Here’s a cheap, simple crumb cake recipe (soft cake + buttery crumbs), using basic ingredients. 🍰
Easy & Inexpensive Crumb Cake
Cake Layer
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup milk (or water works)
- ¼ cup oil (or melted butter)
- 1 egg (can skip—see note)
- 1 tsp vanilla (optional)
Crumb Topping
- ¾ cup flour
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon (optional)
- ¼ cup oil or melted butter
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease an 8×8 pan.
- Mix cake: Combine dry cake ingredients. Stir in milk, oil, egg, and vanilla until smooth.
- Pour batter into pan.
- Make crumbs: Mix topping ingredients with a fork until clumpy.
- Sprinkle crumbs evenly over batter.
- Bake 35–40 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
Super Cheap Tips 💡
- No egg? Still works—cake will just be slightly denser.
- No butter? Oil is cheaper and fine.
- No milk? Water works.
- Extra cheap: Skip cinnamon and vanilla.
If you want:
- yeast-style crumb cake
- no-egg / vegan
- single-bowl
- pantry-only version
just say the word 😊