Tender pumpkin cake with browned butter buttercream and a pumpkin spice crumble filling. The combination of flavors and textures make this the ultimate fall cake!

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Well, my week of freedom is over. I’m SO happy to have my husband and daughter back, but man was it so quiet and peaceful by myself. I reorganized all of my daughter’s things, which took up pretty much all of the free time I had. I’ve come to the conclusion that kids have way too much stuff. And my daughter is very well loved, meaning she has an abundance of stuff, even though we hardly buy her anything.

Although we did buy her a real bike (with training wheels) and I don’t regret that it’s currently just sitting in our living room like a decoration. It has a basket and ribbon tassels and I love it.

I also binged Only Murders in the Building while they were gone, and if you haven’t seen it, you should. That cast has such great chemistry and the writing is perfectly witty.

Which has nothing to do with this cake, other than the fact that I actually had time to sit and think this weekend and decided I want to make this again for my birthday.

It’s just so good. The buttercream and the crunch together just create this amazing flavor and texture that I’m addicted to. And the cake! Fluffy and moist and full of pumpkin flavor.

Plus, it’s pretty darn festive. I mean, look at that lovely orange color!

Why this recipe works

My favorite part of this cake is the crumble layer. I started doing it after my husband saw a baking blogger we follow make a coffee cake version of this. What a genius idea—use the streusel crumb topping from coffee cake (or in this cake, pumpkin coffee cake) and bake that then sprinkle in between the layers of cake. It takes an extra 15 minutes (10 of those being baking time) and makes such a difference. The added flavor and texture are why I add a crumble layer to most of my cakes now!

For the cake, using pumpkin instead of milk makes this cake 1) very pumpkin-y, 2) very moist, and 3) very fluffy. It also gives that lovely orange color that screams fall. Because pumpkin adds such a different texture than the milk and can even dry it out, I’ve completely subbed the butter for oil. The pumpkin will make up for how dense this can make it, and the two together create a super fluffy, super moist cake.

Beyond that perfect pumpkin flavor, I used my favorite pumpkin spice mix, adding in a lovely warm flavor. I like that it has a bold, noticeable flavor without being cloying. You taste cinnamon and all of the spices. Feel free to use your favorite, but bear in mind that some brands have milder flavors than others.

Finally, that buttercream. The browned butter not only reduces the amount of water, making this a very smooth and creamy frosting, but it adds a deep, nutty, slightly caramelized flavor to the buttercream. It pairs perfectly with any spiced cake and is my favorite fall frosting. Plus, the specks of browned butter (which are the browned milk solids) are so fun and festive!

Key ingredients

Flour. Be sure to spoon then level your flour so you don’t pack it in, and don’t skip the sifting!

Baking powder. Be sure yours hasn’t been open longer than 6 months, as it loses its potency after about that long, regardless of the stated expiration date.

Pumpkin pie spice. I use The Spice Lab’s Pumpkin Pie Spice, which my husband found at Costco (he is a Costco fiend and finds the best stuff there). I actually also added a bit of extra cinnamon, because I always feel pumpkin pie spice needs a bit more, but that’s optional.

Oil. I always use avocado or grape seed oil in my baking, but you can sub vegetable or canola.

Sugar/brown sugar. Brown sugar is ideal for a fall/spiced cake, but you need a little regular sugar to help it rise better.

Eggs. Be sure your eggs are fresh and room temperature.

Vanilla. Use pure vanilla extract, not imitation.

Pumpkin puree. Use plain pumpkin. You want to use a less watery pumpkin. Some brands are more of an applesauce consistency, in which case you’d blot it a bit (see note below).

Butter. This is only used in the crumb layer, as it helps create that crunchy texture that lasts even when layered with frosting.

Browned butter buttercream. This can be made ahead and kept refrigerated for 2-4 weeks or frozen for 1-2 months. See note below for subbing a different buttercream.

How to make pumpkin crumb cake

1. Sift and whisk dry ingredients. Sifting is necessary to get a fluffy cake.

2. Whisk wet ingredients and sugar. Whisk well, until sugar starts to dissolve.

3. Fold dry ingredients into the wet. You don’t need to get it smooth, just fold until there’s no visibly dry flour.

4. Bake. You’ll need to prep your pans with butter and flour or baking spray. I used 6” cake pans, but you can use 8” for a shorter cake. I just wanted lots of layers to get lots of filling and pumpkin spice crumble!

