New Jersey Crumb Coffee Cake

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

You’ll love the generous amount of buttery cinnamon crumbs atop this moist and delicious cake – a true favorite of mine. With a hint of vanilla and a subtle tang from the buttermilk, it’s sure to become one of your favorites too!

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 was still warm!

Food can really remind you of home. 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!  

Ingredient Notes

Butter: Use unsalted butter to control the amount of salt in the recipe.

Flour: For the cake, use all-purpose/plain flour. Make sure to measure the flour correctly by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling it off with a knife.

Baking Powder and Baking Soda: Using baking powder and baking soda ensures the cake rises well and has a light texture.

Salt: Fine kosher or table salt will both work in this recipe.

Vanilla: Pure vanilla extract and vanilla bean paste will produce the best flavor, but artificial vanilla will also work.

Eggs: Use 2 large eggs at room temperature.

Buttermilk: If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make a substitute by mixing 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice with 1 cup of milk. Let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes until it thickens.

Cake Flour: Use cake flour in the topping for a more tender crumb. You can make your own or use all-purpose/plain flour if you don’t have it. To make 3 cups of cake flour, measure out 3 cups of all-purpose flour into a bowl. Remove 6 tablespoons from the measured amount and replace it with 6 tablespoons of cornstarch. Sift the mixture together 4 to 5 times to ensure a lighter texture and evenly distribute the cornstarch.

Brown Sugar: You can use either light or dark brown sugar in this recipe, depending on your preference.

Cinnamon: Use good-quality ground cinnamon.

Step By Step Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan. This step ensures that the cake doesn’t stick to the pan and comes out easily.

Making The Topping

To make the topping for the Crumb Coffee Cake, add 3 cups of cake flour, 2 cups of packed brown sugar, 2 tablespoons of ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon and of salt to a large bowl.

Then whisk together to combine the ingredients together.

Add 1 cup (2 sticks) of melted butter to the dry ingredients.

Then mixing gently to incorporate. You just want to moisten the flour enough to form clumps when pressed together. Mix gently until there is no visible dryness.

Squeeze a handful of the topping into your hand. If it doesn’t clump together, add a little more melted butter until it does. This step ensures that the crumb topping will stay together while baking. Set the crumb topping aside.

Making The Cake

For the cake batter, mix together 2½ cups of all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon of baking powder, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, and ½ teaspoon of salt.

In a large bowl, beat ¾ cups of softened butter (1½ sticks) until light. This step adds air to the butter, making the cake more tender.

While the butter and sugar are being worked together, mix 2 large eggs, 1¼ cups of buttermilk, and 1½ teaspoons of vanilla extract in a mid-sized measuring cup. The mixture may curdle a little. This is perfectly fine.

Add the flour mixture and wet ingredients to the butter mixture separately in three alternating additions. Begin by adding one-third of the wet mixture, then one-third of the dry ingredients, and continue alternating until both the flour mixture and wet ingredients have been fully incorporated into the butter mixture.

It’s important not to overmix the batter, so only mix until the ingredients are just combined. The mixture will be thick. The thick batter ensures that the crumb topping stays on top of the cake.

Assembling The Cake

Transfer the cake batter to the prepared baking pan, spreading it evenly over the pan.

Hand-squeeze small handfuls of topping together and crumble clumps evenly over the cake batter, covering with a thick layer of topping.

This is the most satisfying step! The generous topping of buttery, tender cinnamon crumbs makes Crumb Coffee Cake irresistible.

Bake for 45 minutes to an hour or until the tester comes out clean and the topping is deep golden brown and a little crisp. The baking time may vary depending on your oven, so keep an eye on it after 45 minutes.

Cool the cake in the dish on a rack for at least 30 minutes. This step is important to allow the crumbs to set. Once cool, dust with powdered sugar.

Cut the Crumb Coffee Cake into squares to serve.

Enjoy every last bite of this delicious cake with a cup of coffee or tea.

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Let’s Make Crumb Coffee Cake

A moist, tender cake topped high with delicious chunks of cinnamon sugar goodness!

Prep15 minutes

Cook45 minutes

Total1 hour

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

For a Tender Crumb Topping

• Sift the cake flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt together into a large bowl and whisk to combine.

