Name: New Jersey Crumb Coffee Cake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 3 cups all-purpose flour; 2 cups brown sugar (packed); 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon; 1 teaspoon salt; 1¼ cups butter ((2½ sticks), melted - plus more if needed); 2½ cups all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1 teaspoon baking soda; ½ teaspoon salt; ¾ cups butter ((1½ sticks) softened); 1½ cups sugar; 2 large eggs; 1¼ Cups Buttermilk; 1½ Teaspoons Vanilla; ½ cup powdered sugar (for dusting)

This recipe for New Jersey Crumb Coffee Cake makes an incredibly moist cake with a thick, buttery cinnamon crumb topping – just like you find in New Jersey bakeries.

One Incredible Coffee Crumb Cake

You’ll love the generous topping of buttery, tender, cinnamon crumbs that crowns this moist delicious cake. Flavored with vanilla, and a subtle tang from buttermilk, this is one of my favorite cakes of all time!

Crumb Cake – A Childhood Favorite

Growing up in New Jersey, I loved cakes like Entenmann’s Crumb Coffee Cake and Crumb Buns from the local bakery. I have a weakness for anything with a crumb topping!

On Sunday mornings, my parents always had fresh rolls and crumb cake from the bakery. The best was when it would still be warm!

Food can really remind you of home, but when I lived in England, crumb cake wasn’t sold there, which forced me to try to recreate this beloved favorite.

The good news – this Jersey Girl can bake! This is my version of the Entenmann’s cake of my childhood. I warn you – it’s addictive!

Why This Recipe Works

The brown sugar in the topping adds depth of flavor and keeps the topping from becoming too crispy.
The extra baking powder in the cake ensures the topping won’t sink into the cake.
The buttermilk lends flavor as well as moisture to the cake.

How To Make Cake Crumbs

To make the cake crumbs, start with adding flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt to a mixing bowl. Mix well and pour in warm, melted butter. Stir to combine.

At this point, I press the mixture into balls. This not only helps to crumble it over the cake, but it also lets me know if more butter is needed.

If the balls don’t stay together you know to add more butter to the mixture.

How to Make Coffee Crumb Cake

In a medium mixing bowl mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

Next, beat the softened butter in a large bowl with the sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and mix to combine.

Add buttermilk and vanilla, beat just until blended.

Add flour mixture beating just until blended after each addition.

Transfer batter to prepared baking pan (The batter will be thick); spreading it evenly over the pan.

Crumble the hand-squeezed topping evenly over cake batter, covering with a thick layer of topping. Bake until the tester comes out clean and topping is a deep golden brown. Cool cake completely and dust with powdered sugar.

Serve and enjoy every last bite.

Baker’s Tips:

Make the topping first. Leaving the batter to sit before baking may cause problems with rising, causing the topping to sink into the cake.
Use good quality unbleached flour (with4-5g of protein) for the best result. lower quality flour may not have the stability to hold the topping.
Don’t overmix the batter once the flour is added. Overmixing can cause a tough, dense cake.
Be sure to cool the cake completely before dusting with the sugar. A warm cake will melt the sugar.

FAQs

Can you freeze Crumb Cake?

Crumb Cake Freezes really well. Just wrap well and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature overnight.

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