Streuselkuchen (German Crumb Cake) vs Chelsea Buns

Both bakes start from a yeast dough enriched with milk and egg, but they put butter and sugar to very different work. The Streuselkuchen presses its risen dough into the pan and covers it with a thick layer of coarse crumbs made by rubbing cold butter into flour and sugar, giving a buttery, crumbly crunch over a soft base. The Chelsea Buns, made with bread flour and seasoned with mixed spice, roll softened butter, brown sugar and currants into spirals, then finish with a glossy icing-sugar glaze. One is a crumb-topped cake against a soft yeast base; the other is a glazed, fruit-studded swirl.