New York Style Crumb Cake

Dec 21, 2022 · 38 Comments

Welcome to one of my favorite dessert recipes ever; New York Style Crumb Cake.

This particular style of crumb cake has been a staple of New York bakeries for centuries, and is one of the best ways to satisfy a sweet tooth. The ‘cake' itself is a dense, buttery yellow cake, which is baked with thick layer of crumbs, and then dusted with powdered sugar. The crumbs are a blissfully simple combination of butter, flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon, and give the cake a lush sweetness that is simply heavenly. The slightly crunchy texture of the crumbs combine perfectly with the soft, moist cake, making this dessert a sure-fire hit.

For those of you who are new to baking, don’t worry – crumb cake is super easy to make. Just follow the recipe step-by-step and you’ll be enjoying a delicious New York Style Crumb Cake in no time. We’ve also included some tips and tricks to help you get the perfect crumb cake every time.

If you’re looking for the perfect accompaniment to your crumb cake, why not try a cup of freshly brewed coffee? Turkish, Cold Brew, and French Press are all great pairings. The sweetness of the crumb cake perfectly balances the bitterness of the coffee, making it the perfect pairing. Alternatively, you could try a scoop of ice cream or a generous dollop of whipped cream for a more indulgent treat.

So why not give this classic New York Style Crumb Cake a try? It’s sure to be a hit with your family and friends! Now, let’s get baking!

Ingredient Checklist – The Cake

Butter: This gives the cake a soft texture and a rich ‘buttery’ flavor. I don’t really suggest using shortening as a substitute in this particular recipe.
Sugar: Plain granulated sugar is all you need for the cake portion of the recipe.
Vanilla Extract: Adds a sweet, fragrant flavor to the cake. Yes, vanilla paste and whole beans both work fine, and substitute at a one-to-one ratio by volume.
Lemon Zest: Adds a subtle citrus flavor to the cake that plays beautifully with the crumb topping.
Eggs: Used to bind the ingredients together and give structure to the cake. Eggs also serve as a ‘secondary’ leavening agent, giving the cake ‘lift’ while baking.
Flour: All-purpose flour works best for crumb cake, as it makes for a ‘denser’ cake than baking flour.
Baking Soda: A two stage leavening agent to help the cake rise while baking.
Buttermilk: This makes the cake moist and gives it a light, tender texture.
Salt: We use this to balance the flavors of the cake.

Ingredient Checklist – The Crumb Topping

Brown Sugar: We’re using brown sugar to give the crumb a nice ‘molasses’ undertone.
Butter: Here again, butter provides richness and moisture.
Flour: This forms the base, binds the other ingredients together, while also providing the ‘crumbly’ texture.
Ground Cinnamon: This adds subtle warmth and flavor to the topping.

Substitutions

For the Brown Sugar: Granulated sugar with a drizzle of molasses works as a decent replacement for the brown sugar.
For the Buttermilk: Greek yogurt or sour cream at a 1-to-1 ratio.

Tips for Making the Best Crumb Cake

Prepare the crumb topping first. The topping is the key to a successful crumb cake. Prepare the crumb topping first, then prepare the cake batter. This allows the crumb topping time to cool and solidify, making it easier to work with.
Texture Matters. Make sure your cake batter is thick. If it's too thin, the crumb topping will sink to the bottom. A thin batter is usually the result of undermeasuring the dry ingredients, over-measuring the moist ingredients, or simply a lack of fat.
Even Distribution. When sprinkling the crumb topping over the cake batter, use your hands. You want an even distribution of crumbs, and you do ‘not’ want them clumping together. The cake should ‘not’ be visible at all through the topping.
Temps and Time. Bake the cake at 350°F for about 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If you bake it higher, or longer, the crumb topping will burn, becoming hard and dry.
Let it Cool. Let the cake cool completely before serving. This will help ensure that the crumb topping stays crunchy, and ‘sets’ onto the cake.

Thanks for reading! If you try this recipe, we'd love to see your results. Tag us on social media with #LTGbaking Happy baking!