Pumpkin Spice Coffee Cake features a moist sour cream pumpkin cake loaded with brown sugar streusel and topped with a maple glaze. Such a family favorite!
Yield:
9 squares
Prep Time:15minutes
Cook:35minutes
I have to admit, I never liked coffee cake until recently. Every slice I had was always dry, bland, and boring. I couldn’t understand why anyone would want the stuff!
That was until I started making my own coffee cake from scratch. Oh so much better than the artificially sweet and drab store-bought stuff!
I took this Pumpkin Spice Coffee Cake to a new place in heavenly world of fall baking. The cake is of course made with pumpkin puree and lots of warm spices. But then I also added in sour cream to get that moist tang we all want in coffee cake.
Then there’s the streusel. What’s better than streusel?! Here we have a buttery brown sugar pecan streusel loaded up with more cinnamon. Really my goal here was to satisfy your cravings for fall flavors while also making your house smell amazing.
The streusel doesn’t just go on top of this cake. There’s a layer in the center that provides a flavorful crunchy ribbon of goodness to each and every bite.
Then there’s the icing on top… literally. Just a simple powdered sugar maple syrup icing does the trick. All of these flavors together are an autumn dream.
But the best part?
How quick and easy this recipe is. You can have a batch of this Pumpkin Spice Coffee Cake cooling on your counter in about one hour. I think it tastes amazing still warm. The cake itself can be covered and stored for up to 4 days and it somehow still stays moist.
Thought I highly doubt it will last that long.
The Best Pumpkin Spice Coffee Cake
How to Make Coffee Cake:
Make the streusel: Combine light brown sugar, all-purpose flour, chopped pecans, cinnamon, and melted butter for the most delicious streusel crumb topping.
Make the pumpkin coffee cake: Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl and stir. In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Overmixing will result in a tough and rubbery cake. In an 8-inch square pan coated with nonstick cooking spray, pour half your coffee cake batter in, then sprinkle half your streusel on top. Pour the remaining batter on top of that, and then sprinkle with the remaining streusel. Bake for 35 minutes, then allow to cool before glazing.
Make the maple glaze: Powdered sugar and maple syrup form the most delicious icing to drizzle over the top of your coffee cake.
How to Make Pumpkin Puree:
I used store-bought canned pumpkin puree for this recipe, but if you’d like, you could use homemade pumpkin puree in this recipe. Check out this article to see how to make your own! Note: Be sure NOT to use canned pumpkin pie filling for this recipe – it is not the same thing as pumpkin puree.
Why is There No Coffee in This Coffee Cake?
Generally, coffee cake is meant to be served with coffee. So it doesn’t always contain coffee as an ingredient! Especially in this recipe where we want the pumpkin spice flavor to shine.
Why is There Sour Cream in This Coffee Cake Recipe?
Sour cream in coffee cake creates the most amazing moist texture and flavor. If you don’t have sour cream, you can also use plain full fat yogurt.
What Baking Pan is Best for Coffee Cake?
This recipe was tested with an 8-inch square metal baking pan. If you’re using a glass or ceramic pan, you may need to extend the baking time by 5 to 15 minutes as those materials cook more slowly than metal.
My Coffee Cake Sank in the Middle. Why?
This cake is very rich so it may sink very slightly in the middle. It shouldn’t be dramatic. If you do have a dramatic caving in the center, you may not have baked the cake for long enough. Check your baking time and that your oven is properly heating with an oven thermometer.
Can You Double This Coffee Cake Recipe?
Yes! Simply double all ingredients and bake in a 9 by 13-inch baking dish and add about 5 minutes to the baking time.
How Long Can You Store Coffee Cake?
The cake itself can be covered and stored for up to 4 days. This cake stays very moist and the pumpkin spice flavor actually improves over time! Make this cake the night before serving it to save yourself time.
Can you Freeze Coffee Cake?
I’ve had surprisingly good results from freezing the entire baked cake in an airtight container, then allowing it to defrost at room temperature before icing and serving.
Pumpkin Spice Coffee Cake features a moist sour cream pumpkin cake loaded with brown sugar streusel and topped with a maple glaze. Such a family favorite!
