Old Fashioned Crumb Cake

A good crumb cake is really an argument about ratios, and old-fashioned versions like this one come down firmly on the side of more topping. That thick, buttery layer of brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon crumbs is the whole reason people reach for a second piece, so it’s worth making generous and clumpy.

Underneath sits a tender, lightly spiced cake. The method has one detail worth respecting: add the milk and dry ingredients alternately to the creamed butter and sugar. That back-and-forth keeps you from overmixing, which is what would otherwise toughen the crumb.

The cake is done the moment the top springs back when you press it lightly with a fingertip, no toothpick required. Serve it warm, when the cinnamon is most fragrant and the crumb is at its most buttery. It’s a coffee cake at its most honest, and it comes together fast.

Kitchen Tips

• Squeeze the topping into clumps rather than leaving it sandy, so you get big, craggy crumbs.
• Add the milk and dry ingredients alternately, mixing just until combined, for a tender cake.
• Check doneness by pressing the top lightly; when it springs back, it’s ready.

Variations

• Use buttermilk in place of milk for an extra-tender, slightly tangy crumb.
• Add chopped nuts or a swirl of jam to the batter, or a pinch of nutmeg to the topping.