The Best Pumpkin Coffee Cake

One of my favorite things to bake in the Fall is coffee cake to enjoy on a cool, cozy morning with a cup of coffee. Some of my favorites are this Brown Butter Banana Coffee Cake, my classic Sour Cream Coffee Cake and this Raspberry Lemonade Coffee Cake, but this Pumpkin Coffee Cake is truly the best of all. It has rich brown butter flavor, a touch of maple, a plush, moist, glowing orange crumb texture and buttery brown sugar cinnamon crumble topping. I finish it with an espresso glaze, and oh my is it ever irresistible! This flavor combination is so comforting, like a warm pumpkin spice latte on a plate. I know you'll love it! If you enjoy making pumpkin desserts, try my popular Cinnamon Swirl Pumpkin Bread, Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins and my Chewy Pumpkin Cookies.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

• Simple ingredients, easy to make - all you need is a whisk, a bowl and a spatula to make this coffee cake and it uses simple pantry ingredients that you likely already have on hand.
• Soft brown butter pumpkin cake - this pumpkin cake is so soft and so moist with a tender crumb that melts in your mouth. You will love the rich, nutty and caramel flavors that come with brown butter in the batter.
• Fluffy texture - you will love how soft and fluffy the pumpkin cake is beneath the slightly crunchy buttery cinnamon crumble. It bakes up tall and mighty and the texture contrasts are such a pleasure to the senses.
• Not too sweet, perfect pumpkin flavor - sometimes it's hard to taste pumpkin in pumpkin desserts, but I promise you will love the not-too-sweet, spices, earthy flavors that shine through this cake.
• Brown sugar cinnamon crumb topping - a buttery brown sugar crumb topping is laced with cinnamon and has the perfect balance of crunch with melt-in-your-mouth texture.
• Espresso glaze - a sweet coffee glaze adds the finishing touch that makes this pumpkin coffee cake stand out.

INGREDIENTS FOR PUMPKIN COFFEE CAKE

• Butter -you'll make brown butter for the pumpkin cake recipe, and it is irresistible. You can use salted or unsalted butter (either will work) and if you use salted butter, then reduce the added salt in the recipe by ⅛ teaspoon. For the the crumb topping, the butter should be soft, so leave it out for about an hour before you start baking.
• Brown sugar - brown sugar adds caramel-like flavor due to the molasses content and it really complements the pumpkin and the spices.
• Canned pumpkin - canned pumpkin is easily accessible and inexpensive. You can also make it yourself, but it is important to reduce it down so it is very thick otherwise the moisture balance will be off in the recipe. Make sure you use pure pumpkin and NOT pumpkin pie filling which has sugar and spices already added.
• Eggs - two large eggs will add the perfect amount of structure and help with the moist spongy texture.

• Pure vanilla extract - vanilla will add rich undertones. I like this Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla extract.
• Sour cream - so many great coffee cake recipes include sour cream. I recommend using full fat Greek yogurt if you don't have sour cream. It gives this cake a rich flavor and also a very moist spongy texture.
• All purpose flour - regular unbleached all-purpose flour works great for coffee cake.
• Pumpkin spice - a fragrant blend of cinnamon, ginger, clove, nutmeg and allspice completes my homemade pumpkin pie spice that is perfect for all of your Fall baking.
• Maple syrup - the combination of brown butter, maple syrup and pumpkin is a Fall trifecta! It is so cozy. Maple syrup not only adds delicious flavor, but it will keep the cake ultra moist.
• Pecans - mixing a few pecans with the crumb topping adds great texture and taste. They will toast as the cake is baking and they will add such a wonderful nuttiness!

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

• STEP 1). Make the crumb topping. Combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl and mix together until evenly blended. Add the soft butter and blend it in using your finger tips until it reaches a crumbly consistency and is rather evenly combined. Do not over-mix into paste. The crumbs should be irregular, ranging in size from a pea to and almond. You can also use a fork, but I find it works better and faster with your hands. Cover the bowl so it doesn't dry out and keep it cold in the fridge until you're ready to use it so the butter melts slowly during baking and doesn't burn.
• STEP 2). Make the pumpkin batter. Combine pumpkin puree and both sugars in a large bowl and whisk to blend evenly until sugar is dissolved and the mixture looks syrupy. Add eggs and whisk to incorporate. Add slightly cooled brown butter, sour cream, maple syrup and vanilla and whisk until smooth.
• STEP 3). Sift flour, baking powder, pumpkin spice and salt into a medium bowl and whisk to blend well. Add these dry ingredients to the bowl with the pumpkin mixture and fold it in gently until just combined. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking pan and smooth it out.
• STEP 4). Assemble the cake. Take the crumb mixture from the fridge and crumble it over top of the batter so it covers the surface. It's nice if you have a mix of large crumbs and small ones. Bake for 35-40 minutes until the crumbs are golden and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer pan to a wire rack, cover with foil and set aside to cool for at least 30 minutes. The foil will help it steam slightly so that the crumbs soften just a touch but will still stay crunchy.
• STEP 5). Cool. Once cool enough, lift the cake out of the pan using the overhanging parchment and let it continue cooling on the rack while you make the glaze.
• STEP 6). Make the glaze. Combine powdered sugar, espresso powder, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in milk one teaspoon at a time until it is a drizzling consistency. I like when it is runny but still opaque. Mix in vanilla. Drizzle it over the cake even while it is still slightly warm, slice and enjoy!