Ingredients
For the streusel::
1/2cup(100 grams) light brown sugar
1/4cup(32 grams) all-purpose flour
1/2cup(60 grams) finely chopped pecans
1teaspoonground cinnamon
3tablespoons(43 grams) unsalted butter, melted
For the cake::
2cups(254 grams) all-purpose flour
1teaspoonbaking powder
1/2teaspoonbaking soda
1/2teaspoonfine salt
1/2teaspoonground cinnamon
1/4teaspoonground ginger
1/4teaspoonground nutmeg
1/2cup(100 grams) light brown sugar
1/2cup(100 grams) granulated sugar
1cup(244 grams) pumpkin puree
1/2cup(100 grams) vegetable oil
4ounces(113 grams) sour cream, at room temperature
2large eggs, beaten
For the glaze::
1/2cup(63 grams) powdered sugar, sifted
2tablespoonsmaple syrup
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray the bottom of an 8-inch square pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Make the streusel:
In a small bowl, combine all of the streusel ingredients with a fork until crumbly.
Make the cake:
In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. In a small bowl, stir together the pumpkin puree, oil, sour cream, and eggs. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, then pour in the wet ingredients. Gently stir until just combined.
Spoon half of the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with half of the streusel. Spread the remaining batter over the streusel. Sprinkle with the remaining streusel.
Bake for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Glass and ceramic pans will take longer to bake than metal. Cool for 15 minutes.
Make the topping:
In a small bowl combine the sugar and maple syrup until a thick, pourable icing forms. Drizzle over the warm cake. Cut into squares and serve. Store leftovers, covered, at room temperature for up to 4 days.
This recipe was the November 2020 pick for our monthly baking challenge! Every month you can join the challenge by baking the recipe and snapping a photo for a chance to win prizes! Learn more about my monthly baking challenges here. Check out everyone’s coffee cakes:
I share trusted baking recipes your friends will LOVE alongside insights into the science of sweets. I'm a professionally trained chef, cookbook author, and cookie queen. I love to write about all things sweet, carb-y, and homemade. I live in Phoenix, Arizona (hence the blog name!)
About Tessa...
I share trusted baking recipes your friends will LOVE alongside insights into the science of sweets. I'm a professionally trained chef, cookbook author, and cookie queen. I love to write about all things sweet, carb-y, and homemade. I live in Phoenix, Arizona (hence the blog name!)
I made this gluten free by substituting the all purpose flour with King Arthur Gluten Free All Purpose flour and it’s perfect!!! The texture of the cake is not too dense like most gluten free cakes. Also, I used cold butter in the streusel. Put all the streusel ingredients in the food processor.
this is an absolutely delicious cake. I made one for home and one for work and everybody at work absolutely loved it. I had a couple of requests from co-workers to make them1 as well.
Kiersten @ Handle the Heat
— December 13, 2022 at 8:51 am
Hi Shae! We haven’t tried this coffee cake with sweet potato, so please let us know if you give it a try! I would recommend cutting the recipe in half if using a loaf pan, but that’s not exactly half the size, so you’ll have to play with the bake times! Happy baking 🙂
This is an outstanding cake! It’s extremely moist and flavorful. It was a big hit at my Bible Study potluck. I made this gluten free by substituting Bobs One for One flour for the all purpose flour. No one could even tell the difference. I’m taking one to my work function next week and I’m sure it’s going to be an office favorite
I made this with a homemade pumpkin purée. It turned out beautifully and so tasty! I followed the recipe but left off the glaze. It was so moist that I didn’t miss it.
Absolutely scrumptious! Moist and delicious. I used fresh pumpkin which I baked in the over then pureed, I added a maple flavored sour cream and lightly toasted the pecans. Once cake was cooled I cut small squares and individually wrap them to keep in the refrigerator for an any time snack. A very lovely coffee cake!
I have literally made this at least 50x for friends and family because they are IN LOVE with the recipe. I’m now known as the Pumpkin Spice Coffee Cake girl! AMAZING recipe!
Kiersten @ Handle the Heat
— November 8, 2022 at 9:35 am
Hi Isabel! There’s typically no coffee in coffee cakes. They are designed to be served with coffee. I hope you give this coffee cake a try – it’s so incredible!!
WOW! THIS IS AMAZING . I make this cake with Pamela’s GF flour. It’s a cup for cup replacement. not all GF flours are equal. I made for a family gathering and no one knew it was GF. Awesome recipe! Thank you
This is honestly my favorite pumpkin based item I’ve made this fall. When I tried it slightly cooled from the oven, I wish I would have never made it or known about it. It was gone in 3 days time from my husband and I fighting over every crumb. So easy and so delicious. I’m hesitant to make again even though I’ve been craving it because I could eat the whole dish by myself in a heavenly fall moment with some spiced chai. 😉
I made these this weekend. They were greatly loved by all. I was concerned that my batter was a bit dry. It did not pour. It was sticky, almost like a cookie dough but lighter. When put it in the pan it did not pour so I scooped out blobs of batter. Then I had to mash and spread the batter by hand to get the batter to cover the bottom of the pan. Is this normal? Should I have added more sour cream? Would milk be warranted? Thanks.
