How to Make Chocolate Chip Crumb Cake

You don't need an excuse to bake this ultra-comforting crumb cake from award-winning pastry chef and cookbook author Hedy Goldsmith. Have it for breakfast, warm it up for a snack or serve it with warm caramel sauce and ice cream for dessert.

A Comforting Crumb Cake for Every Occasion

Hedy Goldsmith's easy crumb cake is sure to become a staple in your baking arsenal once you sample the gooey chocolate chips and warm notes of almond and vanilla. It's a great item have on hand for get-togethers with friends and family, especially when served with warm caramel sauce or ice cream for dessert. Although the cake keeps well at room temperature, "eating it warm from the oven is one of the best memories I have," says Goldsmith.

Get the Recipe: Chocolate Chip Crumb Cake

For the Crumb Topping

Combine flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon and salt in a mixing bowl and mix by hand. Pour in the butter and squeeze the crumbs tightly together, forming large crumbs. Put the bowl in the refrigerator until the mixture is cold, 1 hour or overnight. (The crumbs can also be frozen for several weeks if wrapped airtight; defrost them for 15 to 20 minutes at room temperature before assembling the cake.)

For the Cake

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F, butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and gather the ingredients.

Prepare the Batter

Sift the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt together into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. On low speed, mix in the butter 1 tablespoon at a time. Mix in the almond paste. Add the eggs and yolks one at a time. Mix in the vanilla bean paste. Add the buttermilk, then cream the batter on medium-high speed until very light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Fold in the chocolate chips by hand.

Prepare for Baking

Scrape the batter into the buttered baking dish. Smooth the top, tap the dish on the countertop and top evenly with the crumbs. Bake 20 minutes, then rotate the cake and bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes longer. (After the first 20 minutes, cover the pan with foil to keep the crumbs from getting too dark.)

Cool and Serve

Remove the baking dish from the oven and set it on a cooling rack for 20 minutes. The cake will keep for 2 to 3 days if stored in an airtight container at room temperature.

Hedy Goldsmith is an award-winning pastry chef and author of Baking Out Loud.

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