I am kicking myself for not photographing a little crumb cake that Aster and I ate last night. It was just a mini-cake we picked up at a local bakery, a snack she and I could share as we watched airplanes land and take off at our local airport. Aster loves to go there and just watch the planes. I enjoy it too. I'm always amazed at how busy our little airport is, there are always planes taking off and landing. Funny, because I never gave our airport so much as a second thought until Aster came along and started delighting in the planes.
Okay, to crumb cakes…I think Hostess used to sell little individually wrapped crumb cakes, which I remember enjoying as a child. But some mass produced confection is never as good as the real thing. Crumb cakes are especially popular among the Amish of Pennsylvania and that is where this recipe comes to me from. Let us know if you decide to try this at home, I’d like to know how it turns out. The crumb cake we ate last night was delicious, although a little too "crumby/crumbly", I think recipe accomplishes the crumb cake flavor without quite so many crumbs!
In the Amish community there are quite a few recipes and versions circling about for the infamous Amish Crumb Cake. We've compiled three variations of Crumb Cake that are each an absolute delight. Depending on what you have in your pantry might dictate which one you choose!
Crumb cakes are also staples in Amish bakeries. They are easy to make and versatile, serving as a delicious breakfast bread, a dessert, or a snack. And true to Amish baking, crumb cake recipes are very basic. They are also especially popular among the Amish of Pennsylvania and that is where this recipe comes to me from.
Reader Barbara tested out this recipe for us, and here is what she had to say:
This Old-Fashioned Amish Crumb Cake was easy, simple to make. It has a little denser cake, but as Mr. said, it has a real good flavor and is delightful! As always, he has to try right out of the oven and said cannot wait to taste again when it has cooled!
Let us know if you decide to try making Old-Fashioned Amish Crumb Cake at home, I'd like to know how it turns out!
🥮 Crumb Cake Ingredients
- 3 cups flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1 /2 cups sugar
- 1 /2 to ⅔ cup butter
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
📋 Baking Instructions
- Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
- Cut in butter until the mixture has the consistency of coarse meal or small peas.
- Reserve about 1 ½ cups of this mixture.
- Combine the eggs, milk, and vanilla extract and stir into the remainder of the dry blend just until everything is moistened.
- Pour into 2 well-buttered 10-inch pie pans.
- Brush the top of the dough with melted butter and sprinkle with the reserved crumb mixture.
- Bake in a 350°oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until cake is done or a toothpick comes out clean.
🥮 Crumb Cake Variations
Mrs. Glick's Amish Coffee Crumb Cake
The Amish Cook Crumble Dessert
Salted Caramel Apple Crumb Bars
🖨️ Full Recipe
Homemade Crumb Cake
Ingredients
- 3 cups flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1 /2 cups sugar
- 1 /2 to ⅔ cup butter
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
- Cut in butter until the mixture has the consistency of coarse meal or small peas .
- Reserve about 1 ½ cups of this mixture.
- Combine the eggs, milk, and vanilla extract and stir into the remainder of the dry blend just until everything is moistened.
- Pour into 2 well-buttered 10-inch pie pans.
- Brush the top of the dough with melted butter and sprinkle with the reserved crumb mixture.
- Bake in a 350° oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until cake is done or a toothpick comes out clean.
Diane
I too love those Hostess crumb cakes. I tried this recipe today - not impressed with the results. It is okay, but no home run in my book. The cake texture is odd - kind of like a stale and almost tough. I have never made a recipe that called for a tablespoon of baking powder! Not impressed. Then for the "crumbs" - not lumpy enough - like a topping of flour. The "flour crumbs" is like a spoonful of flour for the frosting. Kinda suffocating. Just not my cup of tea. Odd texture, not very sweet, and flour frosting.
Kevin
Thanks, Diane, for sharing your experience with the crumb cake, sounds like the recipe might need some tweaking!