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Gingerbread Coffee Cake with Crumble Topping

Gingerbread coffee cake with crumble topping is a warmly spiced cake baked beneath a buttery, coarse-crumb topping. A toothpick with a few moist crumbs signals it is ready to cool and cut.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Cooling 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 9 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 410
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the cake
  • 1.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1.5 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp ground cloves
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 0.5 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 0.5 cup brown sugar packed light
  • 1 egg large
  • 0.5 cup molasses unsulphured
  • 0.75 cup hot water
For the crumble topping
  • 0.75 cup all-purpose flour
  • 0.33 cup brown sugar packed light
  • 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 0.125 tsp salt
  • 5 tbsp unsalted butter melted

Equipment

  • 1 9x9-inch baking pan

Method
 

Make the cake
  1. Heat the oven to 350°F.
  2. Grease a 9x9-inch baking pan.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt.
  4. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and brown sugar until creamy, about 2 minutes.
  5. Beat in the egg and molasses.
  6. Beat the flour mixture into the butter mixture in three additions, alternating with the hot water in two additions and beginning and ending with the flour mixture.
Make the crumble topping and bake
  1. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
  2. Mix in the melted butter until coarse clumps form.
  3. Spread the cake batter evenly in the prepared pan.
  4. Scatter the crumble topping over the cake batter.
  5. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
  6. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes before cutting.

Notes

For a tender cake, mix just until the flour mixture is incorporated. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days; freeze for up to 2 months. For a dairy-free swap, use plant-based butter in place of the unsalted butter.