German Crumb Cake
A slice of German Crumb Cake (German: Streuselkuchen) is the perfect afternoon snack. Similar to a Cherry Crumble, this German recipe is foolproof.
The cake has a light, airy texture with just enough sweetness and crunch from the jam, crumble, and almonds!
It’s an easy recipe ready to go into the oven in less than 20 minutes. Serve it with whipped cream (try mint whipped cream for a delicious twist), a side of vanilla ice cream – or both!
Streuselkuchen is the world’s easiest layer cake. The bottom is a light sponge cake, topped with your favorite preserve (or marmalade!) and finished with a sweet crumb and almond topping.
German Crumb Cake Recipe Highlights
- Ease and Simplicity – With basic pantry ingredients and an easy-to-follow process, even beginner bakers can whip up this beauty.
- Versatility – You can use any jam or preserve that tickles your fancy, making this coffee cake adaptable to different seasons and tastes.
- Texture – This cake offers a soft, tender crumb from the cake layer, a gooey sweetness from the jam, and a crunch from the almond-studded crumb topping.
Perfect as a quick breakfast snack or an afternoon treat with coffee or hot chocolate. Need to feed a crowd? No problem. Simply double the recipe.
Ingredient Notes
Please check the recipe card below for a detailed, printable ingredient list.
BUTTER – Softened butter provides the creamy base for your cake batter. As always, I recommend using unsalted butter.
SUGAR – The granulated sugar not only sweetens the cake but also helps in creaming the butter to get that soft texture.
EGGS – These help to bind everything together and add a nice lift.
VANILLA EXTRACT – A dash of vanilla brings in that classic aroma and subtle flavor.
FLOUR – We’ll need flour for the batter and the crumb topping. Regular all-purpose flour works really well.
BAKING POWDER – A small amount is used for leavening, helping the cake rise.
JAM OR PRESERVE – Choose your favorite flavor to spread over the cake batter. I used apricot jam, but it’s your cake and your rules!
How To Make A German Crumb Cake
Please check the printable full recipe card below for more detailed instructions.
This recipe breaks down into two major steps: making the batter and the streusel topping.
- Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla extract.
- Mix in the dry ingredients and beat until well combined.
- Ladle the batter onto the baking sheet. Spread the batter evenly.
- Top the batter with the jam or preserve of your choice.
- Combine flour, sugar, and melted butter to make the crumb topping.
- Layer the sweet crumb topping over the preserve spread.
- Bake the Streuselkuchen for 25 minutes at 350° Fahrenheit. Remove the cake from the oven and insert a toothpick to make sure the cake has been fully baked.
Leftovers and Storage
STORE – Keep your Streuselkuchen fresh and delicious by placing the slices in an airtight container! Store the container in a cool, dark spot for the best flavor. It will stay fresh for up to 3 days at room temperature.
Bonus Step: To keep the cake slices fresh and moist, wrap them in plastic wrap and store the pieces in an airtight container. The plastic wrap will prevent moisture from escaping.
You might wonder if you should store this cake in the fridge. I don’t recommend it for this type of cake because it can become soggy and stale.
FREEZE – Streuselkuchen freezes beautifully. You can freeze individual slices wrapped in plastic and then place them in a ziplock bag. They’ll keep for up to 3 months.
REHEAT – To enjoy it warm, reheat a slice in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds. Keep your Streuselkuchen fresh and delicious by placing the slices in an airtight container! Store the container in a cool, dark spot for the best flavor. Of course, make sure that the cake has cooled completely before storing it.
More Easy and Delicious German Recipes
RECOMMENDATION: Best Airtight Containers
Recipe Success Tips
Apricot preserve works beautifully with this recipe. But you can also experiment with strawberry, raspberry, blueberry, sour cherry, or any other preservative you have on hand. The possibilities are limitless.
More Easy And Delicious German Desserts
German Cheesecake – German: Käsekuchen
Sandkuchen – German Bundt Cake
Cinnamon Twist – an easy sweet treat
Glazed Lemon Sheet Cake – sweet and tangy
Butterkuchen – German Butter Cake
German Crumb Cake (Streuselkuchen)
Ingredients
Batter
- 12 tablespoons butter unsalted, softened
- 1½ cups sugar
- 4 large eggs
- ½ tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups all purpose flour
- ½ tablespoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 15 ounce preservative/jam choose favorite flavor
Crumb Topping
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 8 tablespoons butter melted
- ½ cup almonds sliced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Cover a 15×10 inch baking sheet with parchment paper.
Making The Batter
- Cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Add eggs and vanilla extract and continue to beat on medium speed until the batter is smooth and creamy.
- Add flour, baking powder, and salt and beat until all of the ingredients have been well combined. The batter should be thick and creamy.
- Pour the batter onto the baking sheet and spread it evenly.
- Spread your favorite preserve on top of the batter.
