New Jersey Crumb Cake

5 from 9 votes

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! Enjoy for breakfast, dessert, or an anytime snack!

Prep Time20

Cook Time40

Total Time1

Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 456kcal

Author: Cynthia

Equipment

Ingredients

Topping

1 ½ cups brown sugar
1 ½ tablespoons ground cinnamon
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
2 ¼ cups cake flour
¾ cup butter melted (1 ½ sticks)

Cake

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 large egg
½ cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 teaspoons vanilla

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Prep

Preheat oven to 325°
Cut 16-inch length parchment paper or aluminum foil and fold lengthwise to 8-inch width. Cut excess. Spray 9-inch square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and fit parchment into pan, pushing it into corners and up sides.
Let excess paper hang over the sides of the pan. Affix to the sides of the pan with metal binder clips. Spray the piece of parchment paper and repeat with a piece of parchment laying in the opposite direction.

Crumb topping

Whisk sugar, cinnamon, salt, and all purpose flour in medium bowl to combine. Add melted butter and mix with sturdy rice paddle or wooden spoon until mixture resembles thick, crumbly dough. Refrigerate while you make the cake batter.

Cake batter

Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold until just combined.

Assemble and bake

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Spread evenly.
Break crumb topping apart, with your fingers, into pea-sized and slightly larger pieces and spread in even layer over batter, beginning with edges and then working toward center. It will seem like a lot of topping, but it’s worth it!
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean, rotating the pan once during baking.
Let cool at least 15 minutes. Remove cake from pan by lifting parchment overhang. Dust powdered sugar over the top of the cake.

Notes

If you don’t have parchment paper, you can line your pan with aluminum foil sprayed with nonstick spray. You can also just serve it straight out of the pan that has been sprayed with nonstick spray.

If you don't have cake flour, feel free to make the topping with all-purpose flour.

In place of buttermilk, you can use whole milk or an alternative or plant based milk. Just remove the baking soda from the list of ingredients.

For a smoother batter, and better cake texture, start with room temperature ingredients.

Nutrition