Perfect Pumpkin Coffee Cake
Tender, moist coffee cake with pumpkin spice and real pumpkin, swirled and topped with pumpkin spice streusel. This coffee cake is simple to make and makes plenty to share. Bursting with warm fall flavors, his is the ultimate breakfast or brunch treat!
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Guess what guys? We have RAIN!!! So much of it, too! Well, so much for California. It’s so refreshing and has honestly lifted my spirits. Most importantly, we need it to help with the wildfires ravaging our state. We’re even expecting a few inches this weekend, which is mind blowing.
There’s something so renewing and comforting about rainy days. It’s been desperately needed and I’m so beyond thankful for them.
You know what goes well with rainy days? Brunches filled with warm, fall flavors. Like this coffee cake. (See what I did there?)
I made this coffee cake at the request of a friend and I’m so glad I did! I tweaked my banana bread recipe to have a more “coffee cake” texture and to use pumpkin and spices, then I added a streusel crumble inside and on top.
So freaking good!
I love that this isn’t too sweet, but is till flavorful and delicious. It’s perfect for brunch or honestly any time of the day. Like after your kids go to bed…
Key ingredients
Flour. Be sure to spoon then level (or weigh) your flour. This is ALWAYS recommended in baking.
Baking powder. Helps it rise while staying tender.
Salt. Sea salt is best!
Spices. Both pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon make this a warm, fall-ish cake.
Pumpkin puree. Make sure it’s plain, not “pie filling.” If it’s on the loose side, either blot it slightly with a paper towel or add extra flour.
Vanilla. Use pure, not imitation.
Eggs. Be sure these are fresh and room temp.
Oil. Avocado (the non-green kind) and grape seed are my favs, as they are in the “healthy” oil category but have no taste.
Butter. Use high quality butter, ideally European style.
Sugar and brown sugar. The combination helps the cake rise but stay moist.
How to make perfect pumpkin coffee cake
1. Sift and whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and spices. Use a fine mesh sieve so you have a tender cake (seriously, sifting has that much of an impact).
2. Melt the butter and set aside. Just melt it, don’t boil or burn it.
3. Whisk together eggs, vanilla, oil, and pumpkin. Make sure it’s very, very well blended so it’s ready for the butter.
4. Stream in butter, slowly. Whisk while you do this (and have a toddler hold the bowl if you can—it’s 100x more precious).
5. Whisk in sugars. It should still be slightly grainy, but far less grainy than when you first added the sugars.
6. Fold in flour. Use a spatula and don’t worry about some lumps.
7. Make the streusel. I like using my hands, just don’t let it become a paste.
8. Layer batter and streusel in an 8x8 pan. You’ll do two layers of each: batter, streusel, batter, streusel.
9. Bake until set. You want a toothpick to come out with some crumbs, not clean, so check it early and often!
Enjoy!
Tips and FAQ’s for this recipe
How do I know if my pumpkin is “loose”?
If your pumpkin puree is the consistency of applesauce, or is liquidy enough that it can’t hold it’s shape somewhat when you scoop it (think of mashed potatoes in the cafeteria being scooped with an ice cream scoop and holding their shape), then it’s on the loose/liquid side. That’s perfectly fine! Consistency varies by brand. If you find yours is more like applesauce, blot it with a paper towel until it’s more like the consistency indicated. Or, you can add 2 extra tablespoons flour.
Tent if the streusel is getting too dark
You don’t want the streusel to darken too much, so if you start to notice it doing that in spots, tent it with foil to keep it nice and light brown. Because you have brown sugar and spices in it, it has a tendency to brown more easily than a classic streusel, so keep a close eye on it.
Why is my batter lumpy?
This is just one of those batters that’s lumpy. It shouldn’t be dry in spots, so keep folding the flour in until you don’t see any pieces of dry flour. At that point, you’re good, even if there are some lumps. It will all bake out in the oven.
How do I know when my streusel is mixed?
I like to mix this with my fingers, but you can use a pastry blender. You don’t want any large chunks of butter, but you also don’t want it to turn into a paste. I keep blending until I see no dry, uncoated flour and no pieces of butter larger than a pea. When you sprinkle it on the cake, press some together to create those yummy crumbles.
My coffee cake tools
Here are my must-have tools I use for making this coffee cake. Affiliate links provided.
Mesh sieve (because sifting is KEY for a fluffy cake)
All-rubber spatula (this makes folding the batter so much easier, and it doesn’t get all over a wooden handle!)
Pumpkin Coffee Cake
- prep time: 10-15 minutes
- bake time: 40-50 minutes
- total time: 1 hour, 5 minutes
servings: 12-16
Ingredients:
for the pumpkin coffee cake
- 1 ⅔ cups (227g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 ½ teaspoons (6g) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (3g) salt
- 1 tablespoon (6g) pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon (3g) ground cinnamon
- 1 cup (about 240g) plain pumpkin puree* (weight varies by brand)
- 1 tablespoon (13g) pure vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 4 tablespoons (56g) avocado or vegetable oil
- 4 tablespoons (56g) melted unsalted butter
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (100g) packed brown sugar (light or dark will work)
for the pumpkin spice streusel
- 1 cup (136g) flour
- ⅔ cup (133g) packed light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ cup (1 stick or 113g) salted butter, cold and cut into small cubes (add a pinch of salt if using unsalted butter)
Instructions:
- Make the batter. Preheat your oven to 350F/175C. Grease and flour an 8x8 square pan or spray with baking spray. If it’s prone to sticking, you can line it with parchment as well.
- Melt the butter and set aside. Don’t let it cool enough to solidify, but do let it cool somewhat before using.
- Using a large fine mesh sieve, sift then whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and spices. Set aside.
- In a large bowl (or using a stand mixer and paddle attachment), whisk the pumpkin puree together with the vanilla, eggs, and oil until well combined. Slowly stream in the melted butter while whisking quickly (this prevents scrambling the eggs).
- Add the sugar and brown sugar to the wet ingredients and whisk for about 1 minute. You can whisk it by hand or, if using a stand or hand mixer, mix on medium.
- Add the flour mixture and stir gently until fully combined. I try to mostly fold it in. (If you’re unsure what folding means, you basically run a rubber spatula along the edge an entire turn around the bowl the pull the spatula toward the middle once you’ve come fully around the bowl, “folding” the batter on the edge into the middle part.) It may still have some lumps in it, but it shouldn’t look separated, chunky, or dry in spots.
- Make the streusel. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and pumpkin spice. Add the butter cubes and use your fingers or a pastry blender to break up the butter. You want to make sure all of the flour is coated in butter, but don’t let it become a paste
- Pour about ½ of your batter into your prepared pan. Sprinkle about ⅓ to ½ of the streusel evenly over the batter. Gently spoon the rest of the batter over the streusel and smooth out. Sprinkle the remaining streusel mixture evenly on top.
- Bake for 40-50 minutes, until golden on top and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with some moist crumbs. Check early so it doesn’t over bake--you don’t want the toothpick coming out completely clean. If it starts to brown too quickly, tent the pan loosely with foil. Let cool in pan at least 30 minutes before cutting and serving.
Enjoy with your morning coffee!
Store leftovers in an airtight container or simply keep in the pan and cover well with plastic wrap or foil.
*If your pumpkin puree is especially loose/wet (more like applesauce than mashed potatoes), you can either blot it a bit with a paper towel to remove some of the excess moisture or add 2 tablespoons more flour.
