This simple, high altitude cinnamon raisin loaf cake is studded with plump raisins and spiced with cinnamon, with a buttery brown sugar crumb topping. With the moist, crumbly texture of sour cream coffee cake, this cake is delicious served warm from the oven.
You might also love these high altitude recipes for no knead cinnamon raisin oatmeal bread, cinnamon raisin scones, and brown butter oatmeal raisin cookies.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Easy to Make. Today’s cinnamon loaf cake with raisins and streusel topping is simple enough for any beginner baker to make, with no special equipment needed. You can mix up both the cake batter and the crumb topping with just a bowl and spoon.
Serve Warm. I love a simple cake that can be served while it’s still warm, and cinnamon raisin loaf cake has a wonderfully soft and crumbly texture when it hasn’t completely cooled yet.
High Altitude Tested. I develop all the recipes on my site for Denver’s altitude of 5,280 feet. If you’re at a lower or higher elevation, please see my FAQs for guidance on adjusting recipes for your altitude.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.
Ingredients
- Flour. You’ll need all purpose flour to add structure and strength to both the cake and the crumb topping.
- Sugar. To sweeten the cake and topping and to add moisture, you’ll need both light brown sugar and granulated sugar.
- Spices. You’ll need salt, ground cinnamon and vanilla extract for flavor, and baking powder as a leavening agent so the cake rises as it bakes.
- Butter. Unsalted butter adds moisture to the crumb topping to bind it all together.
- Sour Cream + Vegetable Oil. Adds moisture to the cake.
- Eggs. The eggs add moisture and strength to the cake.
- Raisins + Water. When adding raisins to baked goods, I almost always hydrate them first in hot water, which helps to keep the cake more moist and the raisins soft.
Instructions
Getting Ready
- Preheat the oven to 350 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven.
- Line a standard sized loaf pan (8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inches) with a sheet of parchment paper so that the paper hangs over the sides of the pan. (If using an 8 or 9 inch square baking dish, simply grease the pan with a little butter or non-stick baking spray, so you can serve the cake directly from the pan.)
Crumb Topping
- In a bowl. combine the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon and salt.
- Add the melted butter and stir until moistened and crumbly. Set aside until needed.
Cake
- In a small bowl, combine the raisins and hot water. Set aside to let the raisins soak up the water.
- In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
- Separately, whisk together the sour cream, eggs, melted butter, oil and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients, the raisins and the water to the dry ingredients, and stir everything together with a spatula just until combined.
- Spread the batter into the prepared pan, then sprinkle with the crumb topping. Lightly press the crumbs into the batter.
Bake
- Bake the cake for about 55-70 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, or with moist crumbs clinging to it. (If you’re baking this cake in an 8 or 9 inch square baking pan, the bake time will be significantly less. I’d suggest starting to check for doneness at around 30-40 minutes.)
- Let the cake cool in the loaf pan for 15 minutes, then lift it out of the pan by holding onto the parchment paper. Set the cake on a cooling rack to cool for about 30 minutes, then serve warm, or at room temperature.
Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common baking questions, so that you can be successful in your own baking!
Frequently Asked Questions
Cool the leftover cake completely, then store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
I used the USA Bakeware 1 lb Bread Loaf Pan. Its dimensions are 8.5 x 4.5 x 2.75.
You Might Also Like
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Cinnamon Raisin Crumble Loaf Cake
All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.
Equipment
- 1-lb Bread Loaf Pan (or an 8×8 or 9×9 inch square baking pan)
Ingredients
Crumb Topping
- ¾ cup all purpose flour, fluffed, spooned and leveled
- ¼ cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- 4 tbsp (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted
Cake
- ½ cup raisins
- â…“ cup hot water
- 2 cups cake flour or all purpose flour, fluffed, spooned and leveled
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¾ cup sour cream
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Getting Ready
- Preheat the oven to 350 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven.
- Line a standard sized loaf pan (8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inches) with a sheet of parchment paper so that the paper hangs over the sides of the pan. (If using an 8 or 9 inch square baking dish, simply grease the pan with a little butter or non-stick baking spray, so you can serve the cake directly from the pan.)
Crumb Topping
- In a bowl. combine the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon and salt.
- Add the melted butter and stir until moistened and crumbly. Set aside until needed.
Cake
- In a small bowl, combine the raisins and hot water. Set aside to let the raisins soak up the water.
- In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
- Separately, whisk together the sour cream, eggs, melted butter, oil and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients, the raisins and the water to the dry ingredients, and stir everything together with a spatula just until combined.
- Spread the batter into the prepared pan, then sprinkle with the crumb topping. Lightly press the crumbs into the batter.
Bake
- Bake the cake for about 55-70 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, or with moist crumbs clinging to it. (If you're baking this cake in an 8 or 9 inch square baking pan, the bake time will be significantly less. I'd suggest starting to check for doneness at around 30-40 minutes.)
- Let the cake cool in the loaf pan for 15 minutes, then lift it out of the pan by holding onto the parchment paper. Set the cake on a cooling rack to cool for about 30 minutes, then serve warm, or at room temperature.
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