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My Copycat Entenmann’s Coffee Cake recipe is a classic New York dense vanilla cake laden with a divine brown sugar cinnamon streusel, and Confectioners sugar!
This post first published November 2023 and freshly updated in May 2024. With great appreciation, this recipe is adapted from Erren’s Kitchen’s New Jersey Coffee Cake.
The New York crumb cake, famous since its invention in 1898, is known to millions as the perfect complement to a cup of coffee. This family favorite has generations of fans. At our local bakery, the smell of cinnamon sugar permeated the air. It wasn’t quiet, with ladies shouting their orders and maddened bakery attendants stuffing big white boxes with pastries, donuts, and Danish that would be tied off with that familiar red and white baker’s twine. Thanks to this modified method, I recreate this treat from childhood whenever I want.
Delicate cinnamon crumbs rest atop a base of moist, dense golden cake, the only elements making it even more perfect being a piping hot morning coffee and the crossword. Copycat Entenmann’s crumb cakes are the gauge by which recipes for New York-style crumb cakes are measured. Who doesn’t love a copycat recipe??
Why You’ll Love This Recipe!
· Tangy and Tender Cake– Buttermilk and vanilla give the dense cake base a sweet and tangy and altogether scrumptious bite!
· Renowned Crumb Topping – New York-style crumbs are legendary for their buttery brown sugar and cinnamon streusel toppings being as thick as the cake itself, sometimes thicker!
· 3x The Cake! – This recipe yields 15 GENEROUS SERVINGS for a fraction of what it would cost to purchase a mere 17oz Entenmann’s NY Crumb at your grocery AND this copycat recipe is that good that it gives Entenmann’s a run for its money!
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe!
- Ingredients in Classic Crumb Coffee Cake
- Substitutions and Variations
- Non-negotiable Equipment Needed
- How to Make Entenmann’s Crumb Cake?
- How To Serve Coffee Cake
- Jenny’s Recipe Pro Tips
- Recipe FAQs
- More Coffee Cake Recipes to Browse!
- Copycat Entenmann’s Crumb Coffee Cake (Classic New York Recipe)
Ingredients in Classic Crumb Coffee Cake
There is no mistaking the obvious pantry staples required to assemble this cake, but I have noted why these ingredients are needed.
- Dark brown sugar – the molasses in brown sugar helps to create a moist and tender crumb topping.
- Ground cinnamon – the essential flavor in the dish, cinnamon is warm and sweet, pairing perfectly with the buttery, crumbly topping.
- Kosher salt – helps to balance out the richness of the butter and the buttermilk.
- Unsalted butter – salted butter can vary in salt content, so using unsalted butter gives you control over the flavor of the cake.
- All-purpose flour – has a moderate protein content, which gives it the ability to hold both air and moisture, ideal for crumb cake, as it helps to create a tender and moist cake base.
- Baking powder – the leavening agent that helps the cake to rise.
- Baking soda – an additional leavening agent that reacts with the buttermilk’s acid to produce carbon dioxide gas, which causes the cake to rise.
- Granulated sugar – a sweetener that helps balance the cake’s flavors and the crumb topping.
- Eggs – help to bind the ingredients together, add moisture, and create a light and fluffy texture.
- Buttermilk – adds a tangy flavor, tenderizes the cake, and helps create a light and airy crumb topping.
- Vanilla extract – adds a rich, sweet flavor that complements the other ingredients while acting as a natural preservative, which helps to keep the cake fresh for longer.
optional
- Powdered sugar for the top of the cake – a touch of sweetness and a tempting visual garnish atop the cake – highly recommended!
Substitutions and Variations
- Butter – You can substitute shortening for butter in the crumb cake batter. Shortening will give the cake a slightly different texture, but it will still be moist and flavorful.
- Sugar – You can substitute brown sugar for granulated sugar in the crumb cake batter. Brown sugar will give the cake a richer flavor and a slightly chewier texture.
- Spices – You can add other spices to the crumb cake batter, such as nutmeg, ginger, or cardamom.
- Topping – You can add other ingredients to the crumb topping, such as oats, nuts, or dried fruit.
