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It’s amazing how simple ingredients can come together to make such beautiful flavors inside this Pumpkin Coffee Cake. Perfectly spiced, incredibly moist, and topped with a delectable streusel, this cake is the epitome of Fall/Autumn comfort. Pumpkin Coffee Cake provides the perfect compliment to your morning cup of coffee.
This deliciously spiced, moist, and nutty cake is a delightful addition to your autumn baking. It’s spiced goodness, nutty crunch, and versatility make it a cherished recipe for the season. Whether you’re enjoying it with a steaming cup of coffee in the morning or savoring a slice as dessert, this coffee cake will transport your taste buds to an autumn wonderland of flavors and aromas.
Why l Love This Recipe
- It’s easy to make ahead. You can prepare it in advance and enjoy it over several days, and it often tastes even better after a day or two.
- It’s perfect for any occasion. Pumpkin coffee cake is great as breakfast, holiday dessert, or afternoon snack, and makes a versatile addition to your menu.
- Versatile: Enjoy it for breakfast, serve it with coffee, or indulge in a slice as a dessert with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Ingredients You’ll Need
For The Cake Mixture
- All-purpose flour: This is the base for the cake. You can substitute whole wheat flour for a nuttier flavor or a gluten-free flour blend if you have dietary restrictions.
- Pumpkin pie spice: The quintessential fall blend typically includes cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger. If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, you can make your own blend by combining those individual spices to taste.
- Baking soda: Baking soda is a leavening agent. If you don’t have it, you can use 3 times the amount of baking powder (3 teaspoons) as a substitute.
- Baking powder: Baking powder is another leavening agent. You can make a substitute by mixing ¼ teaspoon baking soda with ½ teaspoon cream of tartar.
- Salt: Salt enhances the flavor.
- Pumpkin puree: Pumpkin puree is a key ingredient. Substituting it with sweet potato puree or butternut squash puree can work, but may change the flavor.
- Sugar: If you prefer a less refined option, you can use coconut sugar or brown sugar instead of granulated sugar.
- Vegetable oil: You can substitute vegetable oil with other neutral oils like canola or sunflower oil. Melted butter or applesauce are also options.
- Milk: You can use any type of milk, including almond milk, soy milk, or oat milk, based on your dietary preferences.
- Vanilla extract: Vanilla extract adds flavor. You can substitute it with vanilla bean paste or vanilla essence if needed.
For the Struesel Topping
- All-purpose flour: Gives the struesel more volume and texture.
- Brown sugar: You can use granulated sugar as a substitute if you don’t have brown sugar, but it will affect the flavor slightly. Make your own brown sugar if you have molasses and white sugar.
- Chopped pecans: Walnuts or almonds can be used as a replacement for pecans.
- Unsalted butter: You can use salted butter, but if you do, omit the added salt in the cake recipe.
- Ground cinnamon: There’s no direct substitution for cinnamon, but you can adjust the amount based on your taste or omit it if you don’t want a cinnamon flavor. You can play with spices like ginger, clove, or all-spice in its place.
How To Make Pumpkin Coffee Cake
Step 1: Prepare the equipment. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a square baking dish with cooking spray and set it aside. Gather mixing bowls.
Step 2: Prepare the batter. In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients: all-purpose flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix well and set aside.
Step 3: Mix everything. In a separate large bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, sugar, oil, milk, and vanilla extract. Whisk vigorously until all the ingredients are well combined. Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture and mix thoroughly to create a smooth batter without any lumps.
Step 4: Bake the cake. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish. Bake the coffee cake for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Step 5: Prepare the Struesel topping. Mix the ingredients until well incorporated. Sprinkle the prepared topping evenly over the batter in the baking dish and return to the oven.
Step 6: Cool and serve. Once baked, allow the cake to cool for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Tips For Making this Coffee Cake
- Properly grease the pan: Ensure that you grease your baking pan thoroughly or use parchment paper to prevent the cake from sticking. This will make it easier to remove and serve.
