Pumpkin Spice Coffee Cake with Pecan Streusel

A straight-on view of a Pumpkin Spice Coffee Cake that has been cut into squares with a pecan streusel and maple glaze on top.

Pumpkin Spice Coffee Cake with Pecan Streusel

Course: Breakfast / Brunch

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 55

Resting time: 30

Total Time: 1 45

Servings:

Calories: 691kcal

Author: Kris Longwell

A tender, warmly spiced pumpkin coffee cake topped with buttery pecan streusel and finished with a simple maple glaze—perfect for fall brunch or an afternoon treat.

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Equipment

8x8-inch baking sheet lined with parchment paper

Ingredients

For the Pecan Streusel

¾ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup brown sugar light
1½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
6 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
½ cup pecans roughly chopped

For the Cake

2 cups all-purpose
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
½ cup unsalted butter room temperature (1 stick)
¾ cup granulated sugar
½ cup brown sugar light
2 large eggs room temperature
1 cup pumpkin purée not pumpkin pie filling
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup sour cream room temperature

For the Maple Glaze

¾ cup powdered sugar
¼ cup heavy cream or milk, see NOTES
1 tablespoon maple syrup 100% pure, not pancake syrup

Instructions

Make the Streusel

Stir together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Pour in the melted butter and mix until clumps form. Fold in the pecans. Refrigerate while you make the batter.
¾ cup all-purpose flour, ½ cup brown sugar, 1½ tsp ground cinnamon, ¼ tsp fine sea salt, 6 tbsp unsalted butter, ½ cup pecans

Make the Cake Batter

Prepare the pan. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease an 8-inch square baking pan and line it with parchment, leaving a little overhang for lifting the cake out.
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.
2 cups all-purpose, 1 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda, ½ tsp fine sea salt, 2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp ground ginger, ½ tsp ground nutmeg, ¼ tsp ground cloves
In your stand mixer, beat the softened butter with both sugars until light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Mix in the pumpkin purée and vanilla. The mixture may look slightly curdled; that’s okay. Add the dry ingredients in two additions, alternating with the sour cream, mixing on low just until combined. Don’t overmix.
½ cup unsalted butter, ¾ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup brown sugar, 2 large eggs, 1 cup pumpkin purée, 1 tsp vanilla extract, ½ cup sour cream

Prepare the Cake and Bake

Spread about half the batter in the prepared pan. Sprinkle over roughly one-third of the streusel. Carefully spread the remaining batter on top, then scatter the rest of the streusel evenly over the surface.
Bake for 50–55 minutes, until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter. If the top browns too quickly, loosely cover it with foil for the last 10 minutes.
Let the cake cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes. Whisk the glaze ingredients until smooth, adding just enough milk or cream to make it drizzle-able. Remove the cake from the pan by lifting the parchment paper straight up. Place on a cutting board or platter. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake. Use a large knife to cut into squares. Serve slightly warm, or store and then serve at room temperature.
¾ cup powdered sugar, ¼ cup heavy cream, 1 tbsp maple syrup

Video

Notes

NOTE: Watch the video in the recipe card for visual guidance.

Use plain pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling. If using homemade purée, make sure it’s thick and not watery.
Full-fat Greek yogurt can replace the sour cream.
To check for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. It should come out with a few moist crumbs, but no wet batter.
For the glaze, start with ¼ cup of milk or cream and add more a little at a time until it’s thick but pourable. If it gets too thin, whisk in a little more powdered sugar.
Store covered at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 5 days. The recipe can be frozen unglazed for up to 3 months.

Nutrition