Brown Butter Maple Crumb Cake

The ULTIMATE warm and cozy coffee cake! This brown butter maple crumb cake is full of texture and deliciously toasty flavor. It's rich and buttery and packs the perfect amount of sweetness. The topping is crispy and crumbly while the cake base is dense enough to hold up to the THICK crumb layer while still being so very moist and spongy.

It's safe to say I'm so very over summer and I'm kind of just living as if it's fall. Delulu is the solulu.

I've been putting Corpse Bride on repeat and baking basically every fall recipe you could imagine (p.s. I'm writing this in August just for reference). I know this might seem kind of early - BUT Michaels had Halloween decorations up, so I took it as a sign that it's totally ok.

I could definitely go for a slice (or 10) of this brown butter maple coffee cake any day of the year, but it's really giving me all the fall vibes. It's basically the feeling of warm and cozy (and just all around happiness) in crumbly delicious cake form.

what makes this brown butter crumb cake so good?

• brown butter + maple. Either one of those flavors would make for the perfect cake, but together?? It's an absolutely heavenly combo! And not only do they add flavor, but they both contribute to the perfect dense yet moist crumb that this cake has.
• all the greatest textures. The topping is super crisp and crumbly which balances perfectly with the spongy and soft cake base.
• easy to make. When you think about everything going on in this cake, it's shockingly easy to make considering just how bakery worthy it looks and tastes! That being said, there are still a few steps involved - but no crazy techniques needed to achieve an incredible cake.
• THICK crumb topping. I love love LOVE a good crumble topping, so this cake has a bold and dramatic NY style crumb.
• manageable serving size. I decided to make a smaller 8 inch square cake just because its easier to finish. I love coffee cake more than the next person, but even I struggle to finish a full 9x13 inch cake unless I'm having people over. And your friendly neighborhood introvert (me) isn't hosting a whole lot of parties lol

browning the butter

To maximize on the brown butter flavor, this recipe features it in both the cake and crumble. For sake of ease, we're going to be browning the butter for both components at once and then dividing it up later.

Browning butter is a very simple process that involves cooking butter until it melts, sizzles, and eventually browns. The milk solids that are naturally found in butter will sink to the bottom and toast, leaving you with a deep brown color, nutty fragrance and rich flavor. It really helps enhance the taste of any dessert but it especially pairs well with the maple and cinnamon flavors in this cake.

The process of browning butter is very simple - and I have a more detailed explanation on how to brown butter here, but here's the gist of it:

• Add butter to skillet
• Cook, while stirring, until browned

That's really all there is to it. The most important things to keep in mind are:

1. Stir regularly to make sure the bottom doesn't burn and the milk solids have a chance to evenly brown. It's going to bubble and sizzle at first then settle down once it gets closer to browning.
2. Keep an eye on it. It will take about 5-7 minutes before it starts browning, but as soon as it does, the rest of the processes is QUICK.
3. Once browned, take it off the heat and immediately pour it into a measuring cup. The residual heat in the pan will continue to brown it and can cause it to burn.

You'll notice that the butter will not measure a full cup after browning and that's due to the evaporation of water. The butter usually loses about 2 tablespoons of volume - although that amount can vary from butter to butter depending on the quality and ratio of water to fat.

To ensure the cake and crumble always have the right amount of liquid, we're going to add some cool butter to compensate for the loss and bring it back up to 1 cup. So while the browned butter is still hot, add a few knobs of regular butter until it comes back up to 1 cup. The heat from the brown butter should easily melt the fresh butter and it has the added benefit of helping it cool down a bit faster.

And the last important thing to consider: make sure the butter cools completely to room temperature before using. It should still be liquid but should no longer feel hot.

how to make brown butter maple crumb cake

Browning the butter is probably the most technical part in this recipe. Otherwise, the rest of the cake components come together in 3 simple steps. As always, you can find the full recipe with ingredient amounts towards the bottom of this post, but here's a quick look at how this coffee cake is made:

1. Crumb Topping: Making the crumb topping is as simple as dropping all the ingredients together into a bowl (that includes half of the cooled brown butter) and mixing until moistened. The mixture will be crumbly with a mix of smaller and larger crumbs.
2. Wet and Dry: This cake is made using a method that's very commonly used to make muffins. It just involves mixing the wet and dry ingredients in separate bowls before combining them together. Because the butter is going into the cake batter as a liquid (as opposed to softened), there's no need to cream it with sugar beforehand as you would with a more traditional cake. Liquid butter won't aerate and the cake gets enough lift from the baking powder and baking soda anyways.
3. Finishing Up the Cake Batter: After combining the wet and dry ingredients in separate bowls, they're both mixed together to complete the batter. It's important to watch out for overmixing as it can lead to a dense and dry cake. Just mix until the dry streaks have disappeared - a few lumps are perfectly normal and they indicate the cake is going to be tender!

When both cake components are ready, it's time to layer and bake! The cake batter is first spread into the bottom of a prepared pan and then the crumble is sprinkled evenly over top. The cake is then baked until lightly browned on top.

To test if the cake is done baking, a skewer inserted into the center should come out with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter on the tip. That means it's fully cooked but still moist!

Afterwards, the cake needs to cool in the pan - it's way too difficult to transfer while it's hot. Cool the cake until it's warm or room temperature (depending on how you want to serve it). Before serving, mix together the maple icing ingredients and drizzle it on top for some added flavor and sweetness!

maple crumb cake tips

• use good quality butter. You don't need to get the most expensive stuff on the shelf, but try to grab something a little higher in quality. It tastes better and usually has a higher fat content (which means less moisture, less volume lost when it's browned, and an overall richer mouthfeel).
• don't rush when browning the butter! I know the temptation to brown the butter over high heat is huge, but it's really important to do it over medium heat to prevent burning!
• stir regularly while browning the butter. This helps keep the bottom from burning and allows the butter to brown gradually.
• spoon and level or weigh flour. Measuring flour by weight is always the best way to ensure you have the right amount. But if you're using cups, lightly spoon the flour into your cup to measure. Don't scoop the measuring cup directly into the bag of flour or it will pack in more weight and lead to a dry cake.
• use real maple syrup. As someone who grew up on the fake stuff and didn't try real maple syrup until she was an adult - trust me on this one! The flavor of real maple syrup is infinitely better and less sickeningly sweet. I know it's pricier, but this is definitely the ingredient to splurge on if you're able to.
• don't overmix your cake batter. It's added work and can make your cake overly dense!

storage

Keep your cake covered with plastic wrap or stored in an airtight container or plastic bag. This cake will keep for around 3 days at room temperature or up to 5 days in the fridge. For the best texture, I recommend serving it within 1 to 2 days.

If you find the crumb topping has softened over time, you can heat the cake in a 350°F oven for 5 to 10 minutes to crisp it back up. But I've personally never had a problem with it.

Check out these other recipes!

• Coffee Cake Cheesecake
• Actual Coffee Coffee Cake
• Blueberry Crumb Cheesecake
• Brown Butter Brownies
• MOIST Maple Cake
• Brown Butter Maple Blondies

Lastly, if you made this or any of my recipes, be sure to leave a comment and review below! I love hearing your thoughts! Also tag me on Instagram @eatsdelightfulblog so I can see what you're making.

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Enjoy!

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