There’s nothing better than walking into a bakery in New York and spotting a sheet of Crumb Cake on the counter and with this recipe, it’s 100% possible to recreate that experience at home! This iconic cake is the best companion to a cup of coffee in the morning but is also a sweet way to close out a long day.
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For as long as I can remember, New York Crumb Cake has been an institution!
Bakeries would often have a whole sheet of this on their counter and delis would usually wrap individual slices in plastic wrap for easy grabbing.
The cake is irresistible with its nearly equal ratio of cake to crumb topping and is so easy to make you may just find yourself making it all the time.
And if you’re a fan of crumbs, check out my pumpkin crumb cake muffins!
Crumb Ingredients
All ingredients for this recipe are shown in the pic below and special notes are made in this bulleted list to assist you.
- Butter. I’m using unsalted butter for my crumb cake topping.
- Sugar. I’m using a mixture of dark brown sugar and granulated sugar.
- Flour. There is a lot of flour in the topping, 585g or approximately 4 1/2 cups worth. I recommend using all-purpose flour.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Cake Ingredients
All ingredients for this recipe are shown in the pic below and special notes are made in this bulleted list to assist you.
- Flour. For the cake portion of this recipe, I’m using cake flour which has less protein than other flours and yields a lighter, more cakey texture. You can however use all-purpose flour if needed.
- Buttermilk. If you don’t have buttermilk you can use regular milk with a little white vinegar, about 1 tablespoon per cup of milk is the rule of thumb.
- Eggs. I’m using 3 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk. The eggs not only provide structure to the crumb cake, but the yolks give the cake its beautiful yellow color.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
First, make the crumb topping
- Melt 1 1/2 cups (339g) of unsalted butter and allow to cool slightly. In a large bowl place 4 1/2 cups (585g) of all-purpose flour, 1/4 teaspoon of fine sea salt, 1 packed cup (200g) of dark brown sugar, 1/2 cup (100g) of granulated sugar, and 1 1/2 tablespoons (12g) of cinnamon and mix to combine. Pour the melted butter into the bowl.
- Use your hands to toss the mixture until large crumbs form. Do not overmix! The whole idea of this cake is to have large crumbs so if some of the crumbs are too small, you can use your hands to make larger crumbs by squeezing some of the small ones together. If the crumb mixture is too wet, add 1 tablespoon of flour at a time and gently mix with your hands to form the larger crumbs. Set the crumb mixture aside.
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Next, make the cake
- Preheat the oven to 350f and set the rack to the middle level. Line a 9×13 inch cake pan with parchment, or grease and set aside. In a large bowl whisk together 2 1/2 cups (325g) of cake flour, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder, and1/2 teaspoon of fine sea salt. In a separate bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together 1 cup (200g) of granulated sugar and 11 tablespoons (156g) of unsalted butter until smooth, then add 3 eggs plus 1 egg yolk (all at room temperature), one at a time, and beat together until combined.
- Add 3/4 cup (168g) of room temperature buttermilk and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract and mix until smooth. Don’t worry if the mixture appears curdled at this point. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and mix on low 30 seconds or until just combined, scraping down the sides with a spatula as needed. Avoid overmixing.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared sheet pan and use a spatula to smooth the top.
- Bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until the corners are set. The cake will not be fully cooked at this point.
- Allow the cake to cool for 10-15 minutes before topping the cake with the crumb mixture.
- Return to the oven to bake for an additional 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Place the crumb cake on a wire rack to cool. Once cool, invert the cake onto a baking sheet to remove it from the pan, then flip right-side-up.
- Dust with powdered sugar, serve, and enjoy!
Top tips
- Use a kitchen scale. For nearly every baking recipe, I recommend using a kitchen scale. It’s the only way to ensure consistent results and accurate measurements every single time.
- Double the recipe! I wrote this recipe for a 9×13 cake pan but if you want a true New York bakery-style cake, use a half-sheet cake pan (13×18) and double the recipe.
- Shortcuts are ok. While I do recommend using my cake recipe, you can definitely use a boxed yellow cake and achieve similar results. It’s a nice compromise between 100% homemade and a box of Entenmann’s crumb cake.
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New York Crumb Cake
Ingredients
For the crumb topping
- 1 1/2 cups (339g) unsalted butter melted
- 4 1/2 cups (585g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 packed cup (200g) dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons (12g) cinnamon
For the cake
- 2 1/2 cups (325g) cake flour spooned & leveled, can sub all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 11 tablespoons (156g) unsalted butter room temperature
- 3/4 cup (168g) buttermilk room temperature
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 egg yolk room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- powdered sugar for dusting
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Instructions
For the crumb topping
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, dark brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
- Pour the melted butter into the bowl and toss with hands to make large crumbs. Do not overmix! If the crumbs are too small, make larger crumbs by squeezing some of the smaller ones together. If the crumbs are too wet, add 1 tablespoon of flour at a time and gently mix with your hands to form larger crumbs.
