Autumn isn’t complete without a generous slice of pumpkin coffee cake and a steaming mug of coffee. This pumpkin coffee cake is tender and moist without being heavy, with a crisp, cinnamon-spiced streusel topping that makes every bite irresistible.
Why it Works
This cake is easy to make, light in texture, and full of warm fall flavors. The spice blend is balanced—enough cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and a hint of cardamom to be memorable without overwhelming the pumpkin. The buttery streusel adds a contrasting crunch and a deeper spice note that elevates the whole cake.
You don’t need a stand mixer to make this—just a couple of bowls and a whisk. It’s an approachable recipe for bakers of any skill level and makes a lovely breakfast or dessert. The combination of moist cake and buttery crumble is a crowd-pleaser, similar in spirit to banana coffee cake, chocolate coffee cake, and blueberry sour cream coffee cake.
Ingredient Breakdown
The ingredients are straightforward. Here are the essentials and simple swaps if needed:
- Pumpkin: Use pure pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling). Canned pumpkin puree works well; you can substitute pureed butternut squash if necessary.
- Oil: A neutral oil (canola or vegetable) keeps the cake tender and moist. Avoid coconut oil or melted butter for the best texture.
- Yogurt: Plain yogurt (regular or Greek) or sour cream helps the cake rise and gives a subtle tang. Crème fraîche also works.
- Butter: Unsalted butter in the streusel adds flavor and crispness. For a nuttier note, try browning the butter, chilling, then cutting into the flour.
How to Make Coffee Cake Streusel
The streusel is my favorite part, and I like a generous layer. If you prefer less, use only part of the crumble. For large, appealing streusel chunks, press the mixture together before breaking it up.
- Combine flour, spices, and both sugars in a bowl.
- Cut cold, cubed butter into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter or your fingers until it forms large crumbs. Press the crumbs together and then crumble them to create bigger pieces if you like.
Tip: Chill or freeze the streusel until you’re ready to use it. Cold streusel holds its shape and bakes into larger, crisp pieces.
How to Make Coffee Cake
Making coffee cake is simple: mix dry ingredients in one bowl, whisk wet ingredients in another, then combine until just mixed. Avoid overmixing to keep the cake tender.
- Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
- Whisk the pumpkin, oil, yogurt, and eggs in a separate bowl until smooth.
- Fold the wet ingredients into the dry just until combined—no streaks of flour, but a few lumps are fine.
- Spoon about two-thirds of the batter into a prepared pan, then sprinkle half the streusel over it.
- Top with the remaining batter and finish with the rest of the streusel.
- Bake in a preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Tips
- Make the streusel ahead and freeze it for easy use later. Extra streusel is great on muffins, quick breads, or oatmeal.
- Mix batter only until just combined to avoid a dense cake.
- Use cold or frozen streusel so it bakes into larger, crunchy pieces that hold their shape.
Variations
To change up the flavor, try one of these ideas:
- Add a chai spice blend for warm, aromatic notes.
- Mix chopped walnuts, pecans, or pistachios into the streusel for extra crunch and flavor.
- Finish the cooled cake with a simple maple glaze for added sweetness and fall character.
Recipe FAQs
Store the cooled coffee cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. You can also freeze the baked cake in an airtight container for up to a month. Unbaked streusel keeps in the freezer for a month as well.
“Coffee cake” refers to a cake served with coffee rather than containing coffee. Adding coffee would mask the delicate pumpkin and spice flavors in this recipe.
Yes—double the ingredients and bake in a 9×13-inch pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Related Recipes
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Pumpkin Spice Bagels
-
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
-
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bars
-
Pumpkin Pancakes
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Recipe Card
Pumpkin Coffee Cake
Amanda Powell
25 mins
40 mins
Ingredients
For the Crumble
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom (optional)
- 1 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
For the Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ⅔ cup light brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup plain yogurt, room temperature
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
Instructions
For the Crumble
- Mix the flour, both sugars, salt, and spices together.
- Cut the cold butter into the flour mixture until it resembles large crumbs and sticks together when pressed.
- Chill the crumble until needed.
For the Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9 x 9-inch baking pan.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, spices, and sugars together and set aside.
- In another bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, oil, yogurt, and eggs until well combined.
- Fold the wet ingredients into the dry until just combined—no streaks of flour, but a few lumps are okay.
- Pour about two-thirds of the batter into the pan, sprinkle half the crumble over the top, then add the remaining batter and finish with the remaining crumble.
- Bake 35–40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool completely in the pan, then slice and serve. Dust with powdered sugar if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 92 g
Protein: 8 g
Fat: 35 g