A slice of Streuselkuchen (German Crumb Cake) is the perfect afternoon snack. The cake has a light, airy texture with just enough sweetness and crunch coming from the jam, crumble, and almonds!
Similar to a Cherry Crumble, this German recipe is foolproof.
It's an easy recipe that's 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.
Perfect as a quick breakfast snack or an afternoon treat with a cup of coffee or hot chocolate. Need to feed a crowd? No problem. Simply double the recipe.
What You'll Need To Make This Recipe
One of the reasons to love this recipe is that chances are you have all of the ingredients in your fridge and pantry!
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.
WET INGREDIENTS - Unsalted Butter, eggs, and vanilla extract.
DRY INGREDIENTS - Sugar, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt.
TOPPINGS - Apricot preserve (or your favorite preserve/jam) and sliced almonds.
How To Make Streuselkuchen from Scratch
Making Streuselkuchen from scratch is incredibly easy! It breaks down into two major steps: making the batter and making the topping.
Preparing The Batter
- 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.
How to Make The Streusel (Crumb Topping)
- 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
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 possible flavor.
Of course, make sure that the cake has cooled completely before storing it.
Bonus Step: To keep the cake slices fresh and moist, you can also wrap them in plastic wrap and then store the wrapped pieces in an airtight container. Wrapping them in plastic wrap will prevent moisture from escaping.
The cake will taste fresh for up to two days. If you need to store the cake longer, I recommend using the instructions below to freeze it.
RECOMMENDATION: Best Airtight Container
You might be wondering if you should store this cake in the fridge. I don't recommend it for this type of cake because the cake becomes a bit soggy and stale.
Can You Freeze Streuselkuchen?
Yes, Streuselkuchen freezes beautifully.
Allow the cake to cool down completely, and cut it into individual slices. Cover each slice with plastic wrap. Put the wrapped slices into a freezer-safe zip lock back.
Ready to enjoy a slice of frozen Streuselkuchen?
Simply take it out of the freezer and allow it to thaw at room temperature. You can also reheat it in the microwave for a few seconds if you prefer a warm slice of cake.
If You Like This Recipe, Try These!
Käsekuchen - German Cheesecake
Classic Sandkuchen - German bundt cake.
Cinnamon Twists - an easy sweet treat
Glazed Lemon Sponge Cake - sweet and tangy German lemon sheet cake
Butterkuchen - German butter cake
Did you try our Butterkuchen recipe? Awesome! Please take a moment to rate the recipe below!
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 15x10 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.
Scarlet
This sounds really fun to try. I am pinning your Streuselkucken recipe to try Saturday!
Sharon Foster
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.
Maike
Hi Sharon, I just emailed you, too. Yes, there was a typo and I fixed it. You'll just need baking powder. Happy Thanksgiving.
Candy Cole
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!
Maike
Oh, that's great! Thank you so much for sharing, Candy. Tell your son: "Guten Appetit" 😉
Tanya
Is this a moist or dry cake?
Also, what is the size of the "baking sheet" (length x width x height)?
Thanks!
Maike
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 🙂
Beth
Hi Maike!
Do you think I could make cupcakes from the batter? Your recipe sounds delicious!
Thank you!
Beth
Maike
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. 💖
Kristine
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).
Maike
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. 💖
Debbie
Does it need to be stored I. The refrigerator or can you leave it out?
Maike
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. 🙂
Travis Pershall
Looks delicious! Every one should try it!