- Combine dry ingredients separately: In a separate bowl, combine the cake dry ingredients (flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt) before adding them to the wet ingredients. This ensures even distribution of the spices and leavening agents.
- Sift the dry ingredients: Sifting the dry ingredients can help break up any lumps and ensure a lighter, more evenly textured cake.
- Don’t overmix: When you combine the wet and dry ingredients, mix until just combined. Overmixing can lead to a denser cake.
- Toast the Pecans: Toasting the pecans enhances their flavor. Spread them on a baking sheet and toast in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for about 5 minutes, or until fragrant.
Storing and Reheating
Freezing: Wrap the cake in portions or the whole cake tightly in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil and place it in an airtight container or a freezer bag. It can be frozen for up to three months. Thaw it at room temperature when ready to enjoy.
Storing: Store leftover coffee cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2-3 days or in the refrigerator for a longer shelf life.
Reheating: If you like having this cake warm, you can warm individual slices in the microwave for a 7-10 seconds or until warmed through. This helps restore its moisture and flavor.
Recipe Variations
Make it Gluten-Free: You can easily adapt this recipe to be gluten-free by using a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend.
Toppings: Top this delicious cake with some whipped cream, cream cheese frosting, vanilla ice cream or cramale drizzle.
Add texture: Consider adding texture to your coffee cake by incorporating chopped nuts, like pecans or walnuts, into the batter or more into the streusel topping. This provides a nice contrast to the soft cake.
Frequently Asked Questions
To prevent your coffee cake from becoming dry, avoid overbaking. Use a toothpick or cake tester to check for doneness; it should come out with a few moist crumbs.
Streusel and crumb toppings are similar, but there’s a subtle difference. Streusel typically contains larger, unevenly sized clumps of butter, sugar, and flour. Crumb toppings have a finer texture, resembling sand or breadcrumbs. Both add a delicious, sweet, and crumbly layer to the cake.
You can, but make sure your pumpkin puree has a thick consistency and not too loose.
More Pumpkin Recipes
- Pumpkin French Toast
- Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes
- Pumpkin Cake Roll
- Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Bars
- Easy Pumpkin Bread
Also if you love coffee cakes like me, I recommend also trying Keto Coffee Cake or Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake.
With it’s crunchy topping and moist pumpkin cake, Pumpkin Coffee Cake is a delightful dessert. Whether you’re enjoying it with a steaming cup of coffee in the morning or savoring a slice as dessert, this coffee cake will transport your taste buds to an autumn wonderland of flavors and aromas.
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Pumpkin Coffee Cake
Equipment
- 1 8 x 8 inch Square Pan/Baking Dish
Ingredients
For The Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- ¾ cup sugar
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For The Struesel Topping
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup pecans, chopped
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a square baking dish with cooking spray and set it aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients: all-purpose flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix well and set aside.
- In a separate large bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, sugar, oil, milk, and vanilla extract. Whisk vigorously until all the ingredients are well combined.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture and mix thoroughly to create a smooth batter without any lumps. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish.
- As the batter bakes, prepare the topping: combine flour, brown sugar, pecans, butter, and cinnamon. Mix the ingredients until well incorporated.
- Sprinkle the prepared topping evenly over the batter in the baking dish. Bake the coffee cake for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Once baked, allow the cake to cool for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Properly grease the pan: Ensure that you grease your baking pan thoroughly or use parchment paper to prevent the cake from sticking. This will make it easier to remove and serve.
- Combine dry ingredients separately: In a separate bowl, combine the cake dry ingredients (flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt) before adding them to the wet ingredients. This ensures even distribution of the spices and leavening agents.
- Sift the dry ingredients: Sifting the dry ingredients can help break up any lumps and ensure a lighter, more evenly textured cake.
- Don’t overmix: When you combine the wet and dry ingredients, mix until just combined. Overmixing can lead to a denser cake.
- Toast the Pecans: Toasting the pecans enhances their flavor. Spread them on a baking sheet and toast in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for about 5 minutes, or until fragrant.
