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.
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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.
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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.
Delicious! It looked dense but was surprisingly light. I substituted whole wheat and almond flour in equal amounts. Perhaps due to that, the volume and gram amounts were off. I was well above cup amounts but had less than the stated amounts for grams. Needed to cook about 10 minutes longer. A great recipe and clearly flexible to meet individual tastes and preferences. Thank you!
How long should I bake this if I’m using a disposable aluminum foil pan?
Hi Stephanie! We haven’t tried that, but it should be a similar bake time, or maybe a few additional minutes. As with any recipe, pay closer attention to the sensory indicator (i.e. in this case, ” until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean”) than the timing given. Let us know how it goes! 🙂
Can I use coconut oil instead of veg oil?
Hi Katie! We haven’t tried that, so we can’t say for sure. Most flavorless oils should work just fine – I know other readers have used avocado oil with success, and canola should be just fine too. Feel free to experiment and let us know how it goes!
So moist and absolutely delicious! I didn’t make the icing because I didn’t want it to be too sweet, but the topping was perfect. I’m making it again for Friendsgiving 🙂
This coffee cake was moist, flavorful with wonderful texture and a big hit with my family and coworkers. Everyone especially loved the streusel ribbon in the middle.
We have a nut allergy in our family. Can I just leave them out ? How will the recipe come out ? Please advise !
Hi Naomi! While we haven’t tried this recipe without the nuts, it should work just fine to simply omit them, or replace them with pumpkin seeds or something else similar that you’re able to eat. Let us know what you think of this coffee cake once you have given it a try 🙂
I’m making this recipe as we speak and had the same question. I found that leaving out the nuts made the streusel too wet. So I added an extra tablespoon of two of flour to achieve the crumbly texture!
I’ve now made this 4x in 2 months’ time, I love it so much. Everyone I share it with asks for the recipe. I have found it matters what brand of canned pumpkin you I use. The Libby’s brand is best, the Trader Joe’s brand (so affordable and plentiful in the fall) is more watery and requires about an hour or two of draining in a colander before using. I’ve tried subbing the spices for pumpkin pie spice + extra cinnamon and it was delicious. I always double the streusel and triple the cinnamon. Substituting plain Greek yogurt for the sour cream works, no difference really in taste. Baking time for me in a convection oven with metal pan still requires longer baking time than recipe states, I just check with toothpick frequently towards the end. But the cake is so moist, it really is forgiving if you bake a little too long. However, too short of a baking time and it is mushy and uncooked in the middle. Excellent recipe and will be making it every fall from now on.
Hi Frances! Those are such great tips! So glad you’re enjoying this recipe so much! Happy baking 🙂
So good! I left out the 1/2 white sugar to ease off the sugar and it was still delicious
I made this recipe, but I cut the sugar in half. I also substituted plain greek yogurt for the sour cream and avocado oil for the vegetable oil. It was plenty sweet enough and was still moist and delicious!
Delicious!! I will be making this again and again. took 50 minutes to bake in my glass pan. cake was fluffy and not overly sweet. PERFECTION. THANK YOU!
Delicious!!! followed the recipe exactly as written, used a glass pan, baked 50 minutes.. perfect! I love your recipes, so glad I have your book ♡
Loved it! It was a hit when I took it to friends house for light bites and wine. I was so afraid it would be overly sweet. It was not! The perfect balance.