Old-Fashioned Crumb Top Muffin Cakes with Cinnamon Streusel
These tender, cake-like muffins feature a rich vanilla base topped with a buttery cinnamon crumb streusel that bakes into a delightfully crunchy contrast. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or afternoon coffee, they deliver the nostalgic comfort of traditional crumb cake in convenient individual portions. The key to their success lies in the simple rubbing technique for the topping and not overmixing the batter, which keeps the texture light and fluffy.
Ingredients
- Cooking oil spray or softened butter
- 2 cups all-purpose flourgluten-free flour blend1:1gluten-freegluten-free
check xanthan gum
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup sugar
- ½ cup canola or vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup whole milk
- ⅓ cup packed brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flourgluten-free flour blend1:1gluten-freegluten-free
check xanthan gum
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled
Instructions
- 1
Preheat oven and grease muffin pan with cooking spray or butter
- 2
Sift flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar into large bowl
- 3
Beat oil, eggs, vanilla, and milk in separate bowl
- 4
Scatter dry mixture over wet mixture and stir to combine
- 5
Scoop batter into muffin cups filling about 2/3 full
- 6
Combine brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and butter for topping
- 7
Rub topping ingredients together with fingers until crumbly
- 8
Sprinkle topping generously on cakes and flatten gently
- 9
Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean
- 10
Cool in pan then remove to wire racks to cool completely
Tips
Don't overmix the batter once dry and wet ingredients are combined to keep muffins tender and light.
Chill the butter for the crumb topping so it holds together better when rubbed with fingers.
Fill muffin cups exactly 2/3 full to prevent overflow and ensure even baking.
Good to Know
Store covered at room temperature up to 3 days or refrigerate up to 1 week
Make crumb topping up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate covered
Serve at room temperature or warmed briefly in microwave
Common Mistakes
Don't overfill muffin cups to avoid overflow and uneven baking
Don't overmix batter to avoid tough, dense muffins
Substitutions
Dairy-Free Swaps
Gluten-Free Swaps
check xanthan gum
FAQ
Can I freeze these crumb cakes?
Yes, wrap individually and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or warm in microwave for 20-30 seconds.
What if I don't have a muffin pan?
Use an 8x8 baking dish and increase baking time to 30-35 minutes for a sheet cake version.
How long do these keep fresh?
Store covered at room temperature for 3 days or refrigerate up to 1 week for best quality.