A soft, tender cinnamon crumb cake with a sweet streusel layer on top. Exactly what you want next to your coffee, or as a Shabbat dessert.
The cake itself is rich, made with sour cream and vanilla. The warm cinnamon crumbs melt in your mouth.
There’s crumb in the middle too. Half the batter, half the crumbs, then repeat.
My tip: keep the crumb mixture in the fridge while you make the batter. Cold crumbs stay in chunky pieces and bake up crisp.
Easy to make, beautiful to serve, and a pleasure to eat any time.
Cinnamon crumb cake is a sour cream and vanilla butter cake layered with a cinnamon, brown sugar, and butter streusel. Layer half the batter, half the crumbs, the rest of the batter, and the rest of the crumbs in an 8-inch (20 cm) square pan and bake at 350°F (180°C) for 32–35 minutes. Finish with an optional powdered sugar glaze.
Cinnamon Crumb Cake
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and grease an 8-inch (20 cm) square pan.
- Mix the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Add the cold butter and rub it in with your fingers until you have a lumpy, crumbly mixture.
- Put it in the fridge while you make the cake batter.
- In a bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, beat the butter and sugar until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, and sour cream and mix.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix just until even. Add the milk and mix briefly.
- Pour half the batter into the pan and sprinkle with half the crumbs. Pour in the rest of the batter and top with the remaining crumbs.
- Bake for 32–35 minutes, no longer, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry.
- Stir together all the glaze ingredients and drizzle over the cake. Slice and serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Butter → dairy-free margarine or butter sticks, or refined coconut oil.
- Sour cream → soy yogurt, coconut cream, or plant-based cooking cream.
- Milk → soy, almond, or oat milk.
- Glaze → use soy, almond, or oat milk, or water.
- Keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to a week.
Frequently asked questions
They’re close cousins. Crumb cake is all about the thick streusel layer, and this one has crumbs both in the middle and on top.
Yes. Use dairy-free margarine or refined coconut oil instead of butter, soy yogurt or coconut cream instead of sour cream, and plant milk instead of milk.
The butter was too warm. Use cold butter and chill the crumbs while you make the batter.
In an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to a week.
Yes. Freeze it well wrapped, ideally before glazing, and thaw at room temperature.