Kiersten @ Handle the Heat
— November 1, 2022 at 9:07 am
Hi Geoff! Oh no, that doesn’t sound right! I’m so glad it still turned out delicious and it was enjoyed by your guests, but something definitely went wrong somewhere along the way there! The batter should be thick, but pourable and easily spreadable. How do you measure your ingredients? By volume (using cups), or by weight (using a digital kitchen scale)? When measuring by volume, it’s so easy to mis-measure ingredients, especially flour, and end up with a batter or dough that’s too thick or the wrong consistency. Tessa talks about how to best measure ingredients to ensure accuracy every time, in this article here! Feel free to respond if this wasn’t the issue, and we can further troubleshoot together! Happy baking 🙂
Hi there , This looks delicious! I was wondering if I could make this Vegan? can I use (Flaxseed egg) in place of the eggs? & Vegan Butter? (I have a Coconut oil based butter) & I Don’t have Brown sugar, But I’d like to use Coconut Sugar instead ? (Bec it doesn’t spike glycemic index) To me , it tastes just like Brown sugar but maybe not as sweet ,& I believe it’s the same ratios? Oh , and finally I don’t have Maple Syrup But I do have Maple Cream (it’s just Whipped Maple Syrup, & just a little bit thicker? Oh ,& I don’t have a good Vegan Sour cream but I do have Unsweetened Coconut milk/cream based Yogurt, Would this work ? I really appreciate this recipe & your help w/this! I love all of these flavors & am so excited to try this (I am fairly new at being Vegan) & the hardest part for me is replacing Cheese , lol ! This is Perfect for Fall & a nice treat ,! Thanks again for sharing ️
Kiersten @ Handle the Heat
— October 31, 2022 at 1:41 pm
Hi Janeen! I’m sorry, but we don’t bake with vegan ingredients, so I couldn’t really say! If you give it a try, let us know how it goes! Good luck and happy experimenting!
I made this for our Canadian thanksgiving and it was a huge hit! Everyone loved it and commented on how fluffy it was.
I’ll be making it again for sure. I might double the streusel because you can never have too much!!
Made this yesterday and it was absolutely delicious! I didn’t add the drizzle (not a fan of maple), but the flavor and texture were perfect. Will definitely make this again.
I was wondering if this is stored at room temp? Also, should I save the glaze to put in day of just before serving? I wanted to make this the night before for my dad’s celebration of life. Thank you!
Kiersten @ Handle the Heat
— October 12, 2022 at 10:39 am
Hi there! As mentioned in the recipe, you can store leftovers, covered, at room temperature for up to 4 days. It’s totally up to you when you glaze it – it will absorb slightly into the cake once it’s sat for awhile, but it’s fine to do it an advance regardless. Let us know what you think once you’ve given this a try! Happy baking!
I made this today. It was incredibly easy and VERY tasty!!! This will now officially be an annual treat I bake for me and my wife every Fall season. Thank you!!!
This was delicious! The soft, moist texture couldn’t be more perfect. It was right between a crumb cake and pumpkin bread—a nice light pumpkin flavor that wasn’t full on pumpkin overload. Highly recommend! Next time I make it I’ll double or triple the crumb streusel part because you can’t have too much of that!
Kiersten @ Handle the Heat
— September 19, 2022 at 9:32 am
Hi Janet! We haven’t tried that, but I don’t see why you couldn’t replace the nuts with chocolate chips or another sort of chip (butterscotch, white chocolate, anything similar you can find) if you prefer! Let us know how it goes if you give this a try 🙂
delicious!! I doubled the recipe and swapped the vegetable oil out for coconut oil which I melted before adding and it still turned out perfect! since I doubled it I think it took a little longer to cook, after the 35 min at 350 I turned it down to 340 and cooked for another 10 min (in a metal pan) and it was cooked perfectly, moist (but cooked) in the middle and not crunchy on the edges!! but it was also really easy to make!!! 10/10 would recommend, especially if you like pumpkin spice but don’t want it to be overwhelming!!!
Shana, what size pan did you use? I’m planning on making this, but also need to double and was wondering if I maybe already had the right size pan on hand already before I run out to buy another.
