Equipment
Ingredients
topping
- 110 g brown sugar, packed
- 55 g unsalted butter, melted
- 30 g all-purpose flour
- 20 g rolled oats
- 3 g ground spices
- 4 g fine salt
cake
- 190 g all-purpose flour
- 5 g baking powder
- 1 g baking soda
- 4 g fine salt
- 115 g unsalted butter, room temperature
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 10 ml vanilla extract
- 160 ml sour cream
- 5 ml lemon zest, grated
- 5 ml orange zest, grated
- 120 ml mixed fruit
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 427 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbohydrates
- 52 g
- Fat
- 22 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 28 g
- Sodium
- 473 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 13 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 6 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 99 mg
- Potassium
- 200 mg
- Calcium
- 89 mg
- Iron
- 1.9 mg
- Magnesium
- 14 mg
- Phosphorus
- 124 mg
- Zinc
- 0.5 mg
- Vitamin A
- 190 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 11 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.3 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.7 mg
- Vitamin K
- 2 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.2 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.25 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.26 mg
- Niacin
- 1.8 mg
- Folate
- 63 mcg
- Water
- 46 g
- Alcohol
- 0 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F) and grease the baking pan.
Mix the topping ingredients in a medium bowl until clumps form.
Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl.
Cream the room temperature butter and granulated sugar at medium speed for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition.
Stir in the vanilla extract.
Mix in half of the dry ingredients until just combined.
Add the sour cream and mix until incorporated.
Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
Gently fold in the citrus zest and fruit using a rubber spatula.
Spread the batter into the pan and sprinkle the topping evenly over the surface.
Bake for 45 to 55 minutes at 175°C (350°F) until a toothpick comes out clean.
Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan before slicing.
Chef's Notes
- For the topping, don't overmix. You want distinct crumbly pieces, not a paste. If it gets too wet, add a tablespoon more flour.
- Ensure your butter, eggs, and sour cream are truly at room temperature for the cake batter. This is crucial for achieving a smooth, emulsified batter and a tender crumb.
- When adding the dry ingredients to the wet, mix only until *just* combined. Overmixing develops gluten, which can lead to a tough cake.
- If using frozen fruit, do not thaw it completely before folding into the batter. A slightly frozen fruit will release less liquid during baking, preventing a soggy cake.
- Allowing the cake to cool completely in the pan is essential for the crumb topping to set and for the cake to hold its shape when sliced.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container.
Freezer: 1 month — Wrap individual slices tightly.
Reheating: Warm in an oven at 150°C (300°F) for 10 minutes to refresh the crumb texture.
Troubleshooting
Cake is dry or tough
Cause: Overmixing the batter after adding flour or overbaking.
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Mix dry ingredients only until no streaks of flour remain and check for doneness at 45 minutes.
Topping melts into the cake
Cause: Butter in the topping was too hot or the batter was too thin.
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Ensure the topping is clumpy and the butter is not bubbling hot when mixed.
Cultural Context
Crumb cake, also known as streusel cake, is a popular American dessert with roots in German 'streuselkuchen.' It gained widespread popularity in the United States, particularly in regions with significant German heritage, and is often enjoyed as a breakfast pastry, snack, or simple dessert.
