Streuselkuchen (German crumb cake)

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, Updated Nov 22, 2025

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Streuselkuchen this classic German crumb cake has a tender yeast dough base and a crunchy, buttery streusel topping. The perfect coffee cake to share during a kaffee und kuchen break!

Nine squares of German crumb cake, or streuselkuchen, topped with powdered sugar rest on newspaper print parchment; a tea strainer sits nearby, and one piece is partly eaten, revealing its soft, layered interior.

It’s no secret I am a huge fan of yeast bakes, with a special place in my heart for German classics such as Stollen and Bienenstich (Bee Sting Cake). Streuselkuchen is another classic recipe that marries a soft yeasted cake with a sweet buttery crump topping.

This old-fashioned streusel cake is shared during kaffee und kuchen in Germany – a coffee and cake break traditionally enjoyed around 3pm – now THAT is a tradition I can fully get behind!

The name is a compound noun combining two words: “streusel” = crumb topping and “kuchen” = cake. It’s fun to say and even better to eat! Streuselkuchen is a relatively flat cake, baked in a sheet pan, topped with a generous pile of streusel. Classic streuselkuchen is flavored simply with vanilla, but there are endless variations with fruit such as plums, cherries or apples, jam or other flavorings.

Four square pieces of German crumb cake (streuselkuchen) stacked on a white plate, dusted with powdered sugar. The cakes feature a golden brown crumb layer and a soft, fluffy base. A small pitcher rests nearby on a textured tablecloth.

What Is Kaffeezeit?

Kaffeezeit is Germany’s answer to “tea time” – a cozy pause in the day to gather over a cup of strong coffee for a chat and a slice of cake at a bakery or someone’s home. There’s even a word for this chat, kaffeeklatsch, from coffee (kaffee) + gossip (klatsch)! Typical kaffeezeit treats include this glorious streuselkuchen, apfelkuchen, Black Forest Gateau, bundt cake and pastries.

Overhead view of crumb cake squares on a white plate, surrounded by cups of coffee and tea on a lace tablecloth. Some cakes are dusted with powdered sugar and a few crumbs are scattered around.

Here’s What You’ll Need

Making this classic German coffee cake is easy to make – please don’t be intimidated by the yeast dough! Let’s take a look at the key ingredients:

Flour: In Germany you would use Type 405 flour, which is a fine, low-protein flour used to make cakes and pastries. The US equivalent would be cake flour, while in the UK plain flour is the closest option. In this recipe I am using all-purpose flour / plain flour.
Instant yeast: rapid rise or fast action yeast is mixed with the flour and doesn’t require activation.
Sugar and vanilla: White granulated sugar and vanilla sugar are commonly used in this recipe. Vanilla sugar is sold in little sachets in Germany and is used in many recipes. You can make your own by grinding a vanilla pod into a fine powder and mixing it with sugar (see my Vanillekipferl – Vanilla Crescent Cookie recipe), or just use real extract or vanilla bean paste.
Milk: Warm milk keeps the cake soft and helps the dough rise.
Unsalted butter: Good quality high-fat butter is used both in the base and the streusel.
Large egg: At room temperature to enrich the dough.
To drizzle: Milk or cream and melted butter is poured on the hot cake as soon as it’s out of the oven. This soaks into the streuselkuchen keeping it moist while the streusel crumbs, somewhat miraculously, stay crisp!

Three slices of crumb cake topped with powdered sugar on a white tray, next to a cup of coffee, a small pitcher of cream, and additional cake slices on a plate, all on a light table setting.

How to Make Streuselkuchen

Make the streusel

Add the flour and sugar into a bowl and add melted butter. Briefly stir together to combine until you have smallish and larger clumps. Chill the in the fridge until needed.

Two side-by-side images show a white mixing bowl with flour mixture. In the first, melted butter is being poured in; in the second, hands stir the mixture with a spatula.

Prepare the dough

Add the flour, sugar, salt and instant yeast in a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. Stir to combine.
Heat the milk until warm (not hot!) and add butter, stirring until it melts. Stir in the egg and vanilla extract and pour into the flour mixture.
Beat together on low speed until the ingredients are combines, then increase speed and knead for about 5 minutes or until the dough comes together into a bowl.
Cover the bowl, place someplace warm and let rise for an hour or until the dough has risen significantly in the bowl.

Side-by-side images of a bowl of dough: the left shows freshly mixed dough, while the right shows the dough after rising, appearing puffier and larger. Both bowls are on a light-colored surface.

Assemble and bake

Prepare the milk soak (if using): Warm whole milk, vanilla and butter in a saucepan over low heat and stir together until the butter is completely melted. Transfer to a measuring cup and leave to cool.
Grease a 9×13 pan and line with baking paper, letting the edges overhang. Tip the dough onto a lightly floured worktop and roll out to a rectangular shape, roughly the size of the pan. Transfer into the pan and use your hands to gently press the dough to the edges.

Two tattooed hands with rings press and stretch dough into a rectangular baking pan lined with newspaper. The fingers are spread out, and the nails are painted a light pink color.

Cover and let rise for 30 minutes; preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Brush the top with melted butter and sprinkle the streusel evenly over the top.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the top is a light golden color. Drizzle the hot cake with the milk / butter mixture, letting it sink in.

Two-panel image: On the left, an unbaked crumbly cake batter in a parchment-lined pan. On the right, a hand pours a glass of yellow liquid evenly over the baked, golden crumb cake.

Slice and serve

Place the pan on a wire rack to cool. Lift the cake out of the pan using the overhanging paper and dust with powdered sugar. Slice and serve slightly warm with a dollop of softly whipped cream or a drizzle of custard and a cup of coffee – it’s kaffeezeit time!

Four square pieces of crumbly cake with a golden, sugary topping sit on pieces of printed parchment paper, dusted lightly with powdered sugar on a white surface.

Leftovers and Storage

This crumb cake is best eaten the day it is baked but it will keep for a couple of days in an airtight container at room temperature. You can reheat slices for a few seconds in the microwave before serving to refresh.

But if you can’t finish it in that quickly, fear not – Streuselkuchen freezes wonderfully! Slice it into portions, cover tightly in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag or airtight container. Label and freeze for up to 3 months. To serve, thaw overnight in the fridge or at room temperature, then warm up in a low oven (300°F / 150°C) for 5–10 minutes to refresh the crumb topping.

Did you try my Streuselkuchen recipe? Please leave a comment and rating if you try this recipe, follow me on Pinterest for more easy recipes and don’t forget to tag me on @Instagram or TikTok so I can see your creations.