Skip to content

Best Crumb Cake in New Jersey – Discuss Now

Maybe we’re taking this way to seriously, but we’ve been searching for bakeries that serve New Jersey’s best crumb cake. If you’re NOT a fan of the cake, you might want to leave now because we’re really going to get into the discussion. Now for those of you who ARE fans, read on.

New Jersey fans of crumb cake have been treated for years with the delectable breakfast offering. As we’ve found, this treat is not available all over the country. While companies such as Entenmanns have tried to fill the bakery gap with both the regular and deluxe(extra crumb with a Drakes cake yellow base) versions of it’s recipe, it’s still not even close to crumb cake heaven. That’s what this piece is about – using the Internet to get the word out and get your stories back on what you say is the best crumb cake in New Jersey. And since the world revolves around New Jersey, the title would mean global supremacy in the crumb cake world. Me – my story started as a young kid going to Margie’s Cake Box  on the Scotch Plains/Plainfield border in New Jersey (Gone but not forgotten!). Can’t remember the age – but I do remember the experience.

Baked on a sheet - Crumb cake from B&W in Hackensack ranks right up at the top of the list.
Baked on a sheet – Crumb cake from B&W in Hackensack, NJ ranks right up at the top of the list.

What is Crumb Cake?

If you Google “Crumb Cake” you come back with over 4.86 million hits. Click on the images search and you’ll start to see that yes there are some weird people that are snapping pictures of their favorite crumb cakes. If you then Google “Best Crumb Cake” the search drops in half to just over 2 million results. Finally we searched “New Jersey’s Best Crumb Cake” and got over 500,000 results. Other terms are used to define this popular breakfast item – crumb cake, crumb bun, coffee cake are just a few. But now you start to see who’s in the game! We’ll discuss later.

But let’s see how Wikipedia describes crumb cake: WHAT it’s not there? Listed as a reference is the term Streuselkuchen (crumb cake) – a German term –  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crumb_cake (unbelievable) – shoved in there with the coffee cake genre – how dare they! We’ll have to work on that after this review is published.

Anyway, if you check recipes for crumb cake it’s basically brown sugar and butter, and a variation of other things but that’s about it. Calorie count – depending on the piece could be from 500-700 calories per serving (depending if you add on what we’re going to discuss next – butter and icing).

Origins of Crumb Cake

Based on our research all signs lead back to Germany The origin of crumb cake was called “streuselkuchen,” Today’s modern crumb cake is fairly similar to its forebear as Jersey bakeries have mastered this Streuselkuchen “crumb cake.” The modern version is often referring to a cake made of a sweetened yeast dough finished with a crumb topping called “streusel.” So you can credit, or blame, those German bakers that migrated to Jersey. Today, bakers make crumb cakes with baking soda or baking powder for leavening. But there are so many different variables to what makes a great crumb cake so It’s time to break it down and find out who makes the best in New Jersey. And yes I’ve heard some call it crumb buns, but I don’t like the bun, I like the sheet cake crumb cake (and I don’t like the corner!

Butter or No Butter on Top

While my wife thinks it’s the one of the grossest things ever done, you just can’t beat a swab of soft butter on the top of your masterpiece. It just takes it over the top, and that’s why people probably do it. However, it is a personal preference and we won’t hold it against you if you do. Vote now and tell us what you prefer.

Crumb Cake with Butter
When you go over the top, many add a slab of soft butter to the top of their cake. How about you? Answe the poll question and let us know what you do.
Powdered or Powdered and Iced?Mueller’s of Bay Head with the iced mountains of goodness.

Here’s another opinion – How about icing on top? Post what you think? No we’re not going to see if you like icing AND butter – is that just way over the top to even ask (we think that’s just too personal!)

Best Crumb Cake

crumb_cake_ratio

So let’s start with what makes a perfect crumb cake. First obviously it’s the crumbs – that top layer that’s supported by a cake base. After all, it is called Crumb Cake and not just Crumbs. And yes there is a required balance. While some experts prefer heavy crumb content, we’ve create the Crumb-to-Cake Ratio (CTC Ratio) so not to confuse. A perfect crumb cake will be just that – crumb AND cake. The Crumb TO Cake ratio should be somewhere between 70-80% crumb, with the remainder being cake. And when we say cake, we mean cake, not that yellow looking Drakes cake like sponge stuff (you know what I’m talking about).

 The Best Crumb Cake in Jersey Map – #crumbcakeroadtrip

While we’ve done our best to find the best crumb cake around, we’re only one opinion.  Give us the names and your experience and we’ll post here.

Check out the Mr. Local History Comfort Food Google map that showcases the best bakeries, diners, pizza, and more… Click Here

Where’s the best Jersey crumb cake? Click Here
And if it’s not here, tell us in the comments below.

Those We Lost – The Jersey Hall of Fame for Crumb Cake

For those who can’t let go of the one bakery they remember getting their Crumb Cake. As a kid, what was the place you remember as the best crumb cake you ever ate as a kid in New Jersey. All entries were sent in by our readers.

  • Kay’s Bakery in Lavallette
  • Margies Cake Box in Fanwood / Plainfield
  • Nardone’s Bakery – Bernardsville
  • Mazurs
  • Gar’s Bakery
  • Danziger’s Bakery in Morristown
  • Speikermann’s in Union City
  • Village Bakery Rt. 46
  • Schoenings bakery in Hoboken (Bought by Carlo’s)
  • Freedman’s in Belmar

Post yours in the “Comments” below. Call it the “Jersey lost crumb cake “Hall of Fame

Recommendations for the Best Crumb Cake in New Jersey

North Jersey

  • B & W Bakery – (Boehringer & Weimer Bakery)  – 614 Main St, Hackensack, NJ 07601 – (201) 342-5577 – Boehringer & Weimer, the original owners — is a traditional German bakery.
  • Crumb Cake Creations – 500 W Main St  Wyckoff, NJ 07481 – (201) 644-6066
  • Styertowne Bakery – 1039 Bloomfield Avenue, Clifton, NJ 07012 – Tel: (973) 777-6193

Central Jersey

  • Bakers Bounty – 7 Maple Ave, Linden, NJ 07036 – Found at many farmers markets as well (Bernardsville and Motown)
  • Bay Ave Bakery – 11 Bay Ave, Highlands, NJ 07732
  • Natale’s Bakery – 185 Broad St  Summit, NJ 07901 (908) 277-2074

South Jersey

Share Your Best Jersey Crumb Cake Recommendation

Post what you think is the best crumb cake around. But don’t tell us it’s some home made recipe cause we’ll then come right to your house. Remember, we don’t take ourselves too seriously, but it has been a fun topic to discuss. And it’s even funnier when you find someone else who has a REAL opinion on the subject. Gotta love the Internet. It’s really serving its purpose.

Do you Dare Make a Crumb Cake?

Dare to make one yourself? Post a comment below if you see a great one. Here’s a solid recipe – Click Here

Other Fun Food History from New Jersey

Updated: January 27, 2024
Original Post: 2016

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

7 thoughts on “Best Crumb Cake in New Jersey – Discuss Now”

  1. Pacanack Bakery, Route 23 North, Wayne, NJ has 70% crumb to 30% cake. It is old fashioned and scrumptious. It’s the only place I go for crumb cake as all others disappoint. They don’t have a website. They have a Facebook page and the profile picture is their crumb cake.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.