- Set the crumb mixture aside.
For the cake
- Preheat the oven to 350f and set the rack to the middle level. Line a 9×13 inch cake pan with parchment paper, or grease and set aside.
- In a large bowl whisk together the cake flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- In a separate bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the sugar and butter until smooth, then add the eggs and extra yolk, one at a time and beat together until combined.
- Add the buttermilk and vanilla, and mix until smooth. Do not worry if the mixture looks curdled.
- Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and mix for 30 seconds or until just combined. Scrape down the sides with a spatula as needed. Avoid overmixing.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared sheet pan and bake for 15 minutes or until the corners are set. The cake will not be fully cooked.
- Allow the cake to cool for 10-15 minutes before topping.
- Top the cake with the crumb mixture. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean after inserting into the center of the cake.
- Place the cake on a wire rack to cool and once cool dust with powdered sugar.
Notes
- Makes 15 large pieces, but can be cut into much smaller pieces if you like.
- This recipe was written for a conventional oven. For convection ovens, reduce the temperature by 25 degrees and begin checking for doneness at the 75% mark.
- This recipe is written for a 9×13 cake pan, however, you can go “New York bakery style” and bake it in a cake-style half sheet pan (13×18) by simply doubling the recipe.
- Leftover crumb cake can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Hi Jim I just made your NY crumb cake today . Great recipe . As far as flipping it ? That didn’t go over well but may I suggest to put the parchment paper on both sides c and it will be crazier to lift & cut on a cutting board without the hassle .
Thanks for the suggestion, Angela!
Awesomeness!
Can I use light buttermilk?
Yes.
Can this be made gluten and dairy free?
We haven’t tested the recipe without butter or a GF flour substitute so we can’t say what the results would be.
Can’t wait to make this.i am a Jersey girl my aunts would always bring this wonderful crumb when they visited us in Jersey. Wish me luck hope mine tastes as good. Sometimes my mother would slice it horizontal and fill with vanilla cream and put a marching red cherry on top for birthdays
This coffee cake brings back a flood of memories. I grew up in Ho-Ho-Kus, NJ and the bakery in town made a crumb bun that was so good I always wanted to find a recipe that would even come close. Your recipe knocks it out of the park! WAAY better than Entemann’s, my other go to. LOL. This cake comes together so easily and it’s perfect for lazy Sunday mornings on our screen porch. Thank you so much! This goes into my “favorites”.
We’re so glad you made the crumb cake and enjoyed it, Ceejay! Thanks for the great comment!
Can I substitute light brown sugar for the dark, if I don’t have any?
Yes, you can.
Can I make this using gluten free flour?
We haven’t tested it with GF flour, but have heard great things about using King Arthur’s Measure for Measure in its place.
I loved this Crumb Cake. Super ! How do you freeze this cake ? Especially if you make it in the cake style half sheet pan ? Ps. Waiting for the Sip & Feast Cookbook I ordered !
Hi Mary Ellen, we’re so happy you enjoyed the crumb cake and thanks for preordering the book! To freeze, you can wrap the cake in plastic wrap, and then again in foil and place in the freezer for up to 3 months.
The REAL New York/Pennsylvania Crumb cake looked exactly like
this! Too much Crumb? Never. I havent made it yet but I’ll use ALL the crumbs.
Philly Crumb Fan
Glad to hear that, Susan!
I wanted to love this recipe. I follow the recipe exactly. The cake part was dry. The crumb topping still had flour taste after baking.
Hi M, we’re sorry the cake didn’t turn out as you expected. Every oven is different, so if it was overcooked at all that could account for the dryness. In all of times testing the recipe we have not had an issue with a flour taste after baking but sorry to hear you did.
Really good. I will cut the topping in half. It’s a bit overkill. Otherwise, it is remarkable close (but better than) the old Sara Lee coffee cake we can’t find anymore.
We’re glad you enjoyed, Ron!
Too much crumb? Blasphemy
I remember crumb cookies from a bakery in the Bronx, I think it was on Arthur Avenue. This goes back 50 years when I still lived in NYC.
I’ve saved your recipe, and when it gets cooler her in AZ, I’ll make it. Really looking forward to it.
Easy recipe to execute, sooo much leftover crumb tho 🤣🤣
Glad you enjoyed! There shouldn’t be leftover crumbs, unless you used a different size pan. You can watch Jim make it in the video and there really weren’t any leftover crumbs.