Kiersten @ Handle the Heat
— September 7, 2022 at 9:52 am
Hi Layla! We haven’t tried that, and I think a regular bundt pan might be a bit too large for this recipe – but feel free to give it a try! This recipe was written for a square metal 8×8-inch pan. Let us know how it goes when you give this coffee cake a try! 🙂
As a trained chef and cookbook author, I share trusted baking recipes your friends & family will love alongside insights into the science of sweets. I help take the luck out of baking so you *always* have delicious results! Learn more here.
Over 200 pages with 50+ cookie recipes that'll make
you a COOKIE PRO. Discover how to turn your biggest cookie flops into WINS by mastering the
sweet science of baking. Even learn how to customize your own recipes! Beautiful, hardcopy,
full color, photos of every recipe so you know EXACTLY how your cookies should look. Order
now to have the book delivered to your doorstep!
Do you want a more delicious life?
Instead of digging through cookbooks and magazines and searching the internet for amazing
recipes, subscribe to Handle the Heat to receive new recipe posts delivered straight to your
email inbox. You’ll get all the latest recipes, videos, kitchen tips and tricks AND my
*free* Cookie Customization Guide (because I am the Cookie Queen)!
I made this gluten free by substituting the all purpose flour with King Arthur Gluten Free All Purpose flour and it’s perfect!!! The texture of the cake is not too dense like most gluten free cakes. Also, I used cold butter in the streusel. Put all the streusel ingredients in the food processor.
So glad your gluten-free substitutes worked so well for you, Acosda!
Amazingly good!! My friends and family loved it!!
this is an absolutely delicious cake. I made one for home and one for work and everybody at work absolutely loved it. I had a couple of requests from co-workers to make them1 as well.
Would sweet potato be an ok swap for the pumpkin? Also, what would I do different to make this a loaf cake vs the 8×8 pan cake?
Hi Shae! We haven’t tried this coffee cake with sweet potato, so please let us know if you give it a try! I would recommend cutting the recipe in half if using a loaf pan, but that’s not exactly half the size, so you’ll have to play with the bake times! Happy baking 🙂
This is an outstanding cake! It’s extremely moist and flavorful. It was a big hit at my Bible Study potluck. I made this gluten free by substituting Bobs One for One flour for the all purpose flour. No one could even tell the difference. I’m taking one to my work function next week and I’m sure it’s going to be an office favorite
Yay! So wonderful to hear that, Dawn!
I made this cake a few time, and it’s my favorite for this season.
Absolutely DELICIOUS
Delicious, I’ve made this many times and it’s always a hit. I’ve made it to give away and everyone has loved it!
So happy to hear that, Sandra!! 🙂
I made this with a homemade pumpkin purée. It turned out beautifully and so tasty! I followed the recipe but left off the glaze. It was so moist that I didn’t miss it.
Absolutely scrumptious! Moist and delicious. I used fresh pumpkin which I baked in the over then pureed, I added a maple flavored sour cream and lightly toasted the pecans. Once cake was cooled I cut small squares and individually wrap them to keep in the refrigerator for an any time snack. A very lovely coffee cake!
I have literally made this at least 50x for friends and family because they are IN LOVE with the recipe. I’m now known as the Pumpkin Spice Coffee Cake girl! AMAZING recipe!
Wow, that’s so amazing to hear, Nicole! So glad this recipe has become SUCH a massive hit for you 😉
Same here! My neighbors request it. Haha! It is THE BEST!
where’s the coffee ?
Hi Isabel! There’s typically no coffee in coffee cakes. They are designed to be served with coffee. I hope you give this coffee cake a try – it’s so incredible!!
WOW! THIS IS AMAZING . I make this cake with Pamela’s GF flour. It’s a cup for cup replacement. not all GF flours are equal. I made for a family gathering and no one knew it was GF. Awesome recipe! Thank you
Yay! So glad to hear that, Michelle!
This is honestly my favorite pumpkin based item I’ve made this fall. When I tried it slightly cooled from the oven, I wish I would have never made it or known about it. It was gone in 3 days time from my husband and I fighting over every crumb. So easy and so delicious. I’m hesitant to make again even though I’ve been craving it because I could eat the whole dish by myself in a heavenly fall moment with some spiced chai. 😉
So glad you and your husband enjoyed this coffee cake so much, Marika!
I made these this weekend. They were greatly loved by all. I was concerned that my batter was a bit dry. It did not pour. It was sticky, almost like a cookie dough but lighter. When put it in the pan it did not pour so I scooped out blobs of batter. Then I had to mash and spread the batter by hand to get the batter to cover the bottom of the pan. Is this normal? Should I have added more sour cream? Would milk be warranted? Thanks.
