A gluten-free, nut-free crumb cake that tastes just like the ones you find in a New York deli or bakery! Thick, moist buttery cake + an extra thick layer of brown sugar cinnamon crumb topping. Decadent-tasting and unbelievably delicious! Impressive looking but easy gluten-free recipe!
Gluten-Free New York-Style Crumb Cake
An easy, gluten-free version of the classic New York Crumb Cake!
So excited for you to try this Gluten-Free New York-Style Crumb Cake!
Gluten-free and nut-free, this crumb cake tastes just like the ones you find in a New York deli or bakery!
Thick, moist buttery cake + an extra thick layer of brown sugar cinnamon crumb topping.
Decadent-tasting and unbelievably delicious!
A little background…
This recipe came about because lots of you asked for a nut-free crumb cake after I shared our Sour Cream Coffee Cake a few months ago.
This New York-Style Crumb Cake uses the same basic cake recipe so you get the same amazing flavor and soft, moist texture of the sour cream coffee cake but now you have a thick brown sugar cinnamon topping that is over the top!
My husband and I lived in New York City for many years — through business school, working and even raising our kids there for some time. Without prompting, my husband said that this cake tastes just like the ones we used to treat ourselves to from our local deli!
Best part? It is impressive looking but it’s an easy gluten-free recipe!
So let’s make it!
Before we get to the ingredients, I want to point out that there is a cooking video on this page so you can see how easy it is to make.
And as with all our recipes, there is a printable recipe with exact measurements and directions at the bottom of the page.
You’ll need 12 ingredients in total:
butter or dairy-free butter
brown sugar
cinnamon
sugar
eggs
vanilla extract
gluten-free all purpose flour (with xanthan gum) (we used GFJules, affiliate link)
baking powder
baking soda
salt
sour cream or dairy-free sour cream
powdered or confectioners sugar (not in photo)
As an aside, you may have noticed that we are affiliate for GFJules. To learn more about why we love GFJules flour and why we have used it for 10 years, click here.
Bonus: at the bottom of that post is a one-time use affiliate Discount Code.
And importantly, purchasing through an affiliate link does not change your cost at all. It generates a small percentage of the sale for me, and purchasing through an affiliate link helps me fund this website and all the recipes I share, so thank you!
Back to the Gluten-free New York-Style Crumb Cake…
The cake comes together in 6 easy steps, taking about 20 minutes:
Make the Brown Sugar Cinnamon Crumble. Set aside.
Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
Cream the butter and sugar. Add in eggs and vanilla.
A gluten-free, nut-free crumb cake that tastes just like the ones you find in a New York deli or bakery! Thick, moist buttery cake + an extra thick layer of brown sugar cinnamon crumb topping. Decadent-tasting and unbelievably delicious! Impressive looking but easy recipe.
1-2tablespoonspowdered or confectioners sugar for topping
Instructions
Crumb Topping
In a medium mixing bowl combine sugars, cinnamon and salt.
Add melted butter and mix to combine. Will be smooth and thick.
Add flour and using a fork, combine until creates coarse crumbs. Do not mix with a spoon or mixer and do not overmix or it will become pasty. Set aside, ideally covered in plastic wrap.
Cake
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line an 8x8 inch metal baking pan with parchment paper letting the extra hang over the edges or tuck inside.
In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar.
Add eggs one at a time, mixing in each time.
Add in vanilla and mix to combine.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt with a whisk, fork or pastry cutter.
Alternately add and mix in flour mix and sour cream. I do 1/2 flour, then 1/2 sour cream and then remaining 1/2 flour, then 1/2 sour cream. The batter will be thick and smooth.
Spoon batter into the prepared baking pan and spread evenly.
Add crumb topping to the top of the cake batter, pressing gently into the top of the cake batter so it sticks to the cake.
Bake 50 minutes, checking at 40-45 minutes and covering loosely with foil for the remaining time if the crumb topping is golden.
Let cool in the pan at least 45 minutes - 1 hour before slice.
Before slicing and serving, sprinkle with powdered (confectioners) sugar. To get an super even topping of powdered sugar, sprinkle using a small strainer or mesh sieve. Enjoy!
I substituted sweetened vanilla yoghurt for sour cream, reduced the sugar a bit, and cake was delicious! My square baking pan was too large so I used a Bundt pan instead and cooked for 40 minutes (next time I will check cake at 35 minutes). Another great recipe from Karen!
Hi! Great question! I don’t do a lot of baking in glass pans but it should work fine with a few adjustments. As I understand it, glass pans take longer to heat up but then retain their heat a bit longer. So the key is to use a lower oven temperature by 25 degrees, in this case bake at 325 degrees F, and watch the baking time! I’ll be honest, I’ve read that glass pans require 10 minutes more or 10 minutes less baking time… so not being an expert in this, I would just check at the 10 minutes earlier time and pay attention to it. Let me know if you make it and how it turns out.
Hi! My name is Karen, and I’m the mom in our Healthy Gluten-Free Family. My posts and pictures here and on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter are labors of love that allow me to share a very personal journey with you, one our family has taken together — learning, experimenting and sharing how to raise a healthy happy gluten-free family. Read more ...
Easy fast recipe!! Been missing a good GF crumb cake for 16 years!!
Your recipes have changed my life!!
Sue
This is delicious and very easy to make! We didn’t have sour cream so substituted for plain yogurt and it worked very well.
Happy you loved it and found it easy to make! And plain yogurt is a great swap! Thanks for sharing.
This recipe for New York-Style Crumb Cale was so easy and absolutely delicious!!!
Thank you!! Happy you loved it and found it easy to make!
I substituted sweetened vanilla yoghurt for sour cream, reduced the sugar a bit, and cake was delicious! My square baking pan was too large so I used a Bundt pan instead and cooked for 40 minutes (next time I will check cake at 35 minutes). Another great recipe from Karen!
Can you use margarine instead of butter ?
yes! Any butter or dairy-free butter will work! Enjoy!
How long does the cake store after it’s made?
Great question! It is best in the first 1-2 days, though we have enjoyed it for longer. Store well sealed to keep freshest.
This looks really yummy. I only have an 8″ X 8″ glass pan. What would you change as a result?
Hi! Great question! I don’t do a lot of baking in glass pans but it should work fine with a few adjustments. As I understand it, glass pans take longer to heat up but then retain their heat a bit longer. So the key is to use a lower oven temperature by 25 degrees, in this case bake at 325 degrees F, and watch the baking time! I’ll be honest, I’ve read that glass pans require 10 minutes more or 10 minutes less baking time… so not being an expert in this, I would just check at the 10 minutes earlier time and pay attention to it. Let me know if you make it and how it turns out.