Pumpkin Coffee Cake

  • September 6, 2022
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  • 4.8 from 12 votes
  • 46 comments

This Pumpkin Coffee Cake with its crunchy streusel topping and sweet glaze is the perfect Fall breakfast or dessert! The cake layer is made with pumpkin puree, butter and warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. The thick buttery streusel is my favorite part! Be careful because this coffee cake is disappears fast!

Love pumpkin as much as I do? Make sure to also try my Pumpkin Chocolate Muffins or my Chocolate Pumpkin Bread!

pumpkin coffee cake with crumb topping and vanilla glaze on white plate

I couldn’t wait any longer to share this pumpkin spiced coffee cake with you guys! I love pumpkin spice everything and get so excited when September rolls around. That means I get to make all of my pumpkin favorites like Pumpkin Bread, PSL aka Pumpkin Spice Lattes and even Pumpkin Smoothies!

This pumpkin pie spice coffee cake is incredibly tender, moist and perfectly spiced. The streusel on top is crisp, crunchy and sweet and is the perfect topping for this coffee cake. The streusel is always my favorite part of any coffee cake so I made sure to make it super thick! After the cake comes out of the oven I make a simple glaze to drizzle on top! It is the perfect Fall breakfast or dessert!

Thanks to trends like pumpkin spice lattes (PSL), pumpkin season has extended long past October to become a sweater weather necessity. And this pumpkin coffee cake with streusel and glaze is a great way to enjoy the flavor everyone associates with fall — pumpkin pie spice.

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Pumpkin Coffee Cake Ingredients

  • All purpose flour: Is used in this recipe, but you can make this a gluten free pumpkin coffee cake by substituting gluten free flour.
  • Light brown sugar and granulated sugar: Sweetens up the cake and adds a light caramel flavor without making the cake too dark in color.
  • Milk: We usually use 2% however whole milk or even buttermilk can be used.
  • Baking powder and baking soda: Helps the batter rise and makes it fluffy.
  • Pumpkin puree: Do NOT use pumpkin pie filling! This is a completely different ingredient. Opt for high-quality canned pumpkin, like Libby’s. If your feeling adventurous try making your own pumpkin puree at home.
  • Pumpkin pie spice: Gives this coffee cake the quintessential flavors of fall — nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and cloves. Feel free to use store-bought or make your own!
  • Canola oil: Keeps the cake moist without making it dense.
  • Salt: Balances out the sweetness of the sugars and the glaze.

How To Make Pumpkin Coffee Cake

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 9 pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
  • Combine dry ingredients: In a large bowl combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and pumpkin pie spice.

dry ingredients for coffee cake in large clear bowl

  • Combine wet ingredients: In a medium bowl combine pumpkin puree, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, oil and milk.

mixing wet ingredients in large clear bowl with a whisk

  • Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Make sure not to over mix. The batter will be thick that is ok!

add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients

  • Pour batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle with streusel topping. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out mostly clean with a few crumbs on it.

sprinkling streusel topping on top of pumpkin cake batter

  • Allow the cake to cool for 30 minutes then drizzle with glaze and enjoy!

Don’t Skip the Streusel Topping or the Glaze

The crunchy streusel topping and sweet glaze MAKE this recipe. You do not want to leave them out! Here’s what you’ll need for them:

Streusel Topping

  • All Purpose Flour
  • Unsalted butter
  • Light brown sugar
  • Pumpkin pie spice

Glaze

  • Powdered Sugar
  • Milk

vanilla glaze in small white bowl

Instructions for glaze: Combine powdered sugar and milk in a smooth bowl until smooth, set aside.

streusel ingredients in food processor

Instructions for streusel topping: Add flour, butter, sugar and pumpkin pie spice to a food processor. Pulse for 30 seconds or until the mixture resembles wet sand, set aside.

drizzling vanilla glaze on top of pumpkin coffee cake

Tips for Making the Best Pumpkin Coffee Cake

  • Add a splash of vanilla to the batter or the glaze (or do both) to amp up the flavor. A teaspoon will do the trick.
  • Add chopped nuts like pecans or walnuts to your streusel topping or the cake batter for additional flavor and texture.
  • Take the glaze up a notch by making a bourbon vanilla glaze. Simply combine 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 2 teaspoons bourbon, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 teaspoon heavy cream (or milk), and 1/2 teaspoon salt, and set aside. Pour it over the cake before serving after it has had time to cool.
  • Allow the cake to cool before drizzling it with the optional glaze: If you’re like me it’s hard to wait to dig into a dessert however it’s best to wait to drizzle the coffee cake with the glaze until it is cool. Otherwise the glaze with melt into the warm cake.
  • Measure flour correctly! This is such a common baking mistake that happens a lot and can make a huge difference in the outcome of your cake. Adding too much flour can make your cake dense, dry and can cause it to not rise properly. Learn how to correctly measure flour here.
  • This cake is best served warm: I like to pop it in the microwave for 30 seconds to warm it up. It is so good!

Is there coffee in this cake?

Nope! Coffee cake gets it’s name because it is a cake that is supposed to be served WITH coffee. Coffee cake does not actually have coffee in it.

