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    Home » DIY Family Food

    How to Make Streuselkuchen: A German Crumb Cake Recipe

    Published: Dec 14, 2016 · Modified: Dec 11, 2021 by Christina Dennis · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads · 28 Comments

    Not only is Streuselkuchen a fun word to say, but it's one of my favourite German treats! This crumb cake brings back so many wonderful memories for me. My mom, one of my aunts, or my Grandma would always bring it to all of our extended family gatherings - especially around Christmas time. This is a coffee cake with a sweet yeast dough base and a crispy, sweet crumb topping. It's great as a brunch dish, or with coffee after supper. Let me show you how to make German Crumb Cake AKA Streuselkuchen!

    Streuselkuchen (German Crumb Cake with Yeast) Recipe

    The base of this cake is very similar to cinnamon bun dough, so what my mom often does is make a large batch of sweet yeast dough and make half of it into cinnamon buns and the other half into Streuselkuchen.

    If you want to try the version of crumb cake that doesn't have yeast in it, you can check out my Rhubarb Streuselkuchen recipe right here.

    Streuselkuchen (German Crumb Cake with Yeast) Recipe

    You could use your favourite sweet yeast dough recipe for this cake and then follow the directions for the crumb topping, or use the recipe for the dough below.

    Streuselkuchen (German Crumb Cake with Yeast) Recipe

    The dough also freezes well, so you can make a large batch and then freeze half for later. I also do this with pizza dough - simply put half into a plastic zipped bag, place it in the freezer, and then take it out several hours before you want to use it again so it has a chance to thaw and rise.

    Streuselkuchen (German Crumb Cake with Yeast) Recipe

    Streuselkuchen (Yeasted German Crumb Cake)
     
    Recipe Type: Dessert
    Cuisine: German
    Author: Christina Dennis
    Prep time: 2 hours 20 mins
    Cook time: 20 mins
    Total time: 2 hours 40 mins
    Serves: 1 large cake
    This sweet crumb cake makes an excellent brunch dish or coffee cake.
    Ingredients
    • Sweet Yeast Dough
    • 1 cup warm milk
    • 2 ¼ teaspoon yeast
    • ½ cup sugar
    • ½ cup melted butter or margarine
    • 2 eggs
    • 5 cups flour
    • Crumb Topping
    • 1 cup flour
    • ½ cup sugar
    • ½ cup cold, salted butter
    • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
    Instructions
    1. Dissolve the yeast in the warm milk and let it sit for 5 minutes to proof. If the mixture turns frothy, continue. If not, use a different batch of yeast.
    2. Add the sugar, butter and eggs and mix well.
    3. Mix in the flour a cup at a time. Once the dough it too thick to mix, use your hands to mix it and knead it.
    4. Let the dough rise for an hour.
    5. Once risen, spread the dough out into a large cookie sheet. Let the dough rise for another hour.
    6. To make the crumb mixture, combine 1 cup of flour with ½ cup sugar. Cut in ½ cup butter, add the vanilla, and mix and press the mixture with your hands to create a crumb consistency.
    7. Sprinkle the crumb mixture on the pan of dough.
    8. Bake at 375 degrees F for 20 minutes or until the edges of the cake are golden brown.
     
    3.5.3217

     

    More Inspiration

    • Peppermint Pretzel Chocolate Bark
    • Make a Christmas Charcuterie Board in Red & Green
    • My Favourite German Christmas Recipes
    • How to make a Jarcuterie (a single-serve charcuterie)

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Scott

      September 02, 2018 at 2:38 pm

      We did not like this cake. It was entirely too dry and too fluffy. There was no dense mouth feel. It was like a bun but dryer and not sweet. I thought I had missed something, but no.

      Reply
      • Lindsay - The DIY Mommy

        September 03, 2018 at 8:24 am

        Sorry to hear that Scott

        Reply
      • Billie

        September 05, 2018 at 7:24 am

        Then Scott you did not do the recipe correctly, but, on the other hand European coffee cakes are not usually very sweet. You are probably so used to commercially produced stuff which is laden with sugar. This is exactly as my German grandmother made it and we always gobbled it up.

        Reply
        • Charlene

          September 08, 2018 at 5:10 pm

          This sounds exactly like my grandmothers Kuchen. I can't find her recipe so will try! Thank you.

          Reply
        • Elly

          July 17, 2020 at 7:45 pm

          I agree with you German bakery is not loaded with sugars. I can’t wait to try this recipe. It sounds like the one my German grandmother, and mother use to make. Also try cutting the dough into small pieces like rolls and place some butter crumbs on top. Of wow thus has brought so much memories back to me.

