Confetti Crumb Cake
Birthday desserts too cliche for you? How about a birthday breakfast instead? This fun and festive birthday crumb cake has been the birthday breakfast of choice in my household as of late, and I’m hoping your family loves it just as much 💜 Despite the crumb cake name (and crumbly topping), this recipe is actually based on my coffee cake. I jazzed it up with two layers of birthday cake crumbs and a sweet vanilla glaze (the glaze is totally optional; the cake is sweet enough without it). It’s unique, colorful, and the perfect way to start off a birthday celebration 🎉
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
The cake is soft, dense, and super moist. I use a few carefully selected ingredients to achieve this; cream cheese, buttermilk, and cake flour to name a few. Has lovely vanilla flavor that’s not too sweet, even with the sprinkles and the glaze. With the texture of crumble ripple layer and the colorful sprinkles, it’s just so fun to eat! Freezes well, so you don’t have to worry about what you’ll do with any leftovers (if you have any, that is!).
What You Need
This recipe works best if all of your ingredients are at room temperature before starting. Here’s what you need.
Buttermilk. I recommend using real buttermilk, but in a pinch my easy buttermilk substitute will work. This ingredient is key for an incredible flavor and moisture. Brown sugar. Just a bit of light brown sugar in the crumb topping pairs nicely with the vanilla and really rounds out the flavor. Dark brown sugar could also work, but just note it will have a stronger molasses flavor and will make your cake darker than pictured here. Cake flour. You can substitute all-purpose flour, but I really prefer cake flour for the flavor and texture it provides (it just seems more birthday cake-y!). If you need to use all-purpose flour instead, check the recipe notes for the proper substitution. Cream cheese. Another key ingredient for a super soft, melt-in-your-mouth crumb! Cream cheese is the secret ingredient in my coffee cake, and I use it here for the same reason. While you won’t be able to distinctly taste cream cheese, you’ll notice both how moist it makes the cake and the depth of flavor it adds. Sprinkles. This one’s a given. You can’t have birthday crumb cake without some rainbow sprinkles ✨.
SAM’S TIP: While you can use regular vanilla, clear vanilla has more of an artificial flavor and can taste more “birthday cake” like. Either tastes great, it just depends on your preference here! Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Birthday Crumb Cake
Make the Crumb Topping
Make the Cake Batter
Assemble & Bake
SAM’S TIP: Let the cake cool a bit before adding the glaze, or it will just melt right into the crumb topping. Looking for more birthday breakfasts? Try my crepe cake or cinnamon roll cake next! Enjoy! Let’s bake together! Subscribe to my newsletter to be notified of all the newest recipes, and find my free recipe tutorials on YouTube 💜
Related Recipes
