly. I should have only cooked it for 30 minutes. Checked it at 40 and it was cooked. Used a metal pan. Mine turned out slightly dry and the crumbs crunchy not soft.so disappointed. On the bright side I won’t eat a lot!
I made this recipe with 1:1 gluten free flour and it is AH- mazing!!!
I used a glass pan and I wish I had started checking at 40 minutes as it is a little more brown on the bottom that I like!
I was looking for a really good crumb cake recipe that reminded me of my mother’s. I never got her recipe before she passed. This came out delicious and brought memories back. I recently made it for a bake auction at my YMCA and it sold for $80 🙂
I’ve made a few of your baking recipes and hubby loves them. One thing not mentioned in the crumb cake recipe is will it be ok to freeze part of the cake for later? My husband is diabetic and although he cheats by eating foods like this…..he doesn’t eat them all. I would like to save the rest for later if possible.
Hi Marsh, this cake freezes well for up to 3 months. Enjoy!
I followed the recipe exactly as it is written and the crumb cake is delicious. I served it to company and it was a big hit. The crumbs are soft and flavorful and the cake is moist. It is one of the best crumb cakes I have made. This will be my go-to recipe for crumb cake from now on.
I work for a caterer. We were prepping for a brunch and she told me to choose a coffee cake to prepare. I had come across this one and was excited to try it.
Everyone in the kitchen was drooling with incredible aroma coming from the oven coming from the oven. It came out gorgeous! Will make again, and again!
What a compliment! I’m so glad to read this.
Can I add blueberries to this recipe
Hi Dee, yes, you could add some fresh (not frozen) blueberries to this cake. About a cup should be good.
I loved making this recipe! The entire house smelled delicious! I never received as many compliments as I did when I made this crumb cake. It is definitely a keeper and one recipe I will continue to try again and again!
I tried this recipe and it was SOO good! There wasn’t as much crumble as I thought there would be, but it was delicious regardless. I’m a very novice baker and I made this recipe first try without doing stuff wrong, so it’s a good choice for beginners.
I am from NYC so I have eaten these most of my younger days. It’s tastes good. My only critique is I NEED MORE CRUMBS.LOL
In NYC there’s never any cake showing so next time I’m making a dbl batch of crumbs.
Hello! Could I put blueberries in the batter of this cake?
Yes, absolutely! We recommend fresh blueberries.
I love your recipes as is, but I’ve been searching for a banana coffee cake. How would you suggest I add a couple of bananas to this recipe?
Hi Steph, I haven’t adapted this recipe to include bananas. However, you may enjoy my banana crumb coffee cake.
Could these be made in a muffin tin?
Hi Gianna, absolutely. See recipe Notes for full details.
This looks awesome! Love your recipes! I wondered if this could be made as an 8×8 size by chance?
Hi Deb, you can halve this recipe for an 8-inch pan. Same baking temperature, but we’re unsure of the exact bake time. You can use the baking time from this coffee cake as a guide. Hope you enjoy it!
I make an 8″ and it takes about 35 minutes.
Can I make batter the night before and add topping and bake the morning of my event?
Hi Maggie, we don’t recommend it. Once mixed, the leavening agents in the batter as activated and the cake won’t bake up properly. See recipe notes for make ahead suggestions.
I made it today. Loved the flavor. I checked it after 40 min, and baked it for 42 min. I’ve always had trouble with making crumbs. I let the butter cool this time. I had 1/2 success! I had lots of beautiful crumbs, but when I baked the cake many of the melted. I’ll try all brown sugar next time. Maybe white suger melts faster? IDK, but the cake was good enough to try again.
Hi Erin! Make sure to let the butter cool before mixing in the rest of the ingredients for the crumble. And you can also refrigerate the crumb topping while you work on the rest of the cake. Hope these tips help for next time!
after baking how long is the cake good for and how should it be stored
Hi Ray, Cover tightly and store at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Enjoy!
Made it today and it tastes great. No complaints. Quick and easy
I used to make the Bisquick recipe on the box and I did it for prom night many years ago. This is absolutely our favorite type of coffee cake and we know that your recipes are always the best version of any recipe. They never let us down. Of course this one also did not disappoint, taking the recipe I used to use and raising it up many notches! All of the kids and my family love this coffee cake… It came out fantastically
This tasted good – however following the recipe for the crumb topping to a T I found that the topping was too dry. I would recommend putting in quite a bit more butter. The flour / sugar ratio was way too high for the amount of butter used. I also found the cake part dry as well. Would add more butter to this also. Aside from dryness, flavor was good.
Thank you for the recipe. My only thing was the crumbs. They came out so hard. I followed the recipe to the T. Not sure what went wrong?
Hi Donna, was the cake over baked by chance? If you wish to try it again, you can try leaving out the white granulated sugar (and only using brown sugar) in the crumb topping. The crumb topping will still be plenty sweet, but the reduced sugar may help keep the topping on the softer side. Thank you for giving this one a try!
Omg everything I have made from your recipes has been amazing! I am a forever fan! Thanks so much! Thank you for all the additional helpful hints!!
New York Crumb Cake is one of my absolute favorites! (I’m always trying to emulate Entenmann’s NY Crumb). I was thrilled to find this recipe.
I wish I would’ve read through the comments prior to baking. I would suggest to start checking for doneness at 40-42 minutes. I took mine out at 45 minutes and I feel it was a few minutes overdone (Crumb slightly crunchy-maybe covering with foil for the last 10 minutes would’ve avoided this). The cake wasn’t as moist/dense/soft as expected, which is why I think it was in a few minutes too long.
Don’t get me wrong, the cake is very good. My family loves it. I will try it again!
As I’ve stated, I’m trying to achieve a specific cake. To me it’s not quite there (a few minutes less cooking time, maybe a bit of oil added to the cake may achieve the softer cake and covering with foil).
I welcome any other suggestions to aid me in achieving my goal!
Thank you for the recipe, your detailed steps and pictures! I look forward to trying your other delish looking recipes!
Happy baking!
I had a hard time following since I was doing it in my phone. Had to swipe up and down a lot. It’s in the oven now, so we’ll see.
I just made this and it turned out delicious! I read the comments from other bakers and here are my notes – I let the melted butter cool per other user’s comments and my crumb came out great with large chunks and not pasty. I used a metal pan and found that I actually needed to bake a little less time at 42 min; I put foil over the topping for the last 5 min so it wasn’t too crispy; the cake turned out great; the topping was thinner than the cake (though still thick, just not as thick as the cake) so I may do what another commenter did and double it next time! My husband and 6 year old daughter loved it as well and gave it a 10 out of 10.