This fall twist on the classic treat combines a moist and fluffy pumpkin cake with loads of cinnamon streusel topping. Despite the name, most coffee cakes don't actually contain any coffee, but this Pumpkin Coffee Cake has an espresso glaze that makes it taste like a pumpkin spice latte.
This pumpkin coffee cake comes together easily without any special equipment. The crumb topping, cake batter, and glaze are all stirred together by hand.
How to Make a Pumpkin Coffee Cake.
- Make the crumb topping. The buttery streusel combines flour, sugar, and spices with softened butter to form clumps. Chill the crumb in the refrigerator while you make the cake batter.
- Mix together the dry ingredients. Go ahead and get this part of the way by stirring together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices together in a small bowl then set aside.
- Whisk the wet ingredients. This super easy stir-together recipe combines oil with sugar and eggs. Then whisk in the pumpkin puree.
- Stir it together. Add the already mixed dry ingredients to the pumpkin batter. Stir to combine.
- Top with the crumb. Scrape the batter in a parchment-lined baking pan then crumble the chilled streusel topping over the top.
- Bake! Cool the cake on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before slicing.
- Glaze it. Stir together powdered sugar with a touch of espresso powder with milk or cream until they form a pourable glaze. Drizzle the glaze over the top of the cake.
What is Coffee Cake?
Coffee cake is a simple snack cake that is often served with coffee or tea. Despite its name, it does not normally have any coffee in the recipe. Instead, it is a moist, single-layer cake with a buttery crumb topping.
I broke the coffee cake rule slightly here and added coffee to the glaze. You'll love how the subtle coffee taste balances the sweetness of the cake. The pumpkin, cinnamon, and coffee combine to make this cake taste just like fall.
Not into coffee at all? Make the glaze without the espresso powder.
How to Make the Crumb Topping
The top of the coffee cake is made by combining flour, sugar, spices and softened butter. After mixing together the dry ingredients in a bowl, cut in the softened butter.
Use your fingertips, a pasty cutter, or two forks to smush and massage the butter into the flour mixture. Alternatively, stir everything together with a wooden spoon. Continue to mix together until the crumb clumps together.
Next, chill the crumb topping in the refrigerator. When ready to bake the cake, sprinkle the crumb on top of the batter.
The pumpkin cake portion is super moist and flavorful. I used the same recipe as this Maple Pumpkin Cake. Make sure to use pure pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling is already sweetened and spiced.
SERVING AND STORAGE
Store the cake at room temperature covered with plastic wrap or in an air tight container for up to 3 days. You can also store it in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Freeze baked and cooled coffee cake by wrapping well in plastic wrap. Store in the freezer for up to 1 month. Thaw the frozen cake overnight in the refrigerator.
Coffee cake gets its name because it is often served with coffee. It does not traditionally have any coffee in the actual cake recipe.
Sour cream adds both fat and acidity that make coffee cake moist and tender. In this cake, we use pumpkin puree.
Recipe
Pumpkin Coffee Cake
Ingredients
For the Crumb Topping
- ¾ cup (95g) all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup (66g) brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoon diced unsalted butter softened
For the Pumpkin Cake
- 1 ¼ cup (155g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- pinch cloves
- pinch nutmeg
- ½ cup (120ml) neutral oil
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (100g) brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup (240ml) canned pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Glaze
- 1 ½ cups (195g) powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon espresso powder optional
- 2 to 3 tablespoon milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
To Make the Crumb Topping
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8 X 8 inch baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- Make the crumb topping. Add the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in a mixing bowl. Stir to combine. Cut in the soft butter with a pastry cutter, a pair of forks, or by stirring with a wooden spoon until the streusel begins to clump together. Place in the refrigerator as you prepare the batter.
To Make the Pumpkin Cake
- Stir together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices in a mixing bowl and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the oil, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together until combined. Add the eggs and whisk until smooth. Add the pumpkin and vanilla extract. Whisk together until smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients into the batter and stir together with a rubber spatula until combined.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Take the crumb topping out of the fridge and sprinkle it all over the top.
- Bake the cake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Cool the cake for at least 30 minutes on a wire rack before slicing.
To Make the Glaze
- Stir together all of the ingredients in a small bowl using a spoon or mini whisk. Add more milk until the glaze is pourable but still thick enough to coat the cake without running off the edges. Drizzle the glaze over the top of the cake. Slice and serve.
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