EXPERT BAKING TIPS PUMPKIN COFFEE CAKE

• Do not over-mix the batter. Once the flour is mostly combined then the batter is ready for baking. Coffee cake batter is meant to be more dense, so don't be surprised if it looks a tiny bit lumpy.
• Top generously with crumbs. As the cake rises and puffs up during baking, the crumb topping will spread out so it may look like a lot at the beginning, but it will be just right when it is baked.
• Cover the top of the cake with foil if it browns too quickly. You can place a sheet of foil loosely over the cake (like a tent) after the first 30 minutes of baking if it is getting too dark on top.
• Add the glaze while slightly warm. If you drizzle the glaze over while the cake is still slightly warm, it will seep into the crevices of the crumb topping and create a really nice mouthfeel.

RECIPE FAQ

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THE BEST Pumpkin Coffee Cake

Christina Marsigliese, Food Scientist MSc.

This Pumpkin Coffee Cake is truly the best of all. It has rich brown butter flavor, a touch of maple, a plush, moist, glowing orange crumb texture and buttery brown sugar cinnamon crumble topping. I finish it with an espresso glaze, and oh my is it ever irresistible!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Servings 9 servings

Ingredients

  

Crumb Topping:

• ¾ cup (105g) all purpose flour
• ⅓ cup plus 1 tbsp (85g) packed light brown sugar
• ½ - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ⅓ cup (75g) unsalted butter, softened

Pumpkin Coffee Cake batter:

• 1 cup (237ml) pumpkin puree
• ½ cup (110g) packed light brown sugar
• ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• ⅓ cup (75g) unsalted butter, browned
• ¼ cup (60ml) full fat sour cream
• 2 tablespoon (30ml) maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon (5ml) pure vanilla extract
• 1 ¼ cups (180g) all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder,
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice  (or make your own homemade pumpkin pie spice)
• ½ teaspoon salt

Espresso Icing:

• ½ cup (60g) powdered sugar
• ¼-½ teaspoon espresso powder
• pinch of cinnamon
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• 3-4 teaspoon (15-20ml) whole milk
• ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8-inch metal baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang at each side.
• First brown the butter. Follow the instructions in this post here to learn how to brown butter in a 1-quart stainless steel saucepan. It's easy! Brown specks and a dense golden foam will form at the surface when it is nearly ready. This whole process takes around 8-10 minutes. Immediately pour it into a large mixing bowl, then let it cool for about 20 minutes.
• Make the crumb topping. Combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl and mix together until evenly blended. Add the soft butter and blend it in using your finger tips until it reaches a crumbly consistency and is rather evenly combined. Do not over-mix into paste. The crumbs should be irregular, ranging in size from a pea to and almond. You can also use a fork, but I find it works better and faster with your hands. Cover the bowl so it doesn't dry out and keep it cold in the fridge until you're ready to use it so the butter melts slowly during baking and doesn't burn.
• Make the pumpkin batter. Combine pumpkin puree and both sugars in a large bowl and whisk to blend evenly until sugar is dissolved and the mixture looks syrupy. Add eggs and whisk to incorporate. Add slightly cooled brown butter, sour cream, maple syrup and vanilla and whisk until smooth.
• Sift flour, baking powder, pumpkin spice and salt into a medium bowl and whisk to blend well. Add these dry ingredients to the bowl with the pumpkin mixture and fold it in gently until just combined. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking pan and smooth it out.
• Assemble the cake. Take the crumb mixture from the fridge and crumble it over top of the batter so it covers the surface. It's nice if you have a mix of large crumbs and small ones. Bake for 35-40 minutes until the crumbs are golden and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer pan to a wire rack, cover with foil and set aside to cool for at least 30 minutes. The foil will help it steam slightly so that the crumbs soften just a touch but will still stay crunchy.
• Once cool enough, lift the cake out of the pan using the overhanging parchment and let it continue cooling on the rack while you make the glaze.
• Make the glaze. Combine powdered sugar, espresso powder, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in milk one teaspoon at a time until it is a drizzling consistency. I like when it is runny but still opaque. Mix in vanilla. Drizzle it over the cake even while it is still slightly warm, slice and enjoy!