Crab cakes are held together by a mixture of ingredients that provide binding, flavor and texture to the cakes. The primary ingredient responsible for keeping them from falling apart is typically breadcrumbs or a combination of breadcrumbs and cracker crumbs. These act as binders for the other ingredients, such as crab meat, eggs, mayonnaise and seasonings. Additionally, some recipes may call for panko crumbs, cornmeal, or parmesan cheese to also be added to the mix of binding ingredients. When baking the cakes in an oven or pan-frying them on the stovetop, it is important to confirm that they are cooked all the way through to avoid crumbling when handling them. To achieve this result, create thick cakes with plenty of butter or oil and cook until golden brown on each side.  When pan-frying, use a wide skillet with enough oil or butter so that you can turn over the cake without it sticking to the pan or breaking apart. With either cooking method, transfer your cooked crab cakes carefully onto plates so that they stay intact and don't lose their shape.