Pumpkin Coffee Cake

A lovely addition to any coffee hour during the autumn months, pumpkin coffee cake is made using our recipe for a rich, sour cream cake batter with a soft layer of spiced pumpkin within. A finishing sprinkle of pumpkin-spiced pecan and brown sugar streusel adds crunch and caramel flavor to the top.

Pumpkin Coffee Cake Ingredients

• Brown sugar: A little brown sugar in the streusel layer melts into the surface of the coffee cake. Love the caramel flavor it adds? Check out some of our favorite brown sugar desserts.
• All-purpose flour: Flour is the base of this cake batter recipe and the streusel topping too. You can substitute a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend.
• Pumpkin pie spice: Our favorite autumnal spice blend—which often contains cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg—seasons both the streusel topping and the pumpkin layer with warm fall flavor.
• Butter: Creamed with sugar until fluffy, butter provides rich flavor and also structure for the cake batter in this pumpkin coffee cake recipe, and in combination with the dry ingredients, it helps form the streusel topping. For the cake, let the butter soften for about an hour before you start, but for the crumb, make sure to keep it cold so it doesn’t melt as you try to mix it.
• Pecans: Chopped pecans add a pleasant brittle crunch to both the streusel layer that tops the cake and the pumpkin layer in the center.
• Sugar: There’s sugar to sweeten the batter, and also sugar in the pumpkin filling layer.
• Eggs: Eggs provide the coffee cake batter with richness, structure and elasticity. A fourth egg helps stabilize the pumpkin layer so it holds its shape once the cake is sliced. Note that it’s best to use room-temperature eggs when baking cake.
• Vanilla: Vanilla extract, whether store-bought or homemade vanilla, perfumes the batter with a delicate aroma and pairs beautifully with the spices in the streusel and pumpkin layers.
• Baking powder and baking soda: Dual leavening agents help create lightness in the layers of sour cream cake batter.
• Sour cream: Sour cream adds a delightful tang to the batter, but also extra fat and acid, which helps create an undeniably moist and rich cake.
• Canned pumpkin: Like many fall recipes, canned pumpkin is a key ingredient in the filling for pumpkin coffee cake. For the most consistent results, stick with canned pumpkin instead of fresh pumpkin.

Directions

Step 1: Make the streusel topping

Preheat the oven to 325°F. For the streusel, in a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour and pumpkin pie spice. Cut in the butter until crumbly. Stir in the pecans, then set the streusel aside.

Step 2: Make the cake batter

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and baking soda, then add this dry mixture to the creamed mixture, alternating with the sour cream.

Step 3: Make the pumpkin layer and assemble the cake

Spread half the batter into a greased 13×9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with half the streusel. Combine the pumpkin, egg, sugar and pumpkin pie spice, then drop the mixture by tablespoonfuls over the streusel and spread it evenly. Top it with the remaining batter and streusel.

Step 4: Bake the coffee cake

Bake the cake for 45 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

Pumpkin Coffee Cake Variations

• Swap out the nuts: Pecans fit the autumnal vibe of pumpkin in this coffee cake, but walnuts and hazelnuts are excellent options too!
• Add frosting: If you want to make a coffee cake with the flavors of a swirled pumpkin roll cake, make a batch of our cream cheese frosting recipe and add big swooshes of it to the top of the cooled pumpkin coffee cake.

How to Store Pumpkin Coffee Cake

Store leftover coffee cake at room temperature in an airtight container for up to two days, or store it for up to five in the refrigerator.

Can you freeze pumpkin streusel coffee cake?

Yes, and it freezes quite well. Cut and wrap individual squares of cake tightly in plastic wrap and store them in an airtight container or a freezer bag. To freeze a whole cake, bake it as directed and let it cool. Once your coffee cake is completely cool, wrap it in plastic wrap (two layers helps prevent freezer burn!) or store it in a large, resealable plastic freezer bag. You can also freeze the coffee cake directly in its pan. Just wrap the pan entirely in plastic wrap, then add a layer of aluminum foil over the top of the plastic. Defrost slices of coffee cake or the entire coffee cake by letting them warm up on the counter for about three hours or in the fridge overnight.

Pumpkin Coffee Cake Tips

Can you substitute winter squash puree for the canned pumpkin?

While we love a made-from-scratch moment, in this case we recommend you take the easy road. Besides being inexpensive and readily available, canned pumpkin tends to have a smoother, drier and less pulpy texture. Homemade squash puree can vary tremendously in texture, with some being more liquid and others more firm. Plus, in a side-by-side pumpkin pie taste test, our editors found that they preferred the canned pumpkin flavor-wise.

Can you bake this pumpkin coffee cake in a different kind of cake pan?

Yes. To make a coffee cake with stellar presentation, bake it in a fluted tube pan, also called a bundt pan, but note that once you flip the cake out of the pan, the streusel topping will wind up on the bottom! You can also divide this batter between two 8- or 9-inch round cake pans.

Is there a healthier substitute for sour cream in this coffee cake recipe?

If you’re looking to cut the fat content of this recipe, consider replacing the sour cream with non-fat plain Greek yogurt.