Tessa's Recipe Rundown
Taste: Perfectly sweet with just the right amount of pumpkin spice complemented by the maple glaze.
Texture: The cake is super moist, fluffy, and light, while the streusel brings a heavenly subtle crunch.
Ease: Super easy and ready in only 1 hour!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe: Easy and crazy delicious fall recipe.
This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy.
This Pumpkin Spice Coffee Cake recipe is about to make all your pumpkin spice dreams come true.
This coffee cake has truly converted some pumpkin spice haters into total PSL lovers! In fact, it’s reigned supreme as my most popular fall recipe for years!
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.
What’s better than streusel?! TWO LAYERS of the stuff. One in the middle and one on top.
Then there’s the icing on top… literally. Just a simple powdered sugar and maple syrup icing does the trick. All of these flavors together are an autumn dream.
You can have a batch of this coffee cake cooling on your counter in about one hour. It’s extra cozy served warm.
The cake itself can be covered and stored for up to 4 days and it somehow still stays moist while the pumpkin spice flavors intensify over time.
Though I highly doubt it will last that long…
Sprinkle of Science
The Best Pumpkin Coffee Cake
The Star of the Show: The Pumpkin Puree!
- I used store-bought canned pumpkin puree for this Pumpkin Spice Coffee Cake recipe.
- If you’d like, you could use homemade pumpkin puree in this recipe. Use a paper towel to blot off as much excess moisture as possible.
- Note: Don’t use canned pumpkin pie filling for this recipe – it is not the same thing as pumpkin puree.
- If you’re curious, here’s my Fresh vs. Canned Pumpkin article for the differences between using fresh pumpkin puree, regular canned pumpkin, and organic canned pumpkin – and to learn how to make your own!
Why is There No Coffee in This Coffee Cake?
Generally, coffee cake is meant to be served with coffee, so it doesn’t typically 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 amazingly moist texture and flavor. If you don’t have sour cream, you can use plain full-fat yogurt instead.
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. Learn more about Glass vs. Metal Baking Pans in my article here.
My Coffee Cake Sank in the Middle. Why?
- This cake is very rich, so it may dip 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. Or, you used a glass or ceramic pan instead of metal (see above).
- Check your baking time and that your oven is properly heating with an oven thermometer.
- Learn more about ovens here.
Can You Double This Coffee Cake Recipe?
Yes! Simply double all ingredients and bake in a metal 9 by 13-inch baking pan and add about 5 minutes to the baking time.
How Long Can You Store Coffee Cake?
The Pumpkin Spice Coffee 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?
Slices of this coffee cake freeze well – just wrap each slice well in plastic wrap and place inside an airtight container or freezer bag, to prevent freezer burn. Allow slices to defrost at room temperature before icing and serving.
I’ve had surprisingly good results from freezing the entire baked Pumpkin Spice Coffee Cake in an airtight container, then allowing it to defrost at room temperature before icing and serving.
Email This Recipe
Enter your email, and we’ll send it to your inbox.
Ingredients
For the streusel:
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (32 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (60 grams) pecans, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons (43 grams) unsalted butter, melted
For the cake:
- 2 cups (254 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (244 grams) pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) vegetable oil
- 4 ounces (113 grams) sour cream, at room temperature
- 2 large eggs, beaten
For the glaze:
- 1/2 cup (63 grams) powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray the bottom of a metal 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.
Notes
This recipe was published in 2017 and recently updated with additional recipe tips. Photos by Sarah Fennel.
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!
I used a scale for every ingredient that gave the option. I agree with above comments that no way would this batter pour. Cake looks beautiful right from the oven so I’m keeping my that it’s a keeper.