Streuselkuchen (German Crumb Cake)

Nov 3, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Baking Cakes cupcakes Vanilla: Extract Medium

A soft, light yeast cake topped with a thick layer of buttery vanilla-cinnamon crumbs. It is baked in a sheet pan and cut into squares for coffee. Makes 1 9x13-inch cake in about 2 hr.

Prep 30 min

Cook 30 min

Cooling 1 hr

Total 2 hr

Yield 1 9x13-inch cake

Ingredients

Adjust yield

9x13-inch cake

3 ¼ cups (400 g)all-purpose flour, for the dough
¼ oz (7 g)instant yeast
¼ cup (50 g)granulated sugar, for the dough
½ tsp (3 g)salt, for the dough
1 ½ tsp (3 g)lemon zest
¾ cup (200 ml)lukewarm whole milk
1 (50 g)egg
¼ cup (60 g)unsalted butter, softened, for the dough
2 cups (250 g)all-purpose flour, for the streusel
¾ cup (150 g)granulated sugar, for the streusel
⅔ cup (150 g)unsalted butter, softened, for the streusel
1 tsp (5 ml)vanilla extract
1 ¼ tsp (3 g)ground cinnamon
1 pinch (1 g)salt, for the streusel
2 ½ tbsp (20 g)powdered sugar

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Instructions

Mix the flour, yeast, sugar, salt and lemon zest in a bowl. Add the milk, egg and butter and knead 8 to 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Cover and let rise 1 hour, until doubled.
For the streusel, rub the flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt, vanilla and soft butter together with your fingertips until large, clumpy crumbs form. Refrigerate while the dough finishes rising.
Butter a 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33 cm) pan. Press the dough out into the pan to reach the corners, rest it 15 minutes, then prick it all over with a fork.
Heat the oven to 375 F (190 C).
Scatter the streusel in big clumps thickly over the dough, pressing lightly.
Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until the crumbs are golden and the dough underneath is fully baked (a skewer inserted at the edge comes out clean).
Cool in the pan, dust with powdered sugar and cut into squares.

Tips

Keep the streusel buttery and clumpy; do not overwork it into a paste.
Press the crumbs lightly into the dough so they stay on during slicing.
Best on the day it is baked.
Good with black coffee.

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Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make streuselkuchen (german crumb cake)?

Plan on 30 minutes of prep and 30 minutes of cooking, plus 1 hour to chill. The recipe makes 1 9x13-inch cake.

How should I store streuselkuchen (german crumb cake)?

Keep loosely covered at room temperature up to 2 days; freeze squares up to 2 months.

Can I make streuselkuchen (german crumb cake) ahead?

Yes. It needs time to chill and set, so it is a good one to make the day before you serve it.

Can I use a different form of vanilla?

Yes. This recipe uses 1 tsp vanilla extract (5 ml). Each teaspoon of pure vanilla extract can be swapped for 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste, the seeds of half a vanilla bean, or 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla powder. Paste and seeds add the classic dark specks.