Gingerbread Coffee Cake With Crumble Topping Recipe for the Holidays

Gingerbread Coffee Cake With Crumble Topping

When the weather turns cool and the holidays get close, a warm spiced cake is one of the easiest ways to make a kitchen feel cozy. This gingerbread coffee cake with crumble topping fits that feeling perfectly.

It works as a holiday breakfast, a weekend brunch centerpiece, or a special dessert, and it pairs beautifully with coffee, hot cocoa, or a tall glass of milk.

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The cake is soft and full of gingerbread flavor, and the crumble topping adds a sweet layer with a light crunch over the top. You can set it out on a holiday dessert bar, bring it to a family gathering, or share slices with friends who stop by.

The recipe comes from Judy Wilson at Recipes Simple, and you can read the original gingerbread coffee cake recipe there if you would like to see it at the source.

Because the batter follows a simple dry bowl and wet bowl rhythm, it is a friendly bake for new bakers and a quick one for anyone who has made a coffee cake before.

Baking Tips

A few small habits make this cake turn out better every single time.

• Soften the butter first. Bring it to room temperature before you start so it blends smoothly with the molasses instead of clumping.
• Measure flour the right way. Spoon it into a dry measuring cup and level off the top with the smooth edge of a butter knife. Scooping straight from the bag packs the flour down and can make the cake dry.
• Pick your pan. The recipe uses a 9×9 pan. If you prefer a thinner cake, use an 11×7 or 9×13 pan instead.
• Add crunch to the topping. Chopped walnuts or pecans mixed into the crumble add texture and a nutty note.
• Keep it simple. The ingredient list uses everyday baking staples, so you probably have most of what you need already.

If you enjoy baking coffee cakes, you may also like this Blueberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake, which follows the same easy mixing rhythm. And if you want more gingerbread flavor in cookie form, these Soft Gingerbread Cookies use the same cozy spice blend.

Ingredients

The cake side of this recipe comes together from a short list of baking staples. You will need all purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, and salt for the dry mix, plus softened butter, molasses, one large egg, and apple juice for the wet mix.

Molasses is the ingredient that gives gingerbread its deep color and its lightly caramel flavor. The apple juice keeps the crumb tender and adds a gentle fruit note that balances the spices. The baking soda works with the acidity in the molasses to help the cake rise.

Exact measurements and the complete method are in the printable recipe card further down the page, so you can print it or save it for baking day.

Crumble Topping Ingredients

The topping is made from its own short list: all purpose flour, brown sugar, powdered sugar, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, and melted unsalted butter.

Brown sugar and powdered sugar together give the crumble its sweetness and its soft, sandy texture, while the melted butter pulls everything into clusters. The cinnamon and ginger keep the topping in step with the spiced cake underneath. If you like a little crunch, stir in chopped walnuts or pecans before you sprinkle the mixture over the batter.

How To Make Gingerbread Coffee Cake With Crumble Topping

The method is straightforward: mix the dry ingredients, blend the wet ingredients, combine the two, top the batter, and bake.

1. Preheat and prepare the pan. Heat the oven to 350℉ and spray the bottom and sides of a 9×9 pan.
2. Whisk the dry mix. In a bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking soda, spices, and salt until well combined. A whisk blends it evenly.
3. Blend the butter and molasses. Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, blend the softened butter and the molasses together.
4. Add the liquids. Mix in the apple juice and the egg, just until blended. There is no need to beat extra air into the batter at this stage.
5. Combine everything. Add the dry ingredients in three separate batches, mixing until completely incorporated.
6. Fill the pan. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula until it is even.
7. Make the topping. In a separate bowl, mix all the crumble topping ingredients, then sprinkle the mixture over the batter.
8. Bake. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
9. Cool slightly. Let the coffee cake cool a little before serving, so the slices hold together and the crumble sets.

One quick note on the pan: if you want a thinner cake, use an 11×7 or 9×13 pan instead of the 9×9. Keep an eye on the bake and check for doneness with a toothpick, since a shallower layer of batter will bake faster.

Whatever size pan you choose, spray it well so the edges release cleanly and the crumble stays where it belongs.

Helpful Supplies and Tools

A few pieces of equipment make this bake easier to manage, especially if you plan to make it more than once during the holidays.

