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Classic Old-Fashioned Crumb Cake Recipe: Timeless Coffee Cake Delight

I like baking more than cooking. Anyone else?

A vertical stack of three crumb cake muffins, with more in the background, on a marble surface with some cinnamon crumbs, in front of a white background.

I’m a dessert-first person: give me brownies or cake over meats and savory sauces any day. I do make an exception for hot, crusty Italian bread straight from the oven, but since bread is baked, it still fits my sweet-to-baked-food preference.

Vertical image shot at an oblique angle of six crumb cake muffins with cinnamon streusel topping, on a wire cooling rack placed on a gray and white marble surface.

Some people frown on a love of sugar and will wax poetic about a special cheese or vegetable, but I freely admit I have a serious sweet tooth. I never met a chocolate I didn’t like, and I happily eat dessert both before and after dinner. Cake often makes a perfectly acceptable breakfast in my book.

Top-down view of nine muffins topped with cinnamon streusel, on a gray and white marble surface.

That’s why I’m especially partial to breakfast pastries, coffee cakes, and doughnuts. I like something slightly sweet to start the day, and these Old-Fashioned Crumb Cakes are perfect for that craving.

Homemade Deliciousness

I like to call these little crumb cakes “individual bites of wow.” They’re small enough to help with portion control and just sweet enough to pair perfectly with your morning coffee.

Muffins with streusel topping arrange on a piece of marble, with one in the foreground broken in half to show the crumb.

The cake itself is a simple, classic batter — good on its own — but the streusel topping is what really elevates these. A mix of butter, sugar, cinnamon, and flour bakes into a crunchy, sweet topping that sometimes reminds me of toffee when the edges caramelize.

Five streusel-topped crumb cakes arranged in two rows on a silver wire cooling rack, on top of a gray and white marble background.

Honestly, next time I’ll make extra streusel so I can pile it on. Whether you have a sweet tooth or not, these are worth trying at home.

Twelve streusel-topped muffins on a gray and white marble surface.

The Best Old-Fashioned Crumb Cakes

  • Author: Shanna Mallon
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 12 cakes

Description

Melt-in-your-mouth old-fashioned crumb cakes topped with a cinnamon streusel. Individually portioned, they’re ideal for breakfast or dessert.

Ingredients

For the Cake:

  • Cooking oil spray or softened butter
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup whole milk

For the Topping:

  • 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Grease a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray or softened butter.
  2. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar into a large bowl.
  3. In a separate bowl, beat together the oil, eggs, vanilla, and milk. Add the dry mixture to the wet and stir briefly until combined; do not overmix.
  4. Scoop batter into the muffin cups about 2/3 full.
  5. Make the topping by combining brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and chilled butter. Rub together with your fingers until crumbly. Sprinkle generously over each cake and press lightly to adhere.
  6. Bake 20–25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes

Cooking By the Numbers…

Step 1 – Prep and Measure Ingredients

Preheat your oven to 400°F and grease the muffin tin. Measure all ingredients before you begin—baking is easier and less stressful when everything is ready.

Red measuring cups with spouts filled with flour and sugar alongside red plastic measuring spoons of baking powder and salt, on a gray and white marble background.

Step 2 – Sift Dry Ingredients

Sift the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt together. A fine-mesh sieve works well if you don’t have a dedicated sifter.

A fine mesh sieve full of flour rests in a stainless steel mixing bowl, on a marble surface.

Step 3 – Add Wet Ingredients

Whisk together the oil, eggs, vanilla, and milk. Add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Avoid overbeating to keep the cakes tender.

A stainless steel mixing bowl filled with flour, two eggs, and other ingredients to make a cake batter, on a gray and white marble surface.

Step 4 – Fill Muffin Cups

Scoop or pour the batter into each cup until about two-thirds full so the cakes have room to rise.

A metal muffin tin with nine wells filled two-thirds of the way with a thick beige batter, on a gray and white marble background.

Step 5 – Make Streusel Topping

Combine brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and chilled butter in a bowl. Rub with your fingers until you have coarse crumbs. Smaller butter pieces will yield a better streusel texture.

Packed brown sugar, cinnamon, flour, and butter in a stainless steel mixing bowl, on a marble background.

Step 6 – Top Cakes

Divide the topping evenly over the batter in each cup. Press lightly so it adheres and creates a nice crust.

Nine wells of a metal baking pan are filled with batter topped with a brown cinnamon crumble topping, on a white and gray marble slab.

Step 7 – Bake

Bake 20–25 minutes. When a toothpick comes out clean, remove the pan and let the cakes cool for 10 minutes before transferring them to a rack to finish cooling.

Just-baked old fashioned crumb cakes with a cinnamon streusel topping, in a metal baking pan on a gray and white marble surface.

Serve warm with butter for breakfast or as a dessert.

The Perfect Dessert… Or Breakfast

These crumb cakes work equally well for breakfast or dessert. They’re crumbly and sweet without being overpowering, so even people who prefer less sugary treats tend to enjoy them. The cinnamon streusel and classic cake texture pair beautifully with coffee in the morning or as a finish to a family meal. Their individual size also means you can enjoy one without guilt.

Closeup of several old fashioned crumb cakes on a marble slap, with scattered crumbs. The muffin in the foreground is broken in half to show the buttery cake inside.

If you’re in a rush, these reheat quickly in the microwave or a toaster oven, making them convenient for busy mornings.

If you try this recipe, share your thoughts in the comments. Do you prefer these as breakfast or dessert? Be sure to rate the recipe if you like it!

Don’t forget to Pin It!

A collage of photos showing different views of an old fashioned homemade crumb cake recipe.

Photos by Meghan Bassett, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Originally published August 11, 2008. Last updated December 30, 2021.

Nutritional information is an approximation derived from a food database and not a substitute for professional analysis.