Crumb Cake vs Coffee Cake

Published on December 17th, 2024

HOW SWEET IT IS TO UNWRAP THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CRUMB CAKE AND COFFEE CAKE

We live for coffee breaks, particularly when our piping hot cups of coffee or iced cold brews are perfectly paired with a slice of cake. The ritual of drinking coffee and eating snacks to break up the work day became a thing in the mid-20th century in the U.S., but it’s also a cherished past-time worldwide with Swedes enjoying fika and Germans kaffee und kuchen.

From cozy coffee shops to corner delis to your home office, no matter where or when you enjoy your coffee, chances are you will be tempted to indulge in a sweet treat like coffee cake or crumb cake. Ever wonder what’s the difference between these two sweet cakes? Grab a cup of Joe while we take a bite out of the difference between these two streusel-topped coffeehouse cakes.

Are crumb cakes and coffee cakes the same thing?

No, crumb cakes and coffee cakes are not the same thing. The main difference is the crumbly topping. Both sweet cakes are made with the same basic ingredients like flour, sugar, eggs, and butter, but crumb cake is more dense. 

Crumb cake is always topped with streusel, a mixture of butter, flour, and sugar, but coffee cake doesn’t always have this sweet, crumbly topping. Crumb cake has a half-inch thick or more of streusel on top while coffee cake has a sprinkling of streusel or drizzles of icing or glaze instead.

The shape of each cake is different too. Coffee cakes may be ringed or Bundt cakes, square, or rectangular whereas crumb cakes are always baked in a rectangular or square pan.

Both cakes perfectly pair with coffee, but each has a slightly different flavor. Coffee cake can come in many flavors like apple or blueberry and may include nuts. Coffee cakes typically have a ribbon of cinnamon and those made overseas tend to be coffee-flavored sponge cake. 

What is crumb cake made of?

Crumb cakes are made of a buttery, vanilla cake with a thick layer of streusel on top. Crumb cake’s streusel topping is flavored with cinnamon. Some crumb cake variations may also include a ribbon of fruit like blueberry or strawberry within the one-layer cake or chocolate drizzled on top of the streusel. Crumb cake is moist and its sweet topping is crumbly, making it somewhat messy to eat.

What makes something a coffee cake?

To be considered a coffee cake, coffee cake must not have any frosting on top and it nearly always has a subtle spice like cinnamon or nutmeg. They may have glaze or icing on them. 

Coffee cakes are one layer but may have a ribbon of flavor like cinnamon or fruit flowing through them. Despite the name, coffee cake doesn’t have coffee or caffeine in it. However, European coffee cakes are coffee-flavored sponge cake.

Read More: Sponge Cake vs Angel Food Cake vs Pound Cake

Is crumb cake a New Jersey thing?

It was the Germans who are credited with creating streuselkuchen or crumb cake, but the New Jersey version is what most cake lovers know and love. New Jersey crumb cake is a regional variation of crumb cake that is immediately identifiable thanks to the streusel-to-cake ratio, which is about half and half. It’s not uncommon for some versions to have more crumbly topping than actual cake.

New Jersey crumb cake features a yellow, buttery cake topped with a thick slab of brown sugar and cinnamon-flavored streusel that makes a crumbly mess the minute you bite into a square piece of this iconic cake.

Famous Crumb Cakes & Coffee Cakes

Grab a cup of coffee and a fork because these are the most famous crumb cakes and coffee cakes ever.

Let’s get ready to crumble! Cake it easy and order the most delicious Coffee Cakes and Crumb Cakes shipping nationwide on Goldbelly!