Hi Geoff! Oh no, that doesn’t sound right! I’m so glad it still turned out delicious and it was enjoyed by your guests, but something definitely went wrong somewhere along the way there! The batter should be thick, but pourable and easily spreadable. How do you measure your ingredients? By volume (using cups), or by weight (using a digital kitchen scale)? When measuring by volume, it’s so easy to mis-measure ingredients, especially flour, and end up with a batter or dough that’s too thick or the wrong consistency. Tessa talks about how to best measure ingredients to ensure accuracy every time, in this article here! Feel free to respond if this wasn’t the issue, and we can further troubleshoot together! Happy baking 🙂
My batter is the same…very thick. Not pourable. Hard to spread. Hope it turns out!
Unbelievably delicious!!
Hi there , This looks delicious! I was wondering if I could make this Vegan? can I use (Flaxseed egg) in place of the eggs? & Vegan Butter? (I have a Coconut oil based butter) & I Don’t have Brown sugar, But I’d like to use Coconut Sugar instead ? (Bec it doesn’t spike glycemic index) To me , it tastes just like Brown sugar but maybe not as sweet ,& I believe it’s the same ratios? Oh , and finally I don’t have Maple Syrup But I do have Maple Cream (it’s just Whipped Maple Syrup, & just a little bit thicker? Oh ,& I don’t have a good Vegan Sour cream but I do have Unsweetened Coconut milk/cream based Yogurt, Would this work ? I really appreciate this recipe & your help w/this! I love all of these flavors & am so excited to try this (I am fairly new at being Vegan) & the hardest part for me is replacing Cheese , lol ! This is Perfect for Fall & a nice treat ,! Thanks again for sharing ️
Hi Janeen! I’m sorry, but we don’t bake with vegan ingredients, so I couldn’t really say! If you give it a try, let us know how it goes! Good luck and happy experimenting!
This was a HITTTTTT I barely got any lol!
My family gobbled it up!
I used half whole wheat and half white flour.
Turned out AMAZING.
I made this for our Canadian thanksgiving and it was a huge hit! Everyone loved it and commented on how fluffy it was.
I’ll be making it again for sure. I might double the streusel because you can never have too much!!
This is so wonderful to hear!
What brand/mfgr of 8×8 pan are you using? Thank you!
It’s linked to in the pink tip box above 🙂 Here’s the link again for your convenience. Enjoy!
Made this yesterday and it was absolutely delicious! I didn’t add the drizzle (not a fan of maple), but the flavor and texture were perfect. Will definitely make this again.
I was wondering if this is stored at room temp? Also, should I save the glaze to put in day of just before serving? I wanted to make this the night before for my dad’s celebration of life. Thank you!
Hi there! As mentioned in the recipe, you can store leftovers, covered, at room temperature for up to 4 days. It’s totally up to you when you glaze it – it will absorb slightly into the cake once it’s sat for awhile, but it’s fine to do it an advance regardless. Let us know what you think once you’ve given this a try! Happy baking!
I made this today. It was incredibly easy and VERY tasty!!! This will now officially be an annual treat I bake for me and my wife every Fall season. Thank you!!!
This was delicious! The soft, moist texture couldn’t be more perfect. It was right between a crumb cake and pumpkin bread—a nice light pumpkin flavor that wasn’t full on pumpkin overload. Highly recommend! Next time I make it I’ll double or triple the crumb streusel part because you can’t have too much of that!
Has anyone made this without the pecans or successfully substituted the nuts with something else? We have allergies to nuts and peanuts
Hi Janet! We haven’t tried that, but I don’t see why you couldn’t replace the nuts with chocolate chips or another sort of chip (butterscotch, white chocolate, anything similar you can find) if you prefer! Let us know how it goes if you give this a try 🙂
omit the nuts cuz thats what I would do
delicious!! I doubled the recipe and swapped the vegetable oil out for coconut oil which I melted before adding and it still turned out perfect! since I doubled it I think it took a little longer to cook, after the 35 min at 350 I turned it down to 340 and cooked for another 10 min (in a metal pan) and it was cooked perfectly, moist (but cooked) in the middle and not crunchy on the edges!! but it was also really easy to make!!! 10/10 would recommend, especially if you like pumpkin spice but don’t want it to be overwhelming!!!
Shana, what size pan did you use? I’m planning on making this, but also need to double and was wondering if I maybe already had the right size pan on hand already before I run out to buy another.
Can I use a bundt pan for this?
Hi Layla! We haven’t tried that, and I think a regular bundt pan might be a bit too large for this recipe – but feel free to give it a try! This recipe was written for a square metal 8×8-inch pan. Let us know how it goes when you give this coffee cake a try! 🙂