This Double Crumb Crumb Cake will change the way you view this classic. The double crumb is buttery, sweet, and warmly cinnamony, making up almost two-thirds of the cake — and it’s absolutely irresistible.
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Reasons you’ll love this crumb cake
- Versatile — serve it for breakfast, brunch, dessert, or a snack. It’s perfect with coffee.
- Ultra-buttery — the crumb topping is rich and satisfying, contributing most of the cake’s luscious flavor.
- Easy to make, stores well, and freezes beautifully. The recipe yields two cakes, so you’ll have one to enjoy now and one to save for later.
- Timeless appeal — classic crumb cake flavors please both older and younger generations without any fancy ingredients.
- No yeast required — unlike some European crumb cakes, this one doesn’t need rising time.
Putting it together
Start with the crumb topping: mix flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl. Use your fingertips to work in the room-temperature butter until the mixture forms large, coarse crumbs. This hands-on step is fun for kids and helps create those large, tender crumb clusters that make this cake special.
For the cake batter, beat granulated sugar and butter until light and fluffy, then add eggs one at a time. Whisk together the dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Alternate adding the dry mix and the milk-vanilla mixture to the butter-sugar-egg base, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix just until combined — you don’t want to overwork the batter.
Divide the batter evenly between two prepared 9-inch round pans. It doesn’t have to be perfectly even, but try to get the amounts close so both cakes bake the same.
Press the crumb topping into large chunks with your hands and sprinkle it generously and evenly over each cake. Those large, buttery pieces are the highlight — press them together so they bake into big, tender clusters.
After baking, let the cakes rest in their pans for a short time. Invert each cake onto a plate, then invert again onto a wire rack so the crumb side is up. Cool completely if you can wait before slicing — this helps the crumbs set and keeps them from falling apart.
Expected reactions from family and friends
- “Damn, that’s a lot of crumb — and I love it!”
- “More crumb, the better.”
- At breakfast: “I can’t wait to have another slice this afternoon with coffee.”
- Mid-afternoon: “This will be perfect for dessert tonight.”
- At dessert: “I can’t wait to have this for breakfast tomorrow!”
Looking for more recipes like this? Try these
-
Lemon Crumb Bars
-
Cherry Pie Bars
-
Butter Cake with Rum Glaze
-
Caramel Peach Upside Down Cake
Easy Double Crumb Crumb Cake
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Ingredients
Crumb Topping
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 cups butter, room temperature
Cake
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 3/4 cup milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
Prepare Crumb Topping
- In a medium or large bowl, combine flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon. With your fingertips, work in the butter until the mixture forms coarse crumbs. Set aside.
Make Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease two 9-inch round cake pans and dust lightly with flour. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In a mixer bowl, beat granulated sugar and butter on low to combine, then increase to medium and beat about 2 minutes until fluffy. Reduce speed to low and add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.
- Combine milk and vanilla. With mixer on low, alternately add the flour mixture and the milk mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, scraping the bowl as needed, until just smooth.
- Divide batter evenly between the prepared pans. Press the crumb topping into large chunks and distribute evenly over the batter. Bake 40–45 minutes, until a toothpick in the centers comes out clean.
- Cool cakes in the pans on wire racks for 15 minutes. Loosen the sides, invert onto plates, then invert again onto wire racks so the crumb side is up. Cool completely before slicing.
Notes
- Store cooled cakes tightly wrapped at room temperature for a few days, then refrigerate or freeze if keeping longer.
- Recipe adapted from Good Housekeeping’s Great Baking cookbook.
Nutrition
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