Making The Streusel Topping
- Combine flour, sugar, and melted butter. Use your hand mixer and combine until the dough turns into crumbs. Layer the sweet crumb topping over the preserve spread and top with sliced almonds.
- Bake for 25 minutes at 350° Fahrenheit. Use a toothpick to check the doneness.
Equipment
Nutritional Information
Nutritional Disclaimer
Cheerful Cook team members are not trained nutritionists or medical professionals. Calorie information and nutritional values are estimates. If you have nutritional concerns, we recommend using a nutritional calculator.
Maike Corbett is the founder and food blogger of Cheerful Cook, a popular recipe website featuring comfort food recipes from the US and Germany. She has been featured in numerous media outlets, including the AP Wire and MSN.
This sounds really fun to try. I am pinning your Streuselkucken recipe to try Saturday!
Do you use baking powder or baking soda in the German Crumb Cake? The ingredients call for baking powder, but in the instructions it says add the soda. Thanks. I’m so excited to find this recipe.
Hi Sharon, I just emailed you, too. Yes, there was a typo and I fixed it. You’ll just need baking powder. Happy Thanksgiving.
So my son is taking German this year, and his assignment was to make a German dessert. He made this recipe and it was delicious and easy to make. Everyone loved it!
Oh, that’s great! Thank you so much for sharing, Candy. Tell your son: “Guten Appetit” 😉
Is this a moist or dry cake?
Also, what is the size of the “baking sheet” (length x width x height)?
Thanks!
These are great questions! Thank you.
Generally, I use a Jelly Roll pan from Nordic Ware (15x10x1). But you could also try a quarter sheet pan (13x9x1) which would make the Streuselkuchen a bit higher, and might actually turn out nice, too. The cake should be on the moist side. I’ll update the recipe with the baking sheet recommendation. Please let me know if you have any other questions. ~ Maike 🙂
Hi Maike!
Do you think I could make cupcakes from the batter? Your recipe sounds delicious!
Thank you!
Beth
I love this question! I’ve never tried, but I don’t see why not.
I would probably cut the amount of crumbs in half, though. But tell you, what this question comes a great time.
My dad is visiting from Germany at the moment, and he loves everything cherry, and his mid-afternoon “coffee and cake”, so I might just try making it and report back. Stay tuned. 💖
Thanks for another delicious, easy to make recipe. It ended up very nice, however I did need to cook it for significantly longer than the baking time in the recipe (closer to 45 mins).
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Kristine. Thank you for the feedback. You’re making a really good point. In fact, I have been working on updating this recipe for a few weeks (coming soon to the site). And I will add more information about baking times.
Until early 2021 I used a GE Profile Range (gas-powered), which looking back always baked very fast. However, my new oven is a GE Cafe, and I have experienced longer bake times.
I’ve made five batches (good thing my husband likes cherry crumble ;-)) and I’ve gotten the most consistent results at 35 minutes. But I can see how it might take longer in a different oven. Thank you again for sharing. 💖
Does it need to be stored I. The refrigerator or can you leave it out?
Hi Debbie, great question! Thank you. I just updated the post and added a section to the blog post on how to store Streuselkuchen properly. Your hunch was good. It’s best if you store it in an airtight container in a cool dark place (not in the fridge). Thank you and happy New Year. 🙂
Looks delicious! Every one should try it!
Liebe streuselkuchen!!
Hi, do you use the entire 15oz jar of preserves?
I use Bonne Apricot Maman Preserve which is 13 oz. But I’ll admit, this one is a bit pricy and any other apricot preserve will work well, too. With this recipe, you’ll be good with any jar between 12 and 15 ounces. I just updated the recipe to link to my favorite, but I’ve also used off-label store brands before. Hope that helps. 🙂
Hi – it’s in the oven now to serve at our neighbourhood Oktoberfest party. I made half peach and half strawberry-rhubarb. Looks good and was easy to make.
BUT… how long do I leave on cooling rack? How do I store it?
Hi! That sounds amazing, and the half-and-half combo is such a fun idea. Let the crumb cake cool on a rack for at least 1 hour, or until it’s completely cool to the touch. Store it loosely covered at room temperature for up to 2 days. If it’s warm out, refrigerate it and bring it back to room temp before serving so the topping stays tender.
Wilkommen to usa. Dankeschon.
Looking forward to making this recipe today! I know your recipe says any jam but wanted to know if you used apricot?
Hi Marsha. Happy baking season. You know, that’s a good question, and I’d never thought about doing it that way. There is a German “Aprikosenkuchen” (Apricot Cake) in which you layer the apricots, but I think the batter is a bit different. Anyway, for this his batter, you’ll be fine. I would slice the apricots rather thinly, sprinkle them with a bit of sugar, and then layer them on top of the batter before adding the crumbs. That’s my guess, not having tested it. I hope that helps and you’ll have fun baking.