A 9 inch square pan matches the pan size in this recipe, so the bake time stays predictable. The glass baking dish with a lid is handy if you plan to bring the cake somewhere, since you can cover it and go.

Cotton aprons are the sort of small kitchen item that makes a nice holiday gift for someone who bakes often, and they hold up well with regular washing.

What Readers Are Saying About This Gingerbread Coffee Cake Recipe on Pinterest.

Bakers who have made this gingerbread coffee cake have been generous with their feedback, and the response has been warm. Readers describe the cake as amazing, very good, and yummy, and several say they would make it again.

One reader noted that the house smelled wonderful while it baked, which is one of the quiet pleasures of a spiced cake in the oven.

Another reader made it for a family Christmas gathering and found it easy to put together, which is exactly the kind of recipe that earns a spot in a holiday rotation. The takeaway from the comments is simple: this is a cake that fits a crowd, works on a holiday table, and does not ask for advanced baking skills.

A spiced cake that smells like the holidays and uses everyday ingredients is the kind of bake people come back to every season.

If you try it, rating the recipe or leaving a comment helps other home bakers decide whether to bake it too, and it is always nice to hear how the cake turned out in someone else’s kitchen.

Ingredients

Use these measurements exactly as written for the most consistent results.

Cake

• 1 ¾ cups all purpose flour
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 6 Tablespoons softened butter
• ½ cup molasses
• 1 large egg
• ⅔ cup apple juice

Crumble Topping

• ½ cup all purpose flour
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• 4 Tablespoons melted unsalted butter

The butter for the cake should be soft before you begin, and the butter for the topping should be melted. Everything else can be measured out ahead of time and set on the counter, which makes the mixing go quickly.

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350℉ and spray the bottom and sides of a 9×9 pan.
2. In a bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking soda, spices, and salt until well combined.
3. Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, blend together the softened butter and the molasses.
4. Mix in the apple juice and the egg, just until blended.
5. Add the dry ingredients in three separate batches, mixing until completely incorporated.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula until it is even.
7. In a separate bowl, mix the crumble topping ingredients and sprinkle the mixture over the batter.
8. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
9. Let the coffee cake cool slightly before serving.

Notes

If you want a thinner cake, use an 11×7 or 9×13 pan instead of the 9×9 pan. The batter amount stays the same, and the cake simply spreads into a shallower layer.

Because a thinner layer bakes faster, start checking with a toothpick a little earlier than the 35 minute mark, and pull the pan once the center comes out clean.

For the thickest, most classic coffee cake texture, stick with the 9×9 pan and let the cake cool slightly before you cut into it.

Recipe details

The recipe card lists a prep time of 10 minutes, a cook time of 35 minutes, and a total time of 45 minutes, and it makes 9 servings.

A 9×9 pan gives you nine generous squares, which is a comfortable size for a brunch table or a small holiday gathering.

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Gingerbread Coffee Cake With Crumble Topping When the weather turns cool and the holidays get close, a warm spiced cake is one of the easiest ways to make a kitchen feel cozy. This gingerbread coffee cake with crumble topping fits that feeling perfectly.

• Total Time: 45 min
• Yield: 9 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Cake
1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon salt
6 Tablespoons butter, softened
½ cup molasses
1 large egg
⅔ cup apple juice

Crumble Topping
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup powdered sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
4 Tablespoons butter, melted, unsalted

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Instructions

1-Preheat oven to 350℉: Preheat oven to 350℉.
2-Spray bottom and sides of a 9×9: Spray bottom and sides of a 9×9 pan.
3-Mix together the flour, sugar, baking soda,: Mix together the flour, sugar, baking soda, spices, and salt until well combined. A whisk blends it well.
4-Using a stand mixer or hand mixer,: Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, blend together the butter and molasses.
5-Mix in apple juice and egg, just: Mix in apple juice and egg, just until blended.
6-Add dry ingredients in three different batches: Add dry ingredients in three different batches until completely incorporated.
7-Pour mixture into prepared pan and smooth: Pour mixture into prepared pan and smooth with a spatula until it’s even.
8-In a separate bowl mix up all: In a separate bowl mix up all the topping ingredients and sprinkle over the top of the batter.
9-Bake for 35-40 minutes until toothpick inserted: Bake for 35-40 minutes until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Last Step:

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• Prep Time: 10 min
• Cook Time: 35 min
• Method: bake