Streuselkuchen (German pronunciation:[ˈʃtʁɔʏzl̩ˌkuːxn̩]ⓘ; "crumb cake"), also known in English-speaking countries as crumb cake, is a cake made of yeast dough covered with a sweet crumb topping referred to as streusel.[1] The main ingredients for the crumbs are sugar, butter, and flour,[1] which are mixed at a 1:1:2 ratio. The recipe allegedly originated in the region of Silesia,[2][3] and is popular in German and Polish cuisines.
A streuselkuchen is usually a flat cake made on a baking tray and cut into oblong pieces. It should be flat – about 1 inch (25 mm) thick – with crumbs making up about half of its height. The original version uses yeast dough, however a short crust is possible. A puff pastry at the bottom turns it into a prasselkuchen.
Many variants of the cake are prepared with fillings such as fruit (mostly of sour taste, e.g. apples, gooseberries, sour cherries, rhubarb), poppy seeds or creme[4] or using a shortening-based dough.