Non-negotiable Equipment Needed
There is no compromising on the need for a 13 x 9-inch cake pan …as in you have to have one. Anything smaller will result in cake batter overflowing the bake. Ask me how I know this…
Tip: Refrigerate Your Greased Cake Pan!
Grease the bottom and sides of the cake pan by brushing with melted butter, then place the prepared pan into the refrigerator while preparing the remaining parts of the cake. The butter will set and the greased sides will stay greased.
How to Make Entenmann’s Crumb Cake?
A question pops up every once in a while, in relation to this cake: sinking crumbs. Personally, my brother and I would fight you for the square with the half-sunken crumbs, but hey. To mitigate sinking crumbs, first place large clumps beginning along the outside edge of the pan and working your way to the center, scattering the remaining smaller crumbs. Heavy along the outside, lighter as you work inward.
Make the Crumb Topping
Step 1. Melt two sticks of unsalted butter (1 cup) in a saucepan. Use a silicone pastry brush to grease the bottom and sides of a 9 x 13-inch cake pan with some of the melted butter. Place the pan in the refrigerator to set the butter.
Step 2. In a large bowl, sift together 2 cups of brown sugar, 2 tablespoons of cinnamon, 3 1/2 cups of flour, and 1 teaspoon of Kosher salt. Add the melted butter and stir until large clumps form. I go in with my hands and squeeze. If needed, add more melted butter in tablespoon increments. Aim for a variety of crumb sizes, including some ‘cherry tomato-size’ crumbs, to spread over the cake.
Make the Cake Batter
Step 3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Remove the prepared cake pan from the refrigerator. Combine the remaining 2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Whisk to combine.
Step 4. In a medium bowl, add 1 1/2 sticks softened butter and whip with a hand mixer until light. Add in 1 ½ cups granulated sugar. Beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, blending after each addition, then 1 1/4 cups buttermilk and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Blend until just incorporated. Now add the flour mixture to the buttermilk mixture in two separate additions. The resulting cake batter is ready.
Assemble the Layers and Bake
Step 5. Transfer the cake batter to the prepared baking pan, ensuring you scrape all the batter from the bowl. Spread the batter into the corners using the back of a wooden spoon or an offset spatula, smoothing the top.
Step 6. Evenly distribute the cinnamon crumb topping over the batter, placing the largest lumps in each corner and along the sides. Work from the outside edges to the center to prevent crumbs from sinking. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, and the streusel topping is golden brown and slightly crunchy. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack, then cut into 15 squares. Dust with confectioners’ sugar once completely cooled and serve.
How To Serve Coffee Cake
As the name implies, serve New York style with a HOT cuppa joe! But seriously, serve slightly warm or serve completely cooled, it’s your choice.
Jenny’s Recipe Pro Tips
- When adding crumb topping, start at the edges and work your way to the center. This will prevent the crumbs from sinking.
- Don’t press the crumbs down! It will push out the air and prevent the cake from rising.
- Bring refrigerated items to room temp for smooth batter.
Recipe FAQs
Buttermilk is the single ingredient in this method that offers the exquisite tangy flavor to the crumb that Entenmann’s products are known for. It is strongly recommended that buttermilk be used, and a handy homemade buttermilk ratio has been added to the notes in the recipe card for this purpose.
YES! And because this is a large cake, once cooled and cut into 15 squares, I wrap each in plastic film, then slip inside a labeled freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months.
Streuselkuchen in Germany and known in English-speaking countries as crumb cake.
More Coffee Cake Recipes to Browse!
