Pumpkin Coffee Cake Recipe

Is there really ever a reason not to make coffee cake? I mean, the streusel is the best part. In this case, make it pumpkin. This incredibly fluffy pumpkin coffee cake is perfect for any time of day, and is simple for anyone to make!

Coffee cake is the best kind of breakfast treat for virtually any season, any occasion, any time of year!

This sweet treat is inspired by my pumpkin waffles and my pumpkin bread, as of course, I am a serious love for pumpkin and had to make a cake version.

Jump to:

• What are the ingredients for this coffee cake?
• How do I make this recipe?
• Coffee Cake Swaps and Substitutions
• Recipe Variations
• Kitchen Equipment and Tools
• How do I store this recipe? Can I freeze this?
• PRO TIP
• Hungry for More?
• Pumpkin Coffee Cake Recipe

What are the ingredients for this coffee cake?

Making this pumpkin coffee cake is incredibly easy and doesn't require any ingredients that will stump you. You can easily find these ingredients in any grocery store.

• Pumpkin puree: this is what gives the texture, color, and added flavor to these bars
• Flour, butter, sugar: the trifecta for all cakes!
• Eggs: eggs are always a staple in baked goods, and give the end result a beautiful texture and rise.
• Cinnamon: this goes into the coffee cake mixture as well as the streusel topping.
• Cane and light brown sugar: a combination of these sugars help add to the overall structure and taste of these coffee cake bars.
• Sour cream: adding sour cream to ANY recipe adds additional fat, aka making it moist and adds lots of flavor.
• Milk: more moisture and texture.
• Oil: a little oil goes a long way. More fat = more delicious crumb and mouthfeel

See the recipe card below for specific information about quantities.

How do I make this recipe?

There's a little bit of prep at the very beginning to make the crumb topping, but as the crumb topping hardens in the fridge, you're already making the batter for the cake!

For the crumb topping: Mix together the ingredients for crumb topping and set in the fridge for 15 minutes.

For the cake:

Preheat the oven to 350º and line a square cake pan with parchment paper. Grease the parchment. Mix together the wet ingredients (eggs, pumpkin, sour cream, oil, vanilla, and both sugars). Set aside. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, pumpkin spice, and pinch of salt. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk until the batter just comes together.

Pour the batter into the 9x9 square cake pan and sprinkle the top of the cake with a generous amount of crumb topping. Bake at 350º for 35m. Let cool 20 minutes before slicing and serving.

HINT: Remember to let the batter sit on the counter for at least 15-20 minutes, this allows the baking soda and baking powder to work and gives the loaf/bread a nicer rise and an airy texture.

Coffee Cake Swaps and Substitutions

This recipe is excellent the way it is, but of course, if you have adjust the recipe to fit your dietary needs (or someone else if you're making it for them), here are some swaps and subs that fit perfectly:

• Flour: this won’t really change the bake time, but it will alter the taste and texture. I swear by Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour, which you can find on Thrive Market or in a variety of other stores.
• Milk: if you want to make this dairy free, swap out the regular milk for almond or oat milk!
• Sugar: I like using Wholesome Sweet’s brand of organic cane sugar, but I also really like their coconut sugar (Bob’s Red Mill makes a great coconut sugar too). Coconut sugar is usually a 1:1 replacement, but sometimes, real organic sugar is best, and in these muffins the real deal is where it’s at. Plus it’s one cup of sugar across the entire coffee cake, so it’s not super sweet.

Recipe Variations

Recipes are tested over and over again, but there is something about taking a base recipe like this one and making it your own. Here are some add ins to make this cake perfect for you:

• Fruit - add in some blueberries, strawberries, or banana!
• Chocolate - pour in a cup of chopped chocolate or chocolate chips to give this a fun chocolate twist
• Loaf - make a loaf instead of a cake and top with the streusel just the same.

Kitchen Equipment and Tools

The most important kitchen tool I highly recommend is a scale for anyone who likes to bake, even if not professionally. The reason for the scale is because one cup for me may not be one cup for you. There's lot of methods out there for measuring dry, or even wet, ingredients, but I am here to tell you having a scale is a game changer. I like my Zwilling digital scale, (affiliate link) but you can find many more on Amazon, Sur La Table, or even Target.

If you are not using a scale: Use the scoop and level method: Scoop flour into a measuring cup until it fills the entire cup, the level it off by scraping the excess with a butter knife back into the bag of flour or whatever contain you keep your flour in.

Other common kitchen tools include:

• Cake pan and parchment paper (I used a square 9x9)
• Spatula
• Whisk
• Measuring spoons and cups
• Mixing bowls

How do I store this recipe? Can I freeze this?

This coffee cake will do well on the counter for up to 3-4 days in a tightly sealed tupperware container. If you would like to place the remainder (or all of it) in the freezer, I highly recommend you do so by wrapping tightly with plastic wrap, then in aluminum foil, indicating the date the cake were baked. This cake should be defrosted and consumed within one month.

Hungry for More?

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these: