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Cherry Chai Coffee Cake

A tender sour cream coffee cake with a cherry jam layer and a thick chai-spiced crumb topping.
PRep Time25 minutes
Cook Time55 minutes
Servings 16
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Equipment

  • 8 x 8" pan

Ingredients

Chai Crumb

  • 1 cup packed light or dark brown sugar, 200g
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 100g
  • 1 cup unsalted butter (16 tbsp; 226g), melted
  • 2 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled), 313g
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 tbsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 1/4 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
  • 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp all-spice
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves

Cake

  • 10 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature, 142g
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 cup granulated sugar, 200g
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup sour cream, 240g
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 cup all-purpose flour, 252g
  • 3/4 cup cherry jam

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease an 8x8 pan and line it with parchment paper. Cut the parchment paper longer to create an overhang; this will help you remove the crumb cake once it cools.

Chai Crumb Topping

  • First, make the chai crumb topping. In a mixing bowl, add the brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, salt, and melted butter.
  • Mix until just combined. Next, add the flour and all of your spices. Use a fork to mix in the flour. Don't overmix; you want the crumb to have large chunks. Set in the fridge while you make the cake. Note: the crumbs can stay in the fridge, covered for up to 3 hours before making the cake.

Cake

  • In a stand mixer, add unsalted butter, vegetable oil, and sugar. Mix until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
  • Add in eggs, vanilla, and sour cream. Mix until just combined, while making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
  • In a separate bowl, add flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Give it a quick stir, then add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix until fully combined.
  • In your lined baking pan, add half of the cake batter. Using an offset spatula, spread out the batter so that it's flat and covers the bottom of the pan.
  • Next, take 3/4 cup of cherry jam and dollop it over the top of the cake batter. Using a knife or an offset spatula, gently spread out the jam. Then, add the remaining half of the batter over the cherry jam and spread it out. Take the chai crumble and evenly coat the top of the cake. It will seem like a lot of crumb at first, but I promise that's what you want! This will help you achieve a tall crumb, just like the New York-style crumb cakes.
  • Bake the crumb cake at 325°F for 55 -60 minutes . Depending on your oven, it might take less or more time but this is a thick cake so we need to make sure it bakes all the way through. If you notice the crumb on top getting too dark, cover the top of it with aluminium foil to finish baking. The crumb cake will be done once you can stick a toothpick or skewer in the middle and it comes out clean. Set aside to cool for at least 20-30 minutes before cutting. Top with a sprinkle of powdered sugar. Note: this is a thick layer of crumb and a delicate cake, when cutting make sure to use a very sharp knife.