Is Crumb Cake Acidic or Alkaline?
Crumb cake (baked) is slightly acid-forming: Positive PRAL: acid-forming after digestion.
Classification
Crumb cake sits at +3.0 because the yeast dough and the topping of flour, butter and sugar bring protein and phosphorus, with no potassium-rich fruit to offset them. For comparison, pound cake comes in at +8.1 and rhubarb cake at −2.9. An 80 g slice adds about +2.4. The 425 kcal per 100 g from butter and sugar are a separate matter.
In the Sweets & Snacks category, crumb cake (baked) ranks #62 of 91, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Breadsticks (grissini) (+2.8), Jelly doughnut (+2.7), Apple cake (+2.5). More acid-forming are Chocolate chip cookies (+3.0), Cereal bar (+3.0), Popcorn (+3.4).
Acidic or alkaline: PRAL, not pH
On this site, acidic and alkaline refer to the PRAL (potential renal acid load). It estimates what a food leaves behind once it has been digested: a positive value is acid-forming, a negative value is alkalizing. That is different from the pH of the food itself: a lemon tastes sour, yet its PRAL is −4.0, so it is alkalizing. Your diet does not change your blood pH. It does change how much acid your kidneys have to deal with.
What balances crumb cake
A small serving (40 g) of crumb cake adds +1.2 to your daily balance. These three bring it back; the grams shown offset exactly this serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is crumb cake acidic?
It depends on what you mean by acidic. The pH describes the food itself, for example how sour it tastes. The PRAL describes what it leaves behind after digestion: Crumb cake (baked) has a PRAL of +3.0 per 100 g, so it counts as slightly acid-forming in your daily acid-base balance.
How much kale offsets a small serving (40 g) of crumb cake?
A small serving (40 g) of crumb cake adds +1.2 to your daily balance. Kale (fresh) has −11.7 per 100 g, so about 10 g of kale offset this serving.
Do I have to avoid crumb cake on an alkaline diet?
No. What counts is the balance of the whole day, not a single food. Crumb cake is slightly acid-forming; with enough vegetables, potatoes and fruit on the same plate, the meal stays balanced.
Crumb Cake logged, balance checked.
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Compare all Sweets & Snacks: Sweets & Snacks table. Common questions are answered in Acidic or Alkaline?, and the PRAL calculator adds up a whole meal.
Source: Basentracker food database (PRAL according to Remer & Manz, calculated from protein, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and calcium per 100 g). This information does not replace medical advice.