Copycat Entenmann’s Crumb Coffee Cake (Classic New York Recipe)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups dark brown sugar, packed
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ teaspoons Kosher salt, divided
- 3 ½ sticks unsalted butter, divided; 2 sticks melted, 1 1/2 sticks softened to room temperature
- 5 ½ cups all-purpose flour, divided
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ¼ cups buttermilk, *see notes at the bottom of the recipe card if you need to make buttermilk in a pinch
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
Make the Crumb Topping
- Melt two sticks of unsalted butter (1 cup or 226 grams) in a saucepan. Use a silicone pastry brush to grease the bottom and sides of a 9 x 13-inch cake pan with some of the melted butter. Place the pan in the refrigerator to set the butter.3 ½ sticks unsalted butter
- In a large bowl, sift together 2 cups of brown sugar, 2 tablespoons of cinnamon, 3 1/2 cups of flour, and 1 teaspoon of Kosher salt. Add the melted butter and stir until large clumps form. If needed, add more melted butter in tablespoon increments. Aim for a variety of crumb sizes, including some 'cherry tomato-size' crumbs, to spread over the cake.2 cups dark brown sugar, 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon, 1 ½ teaspoons Kosher salt, 5 ½ cups all-purpose flour
Make the Cake Batter
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Remove the prepared cake pan from the refrigerator. Combine the remaining 2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Whisk to combine.5 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 ½ teaspoons Kosher salt
- In a medium bowl, add 1 1/2 sticks softened butter and whip until light. Add in 1 ½ cups granulated sugar. Beat until light and fluffy. Add both eggs one at a time, blending after each addition, then 1 1/4 cups buttermilk and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Blend until just incorporated. The buttermilk mixture will be thick but fluid. Now add the flour mixture to the buttermilk mixture in two separate additions. The resulting cake batter is ready.3 ½ sticks unsalted butter, 1 ½ cups granulated sugar, 2 large eggs, 1 ¼ cups buttermilk, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Assemble the Layers and Bake
- Transfer the cake batter to the prepared baking pan, ensuring you scrape all the batter from the bowl. Spread the batter into the corners using the back of a wooden spoon or an offset spatula, smoothing the top.
- Evenly distribute the cinnamon crumb topping over the batter, placing the largest lumps in each corner and a few on the sides and middle. Work from the edges to the center to prevent crumbs from sinking. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, and the streusel topping is golden-brown and slightly crunchy. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack, then cut into 15 squares. Dust with confectioners' sugar once completely cooled and serve.powdered sugar for dusting
Notes
- For every 1 liquid measure (1 cup) of 2% or whole milk, add either a tablespoon of distilled white vinegar or a tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice (no pulp).
- Let the mixture stand for 10 minutes at room temperature. During this time, the acid will curdle the milk slightly.
- Scale these ratios up or down depending on how much buttermilk you need for your recipe. In particular, use 1 1/4 cups whole milk with 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon of distilled white vinegar for this crumb cake recipe.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is the best coffee cake recipe ever!! I use the same pan you have pictures but my edges get so hard and crunchy! TOO hard I’m baking 350 degrees for 50 minutes anything under the middle isn’t done any suggestions?
Stephanie, First, thank you for your kind comment regarding the recipe! Makes my day 🙂 Hard and crunchy edges on your coffee cake might be caused by over-baking or uneven heat distribution. First, double-check your oven’s temperature with an oven thermometer, as even slight inaccuracies can significantly impact your results. If the cake’s center isn’t done but the edges are over-baked, try tenting the pan with aluminum foil during the last 10-15 minutes of baking. This shields the edges from over-browning while the middle finishes cooking. Additionally, be mindful of pan placement; the middle rack generally offers the most even heat. If your oven has hot spots, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time can help. Finally, a lighter touch when greasing the pan and opting for a dusting of flour or sugar may prevent edges from crisping too much. These small adjustments should help you achieve the perfect texture. Do please let me know if you make any adjustments and if they make a difference. I’d go the oven thermometer route first; I grabbed this one on Amazon for under $10 and my jaw dropped when I realized how off my oven actually was. x – Jenny
The cake had a great flavor however the crumbs (my personal favorite) melted. That usually happens when a person adds melted butter instead of cold butter. It didn’t look great but we ate it anyway
Mary, apologies for this taking me a hot minute to respond to – you were residing in my SPAM folder! I rescued you!
Thank you for sharing your experience with the coffee cake, especially since the crumb topping is your favorite part. It sounds like you’re describing an issue where the crumb became more melted than crumbly during baking. While recipes like this one often call for melted butter to bind the topping ingredients, this method is generally reliable and shouldn’t inherently cause the topping to “melt.” Let’s explore what else might have gone awry and how to troubleshoot for next time.
