New Jersey Crumb Cake

This New Jersey Crumb Cake, topped with a generous layer of buttery cinnamon crumb topping, tastes like you just picked it up at the bakery on Sunday morning! This New York and New Jersey staple is perfect for breakfast, dessert, or an anytime snack!

Sunday mornings in New Jersey (and okay New York - turf wars are real) means stopping at a local bakery, bodega, or bagel shop, and seeing giant slices of Crumb Cake on the counter. Even wrapped in plastic, you can still smell the buttery cinnamon crumb topping and you know you want it.

I baked one or two giant sheet pans of this cake every weekend morning at the bakery, and, although they kept the recipe under wraps, I just knew I had to recreate those flavors here at home!

Ingredients

The ingredients are pantry staples, but if you find yourself missing one or two, I probably have a substitution for you. Read on and get baking!

See recipe card for quantities.

Substitutions

Missing an item in the pantry shouldn't stop you from enjoying a delicious New Jersey Crumb Cake! Try these common substitutions.

• Cake flour - I use cake flour in the crumb topping because makes it a bit lighter, with a more tender texture. If you don't have cake flour, feel free to substitute with an equal amount of all-purpose flour.
• All-purpose flour - I find that all-purpose flour is the perfect choice for a tender yet sturdy cake that can support all that crumb.
• Buttermilk - You can substitute with sour cream or yogurt. Kefir will also work. Using coconut milk will give you just a hint of coconut flavor, and I'm not mad about it!
• Butter - You can use vegan butter or margarine in place of butter in your crumb topping.

Variations

I'm a bit of a crumb cake purist, but in the bakery, we often put a twist on our weekly selections:

• Marble - Remove ½ cup of the finished batter and add in 2 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder. Spread the pain batter in the pain, top with dollops of the chocolate batter, and use a knife to swirl it throughout. Bake as directed.
• Spiced Crumb Cake - For a Fall vibe, add ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves, ⅛ teaspoon ground ginger, and ⅛ teaspoon ground allspice to the dry cake ingredients. Proceed with the recipe as directed.
• Fruit - Before adding your crumb topping, try adding a layer of fruit. Fresh strawberries or blueberries are great! I sometimes like to add a layer of sautéed apples, like the ones I use in my baked apple croissants, on top of the batter, before adding the crumb. Delicious!
• Muffins - Want this cake, but in a portable form? Give my Crumb Cake Muffins a try!

Instructions

This is such an easy recipe, you'll find yourself making it every weekend! Follow along with the steps below.

Step 1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a square pan with parchment paper, leaving excess to drape over sides to use to remove cake after baking.

Step 2. To make the crumb topping, place the brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and cake flour in a large bowl. Pour in warm melted butter.

Step 3. Mix with a spatula until fully combined, until it holds together when you squeeze a portion in your hands, and crumbles easily. Refrigerate until ready to top your cake.

Step 4. In a medium bowl, mix together dry ingredients. Whisk the wet ingredients, pour into the dry ingredients, and combine.

Step 5. Mix just until the last of the dry ingredients are incorporated.

Step 6. Use an offset spatula to spread the cake batter into the bottom of your prepared pan. It will not seem like enough, but trust the process.

Bake at 325°F for 40 to 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes back with just a few moist crumbs. Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then use the parchment paper handles to transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar (it's traditional) slice, and enjoy!

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