Is there a marked difference between New Jersey–style crumb cake and New York–style crumb cake? Not really. But as someone from the Garden State, I’ll always think of this style of cake as the former. “Crumb cake” is a moist vanilla cake topped with a thick layer of cinnamon-scented brown sugar streusel. Unlike “coffee cake,” crumb cake is always baked in a rectangular pan—never a round or Bundt pan—and does not include any swirl or fruit filling. Likely originating from German streuselkuchen (a yeasted cake topped with a light layer of streusel), New Jersey crumb cake has evolved into a ratio of at least half, if not more, moist crumb topping to cake—the defining characteristic of this regional bake.
To properly nail the soft, almost cookie-like texture of the crumb topping (as opposed to the more crisp streusels you’d find on other cakes or fruit crumbles), the mixture requires quite a bit of butter and dark brown sugar. Though many New Jersey bakeries still make the cake layer from a yeasted dough, I prefer the versions that rely on a simple batter without any proofing time. My ideal crumb cake base is a thick sour cream and vegetable oil batter that bakes off moist and tender, but not as plush as buttery pound cake, ensuring the topping remains the star of the show.
When I say to let this cake cool completely, I mean it. If you don’t, you’ll risk cracking the cake as you pull it out of the pan (the crumb is heavy), and if you apply powdered sugar to a warm cake, the sugar will melt. This cake is even better after sitting wrapped overnight as the crumb topping moistens even further. Make sure to save yourself at least a piece, if not the whole batch, for breakfast tomorrow.