The texture of the crumb could be affected by ingredient proportions or mixing technique. For instance, if the topping mixture was overmixed after adding the melted butter, it might have formed a smoother texture instead of staying in clumps. Additionally, if the measurements of sugar, flour, or butter weren’t exact (e.g., overpacked flour or sugar), the balance of wet and dry ingredients could shift, leading to a denser, less crumbly topping.
Another factor could be oven behavior. If your oven runs cooler than its setting or the cake baked a little too long, the topping might have melted into the cake rather than staying distinct. An oven thermometer can help verify accuracy, and slightly chilling the crumb topping before baking could help it hold its shape better during the process.
I hope this helps pinpoint the cause so you can achieve that perfect crumb next time. I’d really, really love to hear how your next attempt turns out should you bake this again. 🙂 Jenny
Hi! I think the recipe turned out ok, even great. But when I was making the cake batter, adding the buttermilk made the whole thing curdle. I added it in the order that you said to. Any ideas why this happened?
Chelsea, thanks for reaching out! I’m happy to help you troubleshoot the issue with the buttermilk in the Entenmann’s Coffee Cake recipe.
When you added the buttermilk, it’s possible that the mixture curdled due to temperature differences. If your eggs were cold, they may have caused the butter to seize up, leading to a curdled appearance. Additionally, if the buttermilk was too cold or had been sitting at room temperature for too long, it may have thickened causing the mixture to curdle.
It’s also possible that overmixing or the acidity in the buttermilk reacted with the baking soda, causing the mixture to curdle. However, this is less likely given the recipe’s balance of ingredients. To avoid curdling in the future, try using room temperature eggs and buttermilk, and gently fold in the buttermilk to avoid overmixing. If you’re still experiencing issues, you may want to try a different brand or type of buttermilk.
Don’t worry, though – despite the curdled appearance, this is a relatively common occurrence and won’t affect the final result. In fact, the slight acidity and texture change can even enhance the cake’s tenderness and flavor, so, go ahead and keep on baking. I already know that using this method, the cake will emerge delicious every single time. Jenny 🙂
Wow, I love this crumb cake and made it for the family for a treat. But I want to thank you for all the great tips. Buttering the pan and putting it in the fridge, and start putting the crumb topping on the edges first. Why have I never heard of this before?
Sydney, as a lover of food, I intentionally seek out recipes and methods that guide me to EXACTLY what I want my food to look, taste, and smell like. Tips are crucial, otherwise you don’t know if the developer is thinking on the same page as you. It makes me happy that you found the tips helpful. REALLY HAPPY in fact. x – Jenny
I love the texture, especially the contrast between the streusel and the soft vanilla cake! The flavors were delicious and the sweetness was just perfect for me!
Kath, this is sweet of you to circle back and say so! Thank you! I like to hope everyone who tries the recipe will make it a keeper 🙂 Jenny
This was so good and just like the classic that I remember! It comes together quickly too, which made it an easy treat to serve for a brunch we were hosting. Will definitely make again!
Fern, this is such a nice compliment, thank you. I like that you can “taste” the Entenmann’s comparison 🙂 Jenny
Absolutely hands down delicious! I’m not really a skilled home baker so was surprised this turned out so perfect. It is so yummy! I will be sharing this Entenmann’s coffee cake for a gathering over the coming weekend.
Athena, I am telling you this recipe is beginner friendly IF the ingredients are not changed/substitutions made AND each step if followed exactly as the recipe is written. I make this at least once a month and freeze the hunks. So good 🙂 Jenny
The thick layer of cinnamon streusel on that dense vanilla cake was so delicious. It’s like I’m back in New York. I’m in love!
Melody, sounds like you appreciate the incredible similarity of this recipe to the original. THAT makes me smile 🙂 x – Jenny
So easy to make and delicious too! Perfect for coffee time or desserts!
Julie, thank you! I wholeheartedly agree 🙂 Jenny