Crumb cake

Crumb cake is a soft cake topped with buttery flour-and-sugar crumbs, often called streusel. Unlike apple crumble, it is baked as a cake rather than fruit covered with a crumble topping, though some versions include fruit.

Rub cold butter into flour and sugar until you have rough crumbs, then squeeze some of the mixture into larger clumps. Chill the topping for about 15 minutes before scattering it over the cake batter.

Let the cake cool completely before storing it, as trapped steam softens the crumbs. To freshen a slice, warm it in an oven at 160°C for about 5 minutes.

It is lovely with a cup of tea or coffee, as a German-style afternoon cake often is. Serve it plain, or add whipped cream; custard also works well with a fruit-filled version.

Keep plain crumb cake in an airtight tin at room temperature and eat it within about 3 days. If it has fresh cream or another perishable filling, cover it and keep it in the fridge instead.

Yes. Freeze cooled slices separately, wrapped well, for up to 3 months; thaw them at room temperature while still wrapped to limit condensation on the crumb topping.