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Jump to RecipeThis peach crumb cake starts with a soft, buttery coffee cake base with fresh peaches folded in and gets layered with a cinnamon and nutmeg streusel, and finally topped with a brown butter glaze. I know that sounds like a lot, but I promise you it’s so worth it! Let’s break it down:
Peach crumb cake ingredients
Flour: You’ll notice this recipe only calls for 180 grams of flour, which is less than most recipes. This ensures a light, moist crumb on this cake.
Baking powder/soda: Baking powder is the primary leavening agent in this cake. The baking soda, while it does also help the cake rise, is mostly there to neutralize the acid coming from the sour cream.
Spices: This crumb cake recipe calls for a lot of cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger in both the topping and the cake itself. Nutmeg is the real star here. It is the perfect compliment to peaches!
Salt: Salt brings out all the flavors of any dish. Please never skip the salt!!! Salt = Flavor. In this recipe, we’re using a whole teaspoon of salt to really bring out all the spices and the toasty brown butter.
Sugar: You will need granulated sugar for the cake portion of this recipe and brown sugar for the topping. Sugar of course adds sweetness to the cake, but also helps create a tender, crumbly coffee cake-like texture.
Butter: This recipe calls for 2 sticks of butter divided. You’ll brown 1 stick + 3 Tablespoons of butter for the cake and the frosting. Brown butter is a real game changer for this (and any other) recipe!
Eggs: Eggs help give this cake a sturdy structure and help lift the cake during baking.
Vanilla: We’re using a whole tablespoon of vanilla extract in this cake. You’ll have to trust me on this one…
Sour cream: Sour cream is the secret to getting a perfectly moist cake that stays moist for a few days following the bake. Butter provides a lot of moisture to the cake, but sour cream is what keeps this cake from going dry after you cut into it. While I could definitely eat this whole pan the day I bake it, I like to savor it just a bit, so I’ve added 185g of sour cream.
Peaches: Last but not least, it wouldn’t be a peach crumb cake without peaches! This recipe calls for 2 medium peaches diced. If you don’t like the texture of the skin of the peach, you can peel it. However, I don’t find it necessary.
How to make brown butter peach crumb cake
Step 1: Brown your butter. To brown butter, you simply cook it over medium heat, stirring occasionally until it becomes a golden brown and the milk solids collect on the bottom of the pan. For an in depth tutorial, check out this post on How to Brown Butter.
Step 2: Make your crumble topping. This one is a little bit tricky. I’ve found the key to a perfect crumble is butter that is half melted. Completely melted butter will make your crumble all stick together and butter that is too solid leaves the crumble too dry. I’ve made this recipe several times and have found the topping comes out perfect when using the scale to weigh ingredients. However, if you are using measuring cups, you may need to adjust your crumble recipe. If you have mixed thoroughly and there are still dry bits in your crumble, you may need to add another tablespoon of butter. If your crumble is sticking together in one giant clump, try adding extra flour 1 tablespoon at a time until you achieve the texture below. Refrigerate while preparing the rest of the cake.
Step 3: Make the cake base. The cake base of this is adapted from my Cardamom Coffee Cake. It’s super easy and comes together in just a couple minutes since we use melted (browned) butter instead of softened butter. No mixer required!
Step 4: Assemble. Start by spraying and lining your pan with parchment paper. Then, pour about 1/2 of the cake batter into the bottom of the pan. Gently use your spatula to spread the batter, trying to reach the edges. It does not have to be perfect! Next, add 1/2 of your crumble topping and spread it around evenly over the bottom layer of batter. This creates that signature streusel layer in the peach crumble cake. Third, add the remainder of your cake batter and spread evenly once again, being careful not to touch the crumb layer. Once evenly spread, add the rest of the crumble on top. Bake at 350F for 50 minutes.
Step 5: Glaze. You will not want to skip this brown butter glaze!! I prefer to make this glaze as soon as the cake goes in the oven while the browned butter is still melted.
Tips for success
Let your cake cool: The hardest part about this recipe is waiting to cut into this delicious cake! Unfortunately, the streusel layer in the middle needs time to cool and set before you can cut into this cake. If you try to cut into this cake too soon, the center will be a gooey, buttery mess. Plus, coffee cake always has a better flavor after it has had several hours to set.