• Add the melted butter and work it into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter or fork until there is no visible dryness. 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 a crunchy 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).

• 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 a 9×13 inch baking pan.

• Mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium mixing bowl.

• Beat the softened butter in a large bowl until light.

• Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy.

• In another small bow, mix together the eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla until combined.

• Add the flour and wet ingredients to the butter mixture in three alternating additions starting with the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined.

• Transfer the cake batter to the prepared baking pan (the batter will be thick); spread it evenly over the pan.

• Hand-squeeze small handfuls of topping together and crumble clumps evenly over the cake batter, covering with a thick layer of topping.

• Bake 45 minutes to an hour or until the tester comes out clean and the topping is deep golden brown and a little crisp.

• Cool the cake in the pan on a cooling rack for at least 30 minutes.  Dust with powdered sugar and cut into squares to serve.

Tips + Notes

UPDATE NOTES: This blog post was originally published in July 2014. In 2023, the recipe was updated and extensively tested to address reported issues with sinking crumbs, resulting in a new and improved version of this delicious Crumb Coffee Cake. If you want to make the original recipe, replace the cake flour with all-purpose/plain flour and follow the instructions for the crunchy topping.

• 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 in the cake batter (with 4 to 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 sugar.  A warm cake will melt the sugar.
• If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, don’t panic, you can make your own. One cup of milk plus 1 tbsp of white vinegar or lemon juice is a great rule of thumb. For this recipe: 1¼ cups of milk plus 1¼ tablespoons of white vinegar or lemon juice.

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 574 (29{ebea9d5847bd78db73673675e8a4786d1e11955363e2960615a0efdb904da7cb})| Carbohydrates: 84g (28{ebea9d5847bd78db73673675e8a4786d1e11955363e2960615a0efdb904da7cb})| Protein: 6g (12{ebea9d5847bd78db73673675e8a4786d1e11955363e2960615a0efdb904da7cb})| Fat: 24g (37{ebea9d5847bd78db73673675e8a4786d1e11955363e2960615a0efdb904da7cb})| Saturated Fat: 15g (94{ebea9d5847bd78db73673675e8a4786d1e11955363e2960615a0efdb904da7cb})| Cholesterol: 83mg (28{ebea9d5847bd78db73673675e8a4786d1e11955363e2960615a0efdb904da7cb})| Sodium: 523mg (23{ebea9d5847bd78db73673675e8a4786d1e11955363e2960615a0efdb904da7cb})| Potassium: 202mg (6{ebea9d5847bd78db73673675e8a4786d1e11955363e2960615a0efdb904da7cb})| Fiber: 2g (8{ebea9d5847bd78db73673675e8a4786d1e11955363e2960615a0efdb904da7cb})| Sugar: 50g (56{ebea9d5847bd78db73673675e8a4786d1e11955363e2960615a0efdb904da7cb})| Vitamin A: 767IU (15{ebea9d5847bd78db73673675e8a4786d1e11955363e2960615a0efdb904da7cb})| Calcium: 103mg (10{ebea9d5847bd78db73673675e8a4786d1e11955363e2960615a0efdb904da7cb})| Iron: 2mg (11{ebea9d5847bd78db73673675e8a4786d1e11955363e2960615a0efdb904da7cb})

Nutritional Data Disclaimer

Erren’s Kitchen is written and produced for informational intentions only. We are not certified nutritionists, and the nutritional information found on this site has not been assessed or authorized by a nutritionist or the FDA. The nutritional information found in our recipes is offered as an estimate and should not be considered a guarantee or fact. The estimated data is provided as a courtesy and calculated through a third-party online nutritional calculator, spoonacular API. Although we do our best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered rough estimates. Many factors, such as brands or products purchased and the nutritional fluctuations that naturally occur in fresh produce, can alter the effectiveness of the nutritional information in any recipe. Furthermore, various online calculators provide different results depending on their particular algorithms and nutrition fact sources. To obtain the most precise nutritional information in a provided recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the exact ingredients you are using when preparing the recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.

Course:Dessert

Cuisine:cake

Keyword:Coffee Cake, Crumb Cake, NJ Crumb Cake

Update Notes: This post was originally published in July 2014, but was republished in 2023 with a new recipe that was altered to address reported issues with sinking crumbs.