5. Brown the butter. I suggest doing this while the cake bakes, so it can cool by the time the cake is ready to frost.

6. Make the pumpkin spice crumble. Mix the dry ingredients then stir in the melted butter until crumbly. Bake at 350F/175C for 5-10 minutes. Break up if it clumped together during baking.

7. Make the buttercream. You’ll combine regular butter and the browned butter, then proceed with adding powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt, just like a regular American buttercream. I suggest browning the butter while the cake bakes so it can cool, which takes at least 30 minutes.

8. Assemble cake. Top each layer of cake with buttercream and a layer of crumble. Frost the entire cake to desired thickness then top with extra crumble, as desired.

Enjoy!

Tips and FAQ’s for this recipe

Can I use a different frosting?

Yes! I personally think this is the best pairing for any spice cake, but sometimes you just want to change it up, or maybe you don’t like browned butter or need want to avoid the golden specks. In that event, you can use just about any frosting. Some good options are:

• Brown Sugar Spice Buttercream, another fall-ish frosting with a great flavor and texture

• Vanilla Bean Buttercream, for a nice earthy flavor without the nuttiness of browned butter

• Whipped Sea Salt Vanilla Bean Buttercream, for that earthy flavor but with a pop of sea salt and a super fluffy texture

• Coffee Buttercream, for a pumpkin latte flavor

• Salted Caramel Buttercream, for a sweet contrast

• Chocolate Buttercream, because chocolate and pumpkin are always a good idea

What if my pumpkin is thin?

I used Libby’s for this cake, but I usually use Trader Joe’s pumpkin, which is on the watery side. Think of the difference between applesauce and mashed potatoes (the kind you can scoop that will somewhat hold their shape—not potato puree). If your pumpkin is more like applesauce, you’ll want to blot it with a paper towel to remove some of the moisture. Otherwise, you may have a slightly denser cake that will take longer to bake.

Can I make this ahead of time?

Yes! I almost always make the frosting at least a few days ahead, whipping it quickly with a hand mixer before using. The crumble can be made ahead and frozen, which helps preserve the crunchy texture. For the cake layers, I often bake my cakes the day before I plan to serve them. I let them cool completely then wrap them well in plastic wrap (I know, NOT eco-friendly), leave them on the counter overnight, then decorate them the next day. If I’m planning a rather intricate or time-consuming decoration, I’ll decorate them the night before and either refrigerate them or leave them on the counter, depending on the type of frosting/filling as well as the location (in fact, for outdoor parties I often freeze the cake then keep it in the shade until serving, when it will have warmed up just enough to cut without melting). You can also bake the cake further in advance and refrigerate (well wrapped) it for 1-2 days or freeze it for up to a month, but this can dry it out a little. It’s actually more ideal to freeze a frosted cake, if you have room. Simply freeze it for an hour then carefully wrap the whole thing with a few layers of plastic wrap. Leave the plastic on the first hour or two on the counter to allow the condensation to stick to the plastic, not the frosting, then remove it before the frosting is soft and sticks to the wrap.

Do I have to sift the flour?

Yes! Sifting is key in baking, particularly in anything cake-y. It helps it mix into the wet ingredients more easily, preventing clumps as well as circumventing the urge to over-stir and create a tough, rubbery texture.

Spoon then level your flour

Don’t scoop your flour! I never knew this until I started blogging, but it seriously makes a big difference. You will end up with roughly 25% more flour than the recipe called for if you just doonk (official baking term right there) your measuring spoon into the flour container and scoop. Gently spoon your flour into your measuring cup then level it off with the back of a knife. Trust me! It makes a difference.

My tools

Here are my must-have tools I use for making this cake. Affiliate links provided.

Stand mixer or handheld mixer

Mesh sieve (because sifting is KEY for a fluffy cake)

All-rubber spatula (this makes scraping the bowl easier so the batter and frosting doesn’t get all over a wooden handle!)

8” cake pans or 6” cake pans

Silicone liners for 8” cake (or for 6” cakes)

Offset spatula for frosting the cake

Baking spray

You might also like:

Perfect Pumpkin Coffee Cake

Pumpkin Bread Pudding

Pumpkin Sugar Cookies with Maple Spiced Glaze

Maple Spice Pumpkin Bread

Pumpkin White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cinnamon Swirl Pumpkin Bread