Berry cream cheese crumb cake with a super light and fluffy vanilla cake, cheesecake filling, mashed berries, and a brown sugar streusel.
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berry cream cheese crumb cake (small batch)
Hello hello! ☺︎ Today I have for you this super delicious crumb cake that’s a level up from your typical crumb cake. This one is made with a super light and fluffy vanilla cake that’s stuffed with cheesecake filling, topped with a mixture of smashed berries (I used raspberries and blackberries), and finished off with a brown sugar streusel. It’s sweet, light in flavor and texture, and the perfect coffee-time treat, plus it’s made in just a loaf pan, yielding you with 8 delicioius little squares of crumb cake perfect for keeping for yourself or sharing with a few friends and family.
So let’s get into it!
expert baking tips
Weigh your ingredients:
My recipes are all written in grams because it is the most accurate way to bake. When you use a kitchen scale, you ensure that your baked goods turn out as close to the written recipe as possible. Plus, the cleanup is way easier when using a scale! I will provide standard cup measurements but please note that I have not tested the recipe using cup measurements and therefore can not guarantee your recipe will come out how mine did. Here is my favorite kitchen scale.
Use room temperature ingredients:
It’s important that your ingredients are at room temperature so that they can easily incorporate with each other. Take out your cold ingredients about an hour before starting the recipe.
Mix the cake batter carefully:
It is super important to not overmix the cake batter or you end up with a tough and chewy cake rather than a light and moist cake. When alternating between adding the wet and dry ingredients, be sure to only mix just until the ingredient is fully combined and no more.
A note on oven temperature:
Ovens vary and fluctuate in temperature and might not always actually be at the temperature they claim to be at. If you love to bake like I do, I highly recommend getting an oven thermometer. They are super helpful for letting you know when your oven might be lying to you! I use this one.
ingredients for berry cream cheese crumb cake (small batch) –
vanilla cake:
- All-purpose flour: gives the cake structure.
- Baking powder: for helping the cake rise.
- Salt: for balancing and bringing out the sweetness of the batter.
- Unsalted butter: for tenderizing the cake. You can substitute in salted butter, just be sure to omit the extra salt in the batter.
- Granulated sugar: for adding sweetness and for locking in moisture.
- Egg: for binding the batter together and adding moisture.
- Vanilla: for flavor. I use and love this vanilla extract!
- Whole milk & sour cream: for moisture and for tenderizing the cake. I recommend whole milk & full-fat sour cream for the best results! You could also substitute greek yogurt or kefir for the sour cream.
cheesecake filling:
- Cream cheese: the base of any great cheesecake filling.
- Granulated sugar: just a little bit to sweeten up the filling.
- Egg yolk: for binding the filling together.
- Sour cream: makes the filling extra creamy and slightly more tangy.
- Vanilla: for flavor.
- All-purpose flour: for thickening up the cheesecake filling so it doesn’t sink into the batter.
mixed berries:
- Raspberries and blackberries: or just blackberries, or just raspberries, or blueberries, whatever your heart desires!
- Granulated sugar: just a little bit to slightly sweeten up the berries since they can be quite tart.
brown sugar streusel:
- Unsalted butter: the base of the streusel, really what makes it buttery and delicious. You can use salted butter here as well!
- Light brown sugar: sweetens and adds flavor to the streusel. In a pinch granulated sugar will work here as well, just note that the streusel will be lighter in color.
- All purpose flour: adds structure to the streusel.
- Cinnamon: for flavor!
how to make berry cream cheese crumb cake
Here are a few images of the process of making this mini crumb cake. You can find the full recipe at the end of this blog post!
- Mash the berries and sugar together, set aside.
- Mix all of the streusel ingredients together.
- Beat the cheesecake filling ingredients together.
- Layer the batter, cheesecake filling, berries, and streusel together in a loaf pan, then bake, serve, and enjoy!
berry cream cheese crumb cake
recipe q&a
what kind of berries should i use?
