This pumpkin coffee cake is honestly probably my favorite version of a pumpkin cake I’ve ever had! It’s super soft and moist, packed with cozy fall spices, and topped with a buttery cinnamon streusel and sweet vanilla glaze. If you love anything pumpkin spice, you’re going to love this cake!
Where Is the Coffee?!
When it comes to coffee cake, I always feel like I need to answer one of the most common questions I get first: where is the coffee?!
Despite its name, what’s commonly called a “coffee cake” in the US doesn’t actually contain any coffee! Instead, it refers to a type of cake that’s traditionally meant to be enjoyed with a cup of coffee, or any hot drink, really! It’s thought to have roots in European baking traditions, where sweet cakes and breads were often served alongside coffee.
Coffee cakes are often served for breakfast, brunch, or as a cosy afternoon snack (although they’re honestly so good that they could be served as a proper dessert too!), and they commonly feature some kind of sweet, buttery streusel topping. For this pumpkin coffee cake, just like my classic moist coffee cake recipe, I’ve gone with a buttery cinnamon streusel. It adds the perfect little crunch and goes so well with the soft, warmly spiced pumpkin cake underneath!
Why You’ll Love This Pumpkin Coffee Cake Recipe
If you’re looking for an easy, cozy fall cake that’s honestly so delicious, this moist pumpkin coffee cake (sometimes referred to as a pumpkin crumb cake) is it! It’s probably my favorite pumpkin cake I’ve made. Here is why I guarantee you’ll love it:
Soft and moist
Real pumpkin purée and oil keep this cake beautifully soft and moist (just like my pumpkin layer cake and pumpkin bread recipes!), while still giving it a light, tender texture. It also stays soft for days!
Packed with fall flavour
Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves give this tender pumpkin cake plenty of cozy fall pumpkin pie spice flavor, while the cinnamon crumb topping and vanilla glaze make every bite even better.
Easy to make
No electric mixer is needed! Simply whisk the ingredients together, layer the batter and streusel in your cake tin, and let the oven do the rest.
Perfect with coffee
This pumpkin coffee cake is everything you want in a classic coffee cake. It has soft cake, buttery streusel, and a sweet glaze…yummmm!
How to Make Pumpkin Coffee Cake
You can find the full list of ingredients for this pumpkin coffee cake recipe in the recipe card at the end of the blog post (for easy navigation, hit the ‘jump to recipe’ button at the top of the blog post). Here is just a quick visual breakdown of the recipe (recipe video is also provided in the recipe card below).
Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C) conventional and grease an 8×8-inch square cake tin. I like using my homemade cake release, then lining the tin with parchment paper and leaving some overhang on the edges to make it easier to remove the cake later. Set aside.
Cinnamon Streusel
In a small bowl, combine light brown sugar, all-purpose flour, and cinnamon. Mix until well combined and no large lumps remain.
Add the melted butter and stir until you have a crumbly mixture. Place in the fridge while preparing the cake batter.
Pumpkin Cake Batter
In a medium bowl, sift together all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Using a whisk, mix until well combined and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine white granulated sugar, eggs, vegetable oil, pumpkin purée, whole milk, and vanilla. Whisk until smooth and well combined.
Add the presifted dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and gently whisk until just combined. Be careful not to overmix. Stop mixing as soon as there are no large streaks of flour remaining and the batter is uniform.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it out into an even layer. Give the tin a light tap on the counter to release any large air bubbles.
Remove the streusel from the fridge. It should have firmed up slightly by now. Use your hands to break it into small pieces if needed. You’re looking for a coarse, sandy texture with little clumps throughout. Evenly scatter the streusel over the top of the batter.
Bake for about 38 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached.
Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 30 minutes, then use the parchment paper overhang to carefully lift it out and transfer it to a wire rack to continue cooling.
Vanilla Glaze
While the cake continues to cool, prepare the vanilla glaze. In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk. Mix until smooth and lump-free. You should have a thick but still runny glaze.
Once the cake is slightly warm to the touch (you don’t have to wait for it to cool completely) drizzle the glaze evenly over the top. Slice and enjoy!
How to Store This Pumpkin Coffee Cake
Store the pumpkin coffee cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can also refrigerate it for up to a week, but let it come to room temperature before serving for the best texture.
Pumpkin Coffee Cake (Moist & Easy!)
Print Pin VideoIMPORTANT: For accuracy, I would recommend using the gram measurements provided, as those are the exact quantities I use. Cup measurements are given as estimates (based on US cup measurements) to make it easier for those who do not have a scale.
Ingredients
Cinnamon Streusel
- 6 tbsps (75 g) soft light brown sugar
- ½ cup (60 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3 tbsps (42 g) unsalted butter - melted
Cake Batter
- 1½ cups (180 g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup (30 g) cornstarch
- 1¼ tsps baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1¼ tsps ground cinnamon
- ¾ tsp ground ginger - powdered ginger (not fresh)
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- 1 cup (200 g) white granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs - room temperature
- ¾ cup (155 g) unflavored vegetable oil - I use canola oil
- ¾ cup (190 g) pumpkin puree - I use Libby's 100% canned pumpkin (see note 1 for fresh pumpkin option)
- 3 tbsps (45 g) whole milk - room temperature
- 1¼ tsps vanilla extract/essence
Vanilla Glaze
- ½ cup (63 g) powdered sugar - also known as icing/confectioners' sugar
- ¼ tsp extract/essence
- 1 tbsp whole milk - heavy cream okay too (see note 2)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C) conventional (see note 3 if using a convection oven with a fan) and grease an 8x8-inch square cake tin. I like using my homemade cake release, then lining the tin with parchment paper and leaving some overhang on the edges to make it easier to remove the cake later. Set aside.
Cinnamon Streusel
- In a small bowl, combine light brown sugar, all-purpose flour, and cinnamon. Mix until well combined and no large lumps remain.
- Add the melted butter and stir until you have a crumbly mixture. Place in the fridge while preparing the cake batter.
Pumpkin Cake Batter
- In a medium bowl, sift together all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Using a whisk, mix until well combined and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine white granulated sugar, eggs, vegetable oil, pumpkin purée, whole milk, and vanilla. Whisk until smooth and well combined.
- Add the presifted dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and gently whisk until just combined. Be careful not to overmix. Stop mixing as soon as there are no large streaks of flour remaining and the batter is uniform (see note 4).
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin and spread it out into an even layer. Give the tin a light tap on the counter to release any large air bubbles.
- Remove the streusel from the fridge. It should have firmed up slightly by now. Use your hands to break it into small pieces if needed. You’re looking for a coarse, sandy texture with little clumps throughout. Evenly scatter the streusel over the top of the batter.
- Bake for about 38 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached.
- Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 30 minutes, then use the parchment paper overhang to carefully lift it out and transfer it to a wire rack to continue cooling.
Vanilla Glaze
- While the cake continues to cool, prepare the vanilla glaze. In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk. Mix until smooth and lump-free. You should have a thick but still runny glaze.
- Once the cake is slightly warm to the touch (you don’t have to wait for it to cool completely) drizzle the glaze evenly over the top. Slice and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information are estimates only as they are automatically calculated by a third party application. Actual values may differ based on brands and types of products used.
