Copycat Entenmann’s Crumb Coffee Cake Recipe

A slice of New York style crumb coffee cake.

4.46 from 121 votes

Copycat Entenmann’s Crumb Coffee Cake Recipe

This copycat Entenmann’s coffee cake recipe brings bakery magic right to your kitchen with a buttery golden crumb, thick cinnamon streusel topping, and nostalgic flavor in every bite. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or an anytime treat, this easy New York-style crumb cake is moist, tender, and absolutely unforgettable. Just like the classic you grew up with—only better, because it’s homemade!

Prep Time15

Cook Time50

Total Time1 5

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Author: Jenny DeRemer

Cost: $0.58 per serving

Equipment

Ingredients

For the Crumb Topping

1 cup unsalted butter melted (2 sticks)
3½ cups all-purpose flour
2 cups dark brown sugar packed
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon Kosher salt

For the Cake Batter

¾ cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature (1½ sticks)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 ¼ cups buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
powdered sugar for dusting

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make the Crumb Topping

Melt the unsalted butter in a saucepan. Use a silicone pastry brush to grease the bottom and sides of a 9x13-inch cake pan with some of the melted butter. Place the pan in the refrigerator to set the butter.
In a large bowl, sift together the brown sugar, cinnamon, flour, and 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.

Make the Cake Batter

Preheat oven to 350°F. Remove the prepared cake pan from the refrigerator. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a medium bowl, add the softened butter and whip until light. Add the granulated sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add both eggs one at a time, blending after each addition, then add the buttermilk and vanilla. Blend until just incorporated; it will be thick but fluid.
Add the flour mixture to the buttermilk mixture in two separate additions, mixing gently between each addition. The cake batter is now complete.

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, anywhere from 50 to 70 minutes. Your oven may bake differently than mine, so begin testing for doneness at 50 minutes and re-test every 10 minutes if additional bake time is required.
Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack, then cut into 15 squares. Dust with powdered sugar once completely cooled and serve.

Notes

Bring refrigerated items to room temperature before making the batter for a better result.
To Make Homemade Buttermilk: For every 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. (I recommend using 1 1/4 cups whole milk with 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon of distilled white vinegar for this crumb cake recipe.)
Distribute the cinnamon crumb topping evenly so that each square will have BIG lumps. When adding crumb topping, start at the edges and work your way to the center. This will prevent the crumbs from sinking. Also, don't press the crumbs down! It will push out the air and prevent the cake from rising.
Storing Leftovers: To freeze, wrap individual squares with film, then slip inside a labeled freezer safe plastic zipper bag, freezing up to 3 months. To thaw, defrost overnight in the refrigerator.

Nutrition