I used blackberries and raspberries but you could use just blackberries, just raspberries, blackberries and blueberries, just blueberries – whatever your heart desires!
can I double this recipe?
Of course! I even more strongly recommend measuring by weight if you are going to double the recipe for the best results. Once you’ve doubled the batter, simply divide it up into two loaf pans to bake – or pour it into an 8″ square or 8″ circle pan.
what size loaf pan do I need?
I used an 8×4″ loaf pan for this cake. If all you have on hand is a 9×5″ pan then you can definitely use it – just note that the cake will be a tad bit shorter and will probably bake a bit faster. Also please note that I always use and recommend metal baking pans, and if you choose to use ceramic or glass, the baking time will likely be much longer.
How to store this cake
Keep the cake stored in an airtight container at room temperature. It will taste the best on the day it’s baked, but will keep well for up to 3 days.
tools and ingredients:
You can find all my favorite tools and ingredients that I use on my Amazon Storefront page, here!
other recipes you might enjoy:
did you make this recipe?
I’d love to see and know your thoughts! please leave a comment and review below, and tag me on instagram @freshbeanbakery. #freshbeanbakery
Berry Cream Cheese Crumb Cake (Small Batch)
Ingredients
Mixed Berries
- 180 g blackberries and raspberries (1 ½ c.)
- 2 tsp. granulated sugar
Brown Sugar Streusel
- 35 g unsalted butter (2 ½ tbsp.)
- 55 g light brown sugar (¼ c.)
- 60 g all-purpose flour (½ c.)
- ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
Cheesecake Filling
- 110 g cream cheese (½ c.) room temperature
- 1 tbsp. granulated sugar
- 1 egg yolk room temperature
- 15 g sour cream (1 tbsp.) room temperature
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp. all-purpose flour
Vanilla Cake
- 120 g all purpose flour (1 c.)
- 1 ¼ tsp. baking powder
- ¼ tsp. salt
- 75 g unsalted butter (5 ⅓ tbsp.) room temperature
- 100 g granulated sugar (½ c.)
- 1 egg room temperature
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 60 g sour cream (¼ c.) room temperature
- 42 g whole milk (3 tbsp.)
Instructions
- Butter an 8×4" loaf pan, then line it with parchment paper to form a sort of hammock, where there are two sides with parchment paper sticking up. This will make it easy to pull the loaf out of the pan when it's done baking.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C.
Mixed Berries
- Wash the berries and add them into a small mixing bowl along with the sugar. Mash the berries and set them aside.
Brown Sugar Streusel
- In a medium sized bowl, melt the butter. Add in the flour, sugar, and cinnamon. Use a fork to mix the ingredients together until you have formed little clumps of dough. Set aside.
Cheesecake Filling
- Add the cream cheese and sugar to a small mixing bowl. Beat the cream cheese until no lumps remain.
- Add in the egg yolk, sour cream, and vanilla and mix until the mixture is cohesive.
- Add in the flour and mix again until the mixture is cohesive and smooth. Set aside.
Vanilla Cake
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, with a hand mixer (or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment) beat together the softened butter and sugar for 3-4 minutes, until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then beat in the egg and vanilla until well combined.
- Pour half of the flour mixture into the bowl, then use a rubber spatula to gently fold the ingredients together just until no flour streaks remain. Add in all of the sour cream and milk, fold, then gently fold in the rest of the dry ingredients.
- Add half of the cake batter to the prepared loaf pan. Dollop the cheesecake filling over the batter and carefully spread it into an even layer over the cake batter.
- Dollop the remaining cake batter over the cheesecake batter and carefully spread it into an even layer. Dollop the mixed berries over the cake batter and carefully spread those into an even layer, then top the whole thing off with the streusel.
- Bake for 40-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the coffee cake comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Allow the cake to cool to room temperature, then slice, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Please note that the nutrition facts are only an estimate and may vary based on different brands of ingredients and any substitutions made.