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Who wouldn’t want to eat cake for breakfast?!
We have ALWAYS loved Coffee Cake and fell in love with New York crumb cake when we had it years ago on our travels. It’s so soft and delicious – practically melts in your mouth.
Well, now we can whip up our own at home! This easy breakfast treat uses pantry staples, so you don’t need to worry about planning too much ahead of time. When the craving strikes, bake up a pan-full!
It preps in minutes, and then just bake. From start to finish, it’s on the table in about 45 minutes. We love to serve it up with a cold glass of milk or a steaming cup of hot chocolate!
For more delicious cinnamon-filled coffee cake recipes, try Cream Cheese Coffee Cake, Bisquick Coffee Cake, and Coffee Cake Muffins.
Why we think you’ll love it:
- Extra easy. This bakery-style crumb cake has a quick 10-minute prep time; the hardest part is waiting to pull it from the oven!
- Practically a dessert. It’s a perfect balance between breakfast and dessert, making it a versatile treat.
- Sit back and sip away! The moist, bakery-style cake is incredibly delicious and pairs perfectly with a warm beverage, like our favorite Hot Chocolate.
New York Crumb Cake Ingredients and Substitutions
Crumb Topping
- ⅓ cup sugar – granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup brown sugar – light or dark brown sugar
- ¾ teaspoon cinnamon – or adjust the flavor and add nutmeg, or use Pumpkin Pie Spice
- ⅛ teaspoon salt – omit if using salted butter
- ½ cup butter, melted – We use unsalted butter, but salted butter can be used.
- 1¾ cups cake flour
Cake
- 1¼ cups cake flour – or make a cake flour substitute: for every cup needed, measure 1 cup of all-purpose flour, remove 2 tablespoons, and then add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. Sift the mixture together.
- ½ cup sugar – granulated
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces, softened but still cool – see How to Soften Butter Quickly
- 1 whole egg – room temperature
- 1 egg yolk – see How to Separate Egg Whites
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup buttermilk – see How to Make Buttermilk
- powdered sugar for dusting
How to Make New York Crumb Cake
- PREP. Preheat the oven to 325°F and adjust an oven rack to the upper-middle position. Line an 8×8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- TOPPING. In a medium bowl, whisk granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and flour. Pour melted butter over the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. The mixture will be thick and doughy. Set aside.
- BATTER. With a hand or stand mixer, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
- With the mixer on low, add 6 tablespoons of butter one piece at a time. Mix until flour mixture resembles moist crumbs with no visible butter chunks remaining, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add egg, yolk, vanilla, and buttermilk. Beat at medium for 1-2 minutes until the batter becomes light and fluffy, scrape down the sides of the bowl if necessary.
- ASSEMBLE. Spread the cake batter evenly into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the batter with an even crumb layer.
- BAKE the cake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean and crumb-free. Cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes.
- Remove the cake from the pan by lifting it out by the edges of the parchment paper and dust the top of the cake with powdered sugar.
Kristyn’s Recipe Tips
- We highly suggest using cake flour as it yields a light, airy, and tender crumb.
- Use nutmeg or Pumpkin Pie Spice in the crumb topping for an easy flavor twist.
- Buttermilk provides tenderness and a tangy flavor. If you don’t have any, you can Make Buttermilk using milk and vinegar.
- Do not over-mix the crumb topping, or you might end up with a pasty texture instead of crumbs.
- Double the recipe, and bake in a 9×13-inch pan. Increase the bake time to 40 to 45 minutes.
New York Crumb Cake Recipe
This simple New York crumb cake is a moist, delicious bakery-style cake topped with loads of buttery cinnamon sugar crumble!
Ingredients
Crumb Topping
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter, melted
- 1¾ cup cake flour
Cake
- 1¼ cup cake flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces, softened but cool
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup buttermilk
- powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F and adjust an oven rack to the upper-middle position. Line an 8×8-inch square pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
Crumb Topping
- In a medium bowl, whisk granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and flour.
- Pour ½ cup melted butter over the mixture and mix thoroughly. Mixture will be thick and doughy. Set aside.
Cake
- With a hand or stand mixer, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
- With the mixer on low, add 6 tablespoons of butter one piece at a time. Mix until flour mixture resembles moist crumbs with no visible butter chunks remaining, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add 1 egg, 1 yolk, vanilla, and buttermilk. Beat at medium for 1-2 minutes until the batter becomes light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl if necessary.
- Spread the cake batter evenly into the prepared pan. Top the batter with an even layer of pea-sized crumble topping pieces.
- Bake the cake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean and crumb-free. Cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes.
- Remove the cake from the pan by lifting it out of the pan by the edges of the parchment paper and dust it with powdered sugar.
Video
Notes
Recipe tips.
- We highly suggest using cake flour as it yields a light, airy, and tender crumb.
- Use nutmeg or Pumpkin Pie Spice in the crumb topping for an easy flavor twist.
- Buttermilk provides tenderness and a tangy flavor. If you don’t have any, you can Make Buttermilk using milk and vinegar.
- Do not over-mix the crumb topping, or you might end up with a pasty texture instead of crumbs.
- Double the recipe and make in a 9×13-inch pan for 40-45 minutes.
Nutrition
Calories: 431kcal, Carbohydrates: 57g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 20g, Saturated Fat: 12g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 88mg, Sodium: 305mg, Potassium: 80mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 27g, Vitamin A: 620IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 36mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
How to store?
Store the cake in an airtight container for 2-3 days at room temperature or 4-5 days in the fridge. To freeze, wrap the slices in plastic wrap and store them together in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
Complete The Meal
Sides
Drinks
Hot Chocolate Recipe
8 mins
Caramel Apple Cider
25 mins
Apple Cider Recipe
2 hrs 15 mins
Easy Wassail Recipe
30 mins
Breakfast Cakes
Coffee Cake Recipe
55 mins
Cinnamon Roll Cake
40 mins
Sour Cream Coffee Cake
45 mins
Bisquick Coffee Cake
45 mins
Collections
This recipe was originally published August 2015.
Recipe from America’s Test Kitchen
ATK rip off
I used your recipe because it is for an 8×8 pan instead of 9×13. I think there’s entirely too much flour in the crumb directions. The crumb after baking should be sweet and somewhat moist. This was neither.
Lmao this the americas test kitchen recipe verbatim.
This cake is so moist and amazing with a cup o’ joe. Will definitely be making again!
I like all the recipes I read. I haven’t made anything yet but I intended to. I give you 5 stars. Thank you
Oh thank you!! Hope you enjoy the recipes when you give them a try. 🙂
The crumb topping is my absolute favorite! This cake is one of my absolute favorites to make. It is yummy alone or with a side of ice cream.
We love crumb cakes!! I love serving them for brunch. It’s like breakfast & dessert in one!
This is the perfect texture and so delicious. We all love it around here!
I had never heard of this recipe before and so I just HAD to make it. So glad I did. What a yummy and light cake. Especially loved the cinnamon crumb topping.
Yay! I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe so much! Thanks for sharing!
I have always loved crumb cakes. They fall apart in your mouth & are just so good! Of course, my favorite is the crumb topping.