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 of 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 addition of 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.
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 it 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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Let's Make New Jersey Crumb Coffee Cake
Ingredients
For the topping:
- 2 cups brown sugar packed
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup butter (2 sticks), melted - plus more if needed
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
For the cake:
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ 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
Instructions
For the topping:
- Mix the brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt together in a large bowl. Stir in the melted butter, then gently mix in the flour, being careful not to overmix (you just want to moisten the flour and mix until there is no visible dryness). Keep the mixture in large clumps. Set aside.
- Squeeze a handful of the topping into your hand, if it doesn't clump together, add a little more melted butter until it does. Set aside.
For the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350f/175c. Grease 9x13 inch baking pan
- In a medium mixing bowl mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Beat the softened butter in a large bowl until light.
- Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs 1 at a time, beating until well blended after each addition.
- Add buttermilk and vanilla, beat just until blended.
- Add flour mixture in 3 additions, beating just until blended after each addition.
- Transfer cake batter to prepared baking pan (the batter will be thick); spreading it evenly over the pan.
- Hand-squeeze small handfuls of topping together and crumble clumps evenly over cake batter, covering with a thick layer of topping.
- Bake 45 minutes to an hour or until the tester comes out clean and topping is deep golden brown and a little crisp.
- Cool cake in dish on rack at least 30 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar and cut into squares to serve.
Tips + Notes
- 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.
Nutrition Information:
Update Notes: This post was originally published in July of 2014, but was republished with a video new photos, step-by-step instructions, and tips in November of 2019.
Erica says
I’m curious, did you bake this cake in a convection oven, because I used a traditional oven and It took a lot longer than 45-60 minutes to be done. I think the thickness of the crumbles prevented it from cooking within the time you specify. Unless you used a convection oven. Then that would make sense.
Erren Hart says
Hi, I used a conventional oven, but many ovens differ which is why I always mention using a cake tester. Hope you enjoyed the cake!
Erica says
I really wanted to like this cake but it did not work out for me :(. I followed the written instructions under the recipe card. Later I realized the written instructions for the crumb topping were different than the video and step-by-step instructions leading up to the recipe card. The video says to add the flour first, and the recipe card says to add it last and slowly mix it in.
I don’t know but either way I ended up having to bake this cake for 90+ minutes before the middle even began to cook. At 45 minutes to an hour of baking (which is when the recipe suggests it should be done) I still had a completely gooey, cake batter, undone middle.
I have spent a lot of time in the kitchen over the past decade. I am not a novice baker. I think there might be something off about this recipe? In the end my husband still ate it (and really enjoyed it!), but for me it was too sweet and the experience wore me out.
Erren's Kitchen says
Hi Erica, I will look into this, I’m so sorry this wasn’t the best experience for you. Thank you for letting me know 🙂
Joanne says
This is a luscious cake with a rich flavor. The crumb topping is baked on. Delicious!
Erren Hart says
I’m delighted to hear you liked it so much! 🙂
John Karas says
I followed directions to the letter. The crumb topping sunk to the bottom of the cake. I have not cut it yet but I think it will likely taste OK. But I’ve never had this happen with any other crumb cake. It’s like the batter bubbled up and covered the crumb layer.
Erren's Kitchen says
Hi John, I hope the cake turned out well in the end, where about in the world are you cooking? There can be issues with the difference in ingredients or the metric conversion. Thanks for the feedback 🙂
Cat Holbrook says
could this be made in a Bundt pan?
Erren Hart says
Hi Cat, As a bundt pan had to be inverted, no I don’t think it would work for this recipe.
Genevieve says
Hi! I made this for my parents and sisters for Christmas yesterday! My dad is from New Jersey and my family just LOVES real New Jersey crumb cake. I followed this recipe exactly as written. The cake (which is usually my least fave part) was delish and so moist! But my crumb topping was so crunchy! 🙁 the flavor was good, but I don’t know what to change to keep the topping soft for the next time I try. I baked the cake for 45 min, but when I did the toothpick test, the cake was not ready. So I left it in for an additional 3 min. Any suggestions for softer topping? Thank you!
Erren Hart says
Hi Genevieve, I had others report this issue a few times and I’m not sure if it’s something that happens because of certain sugars or maybe even butter that causes it to cook faster. I would try covering the cake with foil for the first half of the bake next time. I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Noelle says
If I may…your crumb cooking too fast maybe because of the level of the rack in your oven. This should be baked on the lower to middle rack in the oven, any higher the top will cook much faster than the cake. Also if you’re cooking on convection maybe turn the temp down to 325? Just my 2 cents 🤗
Jenn says
I haven’t made it yet but could I double the cake recipe for a thicker cake? Really trying to replicate NJ diner crumb cake over here!
Erren Hart says
Hi Jen, If you’re worried about the cake to crumb ratio, you’re better off cutting the crumb recipe in half.
Kristen says
Delicious! Cake was moist!
Erren's Kitchen says
Thank you so much 🙂
Laura says
Outstanding! The BEST coffee cake in the world! And I should know. The fact that it’s called New Jersey coffee cake, I’ll overlook. I’m from NY 😄
Erren's Kitchen says
Well thank you Laura, I’m so pleased you liked it despite it being NJ and not NY 😉
Kathy says
11 18 2020. Right now I’m waiting for it to come out of the oven. With Co-vid in place here I am low on some supplies so had to improvise.
Here are my tweaks so that I will have a place to find them and remember what I did if this is wonderful I’ll post later and change the Stars if necessary for my tweaks only the recipe is just what I’ve been looking for with a nice crumb topping.
I used gluten-free all-purpose flour.
Coconut brown sugar.
One cup butter and one quarter cup lard
In cake
A tablespoon of vanilla because I like vanilla
Only one cup of white sugar
And again the all-purpose gluten-free flour which is all I had
Out of milk in so I made almond milk with one and a half cups of water and one half cup of almonds in a Ninja blender I added one tablespoon plus 1 tsp of apple cider vinegar to 1 this milk. I did not soak the almonds I just used them right out of the bag, raw almonds.
Erren Hart says
That’s great feedback, Kathy 🙂 Stay safe!