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!
Kelley’s Tips
Before You Get Started
- 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!
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.
How To Make Pumpkin Coffee Cake
- 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!
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:
Ingredients for streusel
- All Purpose Flour
- Unsalted butter
- Light brown sugar
- Pumpkin pie spice
What to make with leftover pumpkin puree
How to Store Coffee Cake
Room Temperature / Fridge: For best results store leftover pumpkin coffee cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Store glaze separately and leave stored cake unglazed. Re-glaze before serving.
Freezer: 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!
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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
- 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 Information
Did You Make This?
I’d love to hear your feedback! Leave a review and make sure to share your pictures on social media! Don’t forget to follow @thechefsavvy.
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!
Debbie
How much pumpkin? Cans come in different sizes
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
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
So glad you enjoyed this coffee cake! Thanks so much for sharing Melissa!
C. Fortune
Can you successfully double this recipe to make a 13 x 9 in pan full?
Kelley Simmons
Hi!
I like to use this as a reference for pan sizes: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/cake-pan-sizes/
9×2 inch square (23 x 5 cm) = 10 cups (2.4 liters)
13×9 inches (33 x 23 cm) = 14 cups (3.3 liters)
So therefore this recipe would not double very well. I would recommend doubling it but putting it in two 9 x 9 pans if you have them.
Thank you!
Kelley
Trish
This came out great for me. I was nervous about the lack of eggs but it was super smooth and delicious.
Kelley Simmons
Glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe Trish! Thanks so much for sharing!
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
Kelley Simmons
Hi Shell!
Yes you can use fresh pumpkin in place of canned pumpkin. Here’s a good link on how to do this: https://breadsfromanna.com/blogs/tips/53082629-how-to-substitute-actual-pumpkin-for-canned-in-our-recipes
And yes olive oil can be used as well in place of the canola oil.
Thanks!
Kelley
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
Cheryl C.
Amazing cake! Easy and delicious! Will be making again, and again, and again!
Kelley Simmons
Yah!! So glad you enjoyed this cake Cheryl!! Thank you!
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
Deborah Butler
I do not ever use seed oils. When a recipe calls for a seed oil such as canola, I substitute melted butter. Never had an incidence where it didn’t work.
Dianne
No eggs?
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