 

pumpkin coffee cake with thick crumb streusel topping

How to Store Coffee Cake

For best results store leftover pumpkin coffee cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Store glaze separately and leave stored cake unglazed. Re-glaze before serving.

To reheat leftovers, simply warm up in the microwave or reheat the whole casserole covered in foil in a 350 degree oven until warmed through 15-20 minutes. Reheat glaze in the microwave until it is pourable, then drizzle on cake.

Can you freeze Coffee Cake?

Yes! Coffee cake freezes really well! The trick it to make sure its wrapped up really well in foil or plastic wrap then placed in an airtight container to maintain freshness. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months!

square slice of pumpkin coffee cake on silver spatula

More Dessert Recipes To Try This Fall

If you loved this pumpkin coffee cake, then you’ll love these dessert recipes:

Pumpkin Coffee Cake

4.75 from 12 votes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 9

This Pumpkin Coffee Cake with its crunchy streusel topping and sweet glaze is perfect for breakfast or dessert, and only requires a few staple holiday baking ingredients.

Ingredients

Pumpkin Coffee Cake

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 1/4 cup milk

Streusel Topping

  • 1/2 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, cold
  • 1/3 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Glaze

  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1 tbsp milk

Instructions

Images:
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 9 pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 9 pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
    Combine dry ingredients: In a large bowl combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and pumpkin pie spice.
  • Combine wet ingredients: In a medium bowl combine pumpkin puree, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, oil and milk.
  • Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Make sure not to over mix. The batter will be thick that is ok!
  • Pour batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle with streusel topping. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out mostly clean with a few crumbs on it.
  • Allow the cake to cool for 30 minutes then drizzle with glaze and enjoy!

Glaze

  • Combine powdered sugar and milk in a smooth bowl until smooth, set aside.

Streusel Topping

  • Add flour, butter, sugar and pumpkin pie spice to a food processor. Pulse for 30 seconds or until the mixture resembles wet sand, set aside.
Nutrition Facts
Pumpkin Coffee Cake
Amount per Serving
Calories
424
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
18
g
28
%
Saturated Fat
 
4
g
25
%
Cholesterol
 
14
mg
5
%
Sodium
 
282
mg
12
%
Potassium
 
162
mg
5
%
Carbohydrates
 
62
g
21
%
Fiber
 
2
g
8
%
Sugar
 
33
g
37
%
Protein
 
4
g
8
%
Vitamin A
 
4405
IU
88
%
Vitamin C
 
1
mg
1
%
Calcium
 
56
mg
6
%
Iron
 
2
mg
11
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Fall Baking, Pumpkin Coffee Cake, Thanksgiving recipes

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Comments - page 1/3

    • Kelley Simmons

      Hi Dianne,

      Yep there are no muffins in this coffee cake. The oil and pumpkin add enough moisture and make the coffee cake super tender and moist.

      Hope you enjoy!

      Kelley

  • Carolyn Getschow

    Am I missing something? The cake batter recipe doesn’t call for butter (just canola oil), so where would you add your cooled browned butter? You wouldn’t put it in the streusel, would you?

    • Kelley Simmons

      Hi Carolyn,

      The butter goes with the streusel topping. It is added to the food processor and pulsed. There is only oil in the actually cake.

      Thanks!

      Kelley

  • Cheryl C.

    Amazing cake! Easy and delicious! Will be making again, and again, and again!

  • christine holyoak

    More confusing is the question from another reader asking where the brown butter goes, yet nowhere does the recipe mention browned butter in the first place !! (Only unsalter butter)

    • Kelley Simmons

      Hi Christine,

      Thanks so much for pointing this out to me. You are correct butter is only listed in the streusel and that is cold. I have taken out the part about browning the butter (which you could use in place of the oil in the batter) but I get how that’s super confusing.

      Thank you!

      Kelley

  • Shell

    Hi Kelley,

    Can l just puree some pumpkin and can I use olive oil instead? I’m in Australia and pureed pumpkin is hard to find.

    Thanks

  • Trish

    This came out great for me. I was nervous about the lack of eggs but it was super smooth and delicious.

  • Melissa

    I like this recipe because it doesn’t contain eggs, which easily puts it down the vegan path! I made a few alterations to work with my diet restrictions and it turned out great! Will definitely make again!
    My changes included….. using Earth Balance instead of butter in the crumble, using an individual size container of unsweetened applesauce topped off with grapeseed oil to make the equivalent of the 1/2 cup of oil, I can’t do pumpkin pie spice because of the nutmeg so I did a combo of cinnamon, cardamon, ginger and a pinch of cloves, and cashew milk instead of regular milk. I also added some vanilla to the batter and some pecans to the struesel. I hope these suggestions encourage others with diet restrictions to try this….it really is very good!

    • Kelley Simmons

      Hi Debbie,

      You only need one cup not a full can. I typically use a 15 ounce of pumpkin however you will have some leftover.

      Thanks and enjoy!

      Kelley

  • Lisa Ciarfello

    Hi! This recipe is great, but you have to double the recipe for crumbs if you want it to be a classic crumb cake. You can use softened butter, but you just have to add more flour and brown sugar (about 3 T Each) I also used my own version of pumpkin pie spice by just adding cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger to the crumbs and the pumpkin batter. Thank you! Has been a hit for everyone I’ve made it for!

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