Do not over mix: Over mixed cake batter will result in a tough, chewy cake. For the best texture, use a rubber spatula to gently fold in the dry ingredients. Add the peaches when there are still a few flour streaks remaining. As you fold in the peaches, it should also incorporate the last little bits of flour. When it comes to the wet ingredients, you don’t have to worry too much about over mixing. You just need to be careful when adding in the flour.
Other recipes you’ll love…
Cinnamon Oat Scones with Brown Butter Icing
Orange Yeast Rolls with Candied Ginger
Peach Crumb Cake
Ingredients
Crumb topping
- 70 grams Unsalted butter, half melted 5 tablespoons
- 200 grams Brown sugar 1 cup
- ½ teaspoon Ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon Ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon Ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch Sea salt
- 120 grams All purpose flour 1 cup
Crumb cake base
- 155 grams Unsalted butter, browned 11 Tablespoons
- 150 grams Granulated sugar 1 ½ cups
- 2 whole Eggs
- 1 Tablespoon Vanilla extract (yes, a whole tablespoon!)
- 185 grams Sour cream, full fat ¾ cup
- 1 teaspoon Sea salt
- 180 grams All purpose flour 1 ½ cups
- 2 teaspoons Baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon Baking soda
- 1 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon Ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon Ground ginger
- 2 medium Fresh peaches, diced in ½" chunks Peeled if you prefer (280g)
Brown butter icing
- 3 Tablespoons Browned butter
- 67 grams Powdered sugar, sifted ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 1 Pinch Ground cinnamon
- 1 Tablespoon Milk Any milk should work
- 1 Pinch Sea salt
Instructions
Brown butter and divide
- Preheat your oven to 350F. Spray an 8×8 square dish with nonstick spray and line with parchment.
- Over medium heat, brown 1 stick + 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter. If you're not sure how to brown butter, check out the post linked in the notes section below.
- In a small bowl, measure out 3 tablespoons of the browned butter. Set aside to make the icing later.
- Transfer the rest of the brown butter into a large bowl to let cool slightly. This will be for the cake base. Be sure to use a spatula to get all the brown bits on the bottom of the pan!
Make the crumble
- While your brown butter is cooling, make the crumb topping.
- Microwave 70g (5 Tbs) of butter until it is halfway melted. Set aside.
- In a medium sized bowl, combine all crumble ingredients except for the butter. Mix until well combined.
- Once combined, add the butter. Use a fork to incorporate the butter. Once the butter is almost fully incorporated, use your hands to combine the rest. Use your fingers to break apart the crumble to get pea-sized chunks. Check out the picture above!
- Place the crumble in the fridge while you make the cake base.
Make the cake base
- Grab your large bowl that you placed your remaining brown butter into. To this bowl, add the sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, sour cream, and salt. Use a whisk to combine until pale and fluffy. About 30 seconds.
- In a separate medium-sized bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Stir until combined thoroughly.
- Add flour mixture into the wet ingredients and mix gently with a spatula. Be careful not to over mix! Once almost combined (only a few streaks of flour remaining) add the diced peaches to the bowl. Continue using the spatula and fold in the peaches until evenly distributed and no more flour streaks remain.
Assemble the cake
- Pour one half of the cake batter into the bottom of your lined 8×8 dish. Use your spatula to gently spread the batter to the edges. It does not have to be perfect!
- Sprinkle 1/2 of your crumble over the top of the cake batter in the dish. Be sure to distribute evenly to the edges.
- Add the remaining 1/2 of your batter to the dish. Very carefully, use your spatula to evenly distribute the batter over the top of the crumble. Be very careful not to mess up the crumble layer underneath! Again, it does not have to be perfect.
- Add the last of the crumble topping to your dish, spreading evenly with your hands.
- Bake the cake at 350F for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center and the center of the cake no longer wobbles when the pan is gently tapped.
Make the icing
- Grab your bowl containing the 3 tablespoons of browned butter you set aside earlier.
- Add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, milk, cinnamon, and salt.
- Use a whisk to combine until no more powdered sugar lumps remain.
- You want your glaze at a pourable consistency. If the glaze is too thick, add more milk 1/2 teaspoon at a time. If you want it thicker, add more powdered sugar 1 tablespoon at a time. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside until the cake is ready to glaze.
- Let cake cool for 30 minutes before adding the glaze. Drizzle the glaze in a diagonal pattern using a spoon. If your icing hardened, you can soften it in the microwave using 10 second bursts. Be careful not to melt it completely!
- Let cake cool for at least 2 hours before cutting into it! If you cut into this cake too soon, the streusel layer will not have had time to set and the cake will be a buttery mess.