          Reply
      • Nicki

        July 19, 2019 at 10:40 am

        add a layer of apples on top of the dough, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, double the sugar in the crumbs and mix some cinnamon into the crumble dough which goes on top of the apples, Once done baking, spread 2 cups of sour cream (or even better creme freche if you can get it) mixed with 2 ts cinnamon and a few teaspoons sugar over the piping hot cake and put another cookie sheet on top turned upside down of same size as the one you used. Let the cake sweat until cooled down. The crumbles will be soft and the whole cake amazing.

        Reply
        • Sarah - The DIY Mommy

          July 20, 2019 at 4:53 pm

          Sounds delicious!

          Reply
    2. Shirley

      November 18, 2018 at 2:50 pm

      I've made this twice now and it tastes just like my mom's (who we lost on Christmas Eve 2016). Just the smell of it baking in the oven brings back wonderful memories. I do make 1-1/2 times the crumb topping - can't have too many streusel. 🙂

      Reply
      • Lindsay - The DIY Mommy

        November 27, 2018 at 6:59 am

        Sorry to hear about you mom, Shirley. We feel touched that Christina’s recipe can bring you good memories this time of year. Merry Christmas!

        Reply
        • Lyndsay W

          February 06, 2022 at 4:21 pm

          I made this desert tonight for part of our winter Olympic games at my work. I'm on Team Germany and we have to make a recipe that is native to our country. So I made this. I found it delicious!! My only question is, I'm bringing it into work so should I refrigerate it? Thanks!!!

          Reply
          • The DIY Mommy

            February 07, 2022 at 11:19 am

            You shouldn't need to.

            Reply
    3. Fiona

      December 21, 2018 at 10:46 am

      Love this recipe for Streuselkuchen. Our family puts lemon zest in the crumbs and nutmeg and cinnamon in the dough! Delicious either way! We can’t have Christmas without Kuchen!

      Reply
      • Lindsay - The DIY Mommy

        December 26, 2018 at 9:21 pm

        The lemon touch sounds delicious

        Reply
    4. Kristin

      December 26, 2018 at 3:52 pm

      What size is a "large" cookie sheet? Do you grease it?

      Also, how long do you knead the dough for?

      Thanks!

      Reply
    5. Kathryn Colley

      February 03, 2019 at 2:13 pm

      Hi
      I have made this multiple times with great success. I have a recipe in German that is nearly identical to this that I’ve used for over 40 years. I like that this is written in English with cups so that my daughters can easily follow it. An added thing I do that was taught to me when I lived in Germany, was spread a thin layer of sour cream mixed with a few teaspoons of sugar on the top before putting on the streusel crumbs on. Then bake as directed. The crumbs stay on and it gives just another taste to enjoy. Sorry, I never measure the sour cream, I just eyeball it because it’s a very thin layer on top of the dough. We have found that it’s a friends and family favorite and make it often.

      Reply
      • Lindsay - The DIY Mommy

        February 03, 2019 at 7:19 pm

        Oh that sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing. We will have to give that a try

        Reply
    6. sarah

      April 23, 2019 at 2:16 am

      i am excited to try this recipe. I have been trying to find the recipe my mom used, but I think, like many of my favorite treats she made, I think she learned it from watching my oma and committed the recipe to memory, because I can't find a written one in her kitchen and she passed away 5 years ago, so I can't ask her. I swear I remember the dough being more of a cake batter consistency, but I could be wrong because the picture certaintly looks the same, I guess I'm about to find out.

      Reply
    7. Rachel

      July 09, 2020 at 4:37 pm

      How long is it kneaded for? Is the idea to reach the same consistency as bread (window pane test)?

      I also assume the yeast is dry active (vs fresh?)

      Reply
    8. Christine

      July 26, 2020 at 4:13 pm

      Just wondering what size pan you put the batter in?

      Reply
      • Sarah - The DIY Mommy

        August 05, 2020 at 1:42 pm

        13 x 18 inches 🙂

        Reply
    9. Sam

      September 15, 2020 at 8:15 pm

      Excellent recipe! Been looking for this for a long time.
      - I found that 3 cups flour produces the tender crumb that I expect for an excellent coffee cake. 5 cups was far too dry for my taste.
      - I found that 20 mins @ 375 was not long enough to get the color I wanted on the streusel, so I opted to make the streusel separately, brush apricot glaze on the finished kuchen and streu the cooked streusel on top.
      - Next time I'll try putting a roll of almond paste in the center and maybe some more apricot jam.
      Possibilities are endless...

      Reply
      • Randie

        October 14, 2020 at 1:59 pm

        I found it really dry and hard to knead. I have it proofing in the cookie sheet now. Hope it turns out.

        Reply
    10. Ingrid

      October 01, 2020 at 11:55 am

      My 80 yr young German mom adds thinly sliced “flaumen”(dark plums) under the crumbs—yum!!

      Reply

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