Pumpkin Spice Coffee Cake with Pecan Crumb Topping, an easy cake with a moist pumpkin pie style filling and crunchy buttery topping. The combo roasted pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice and toasted pecans adds a cosy Autumn touch, and makes the cake incredibly delicious and comforting. Serve it with a hot cup of coffee, tea or hot chocolate, and you are in for a treat!
It's the season of pumpkin spice, cosiness and comforting treats that wrap us in a warm hug. You really can't have pumpkin without pumpkin spice, the two go together hand in hand to create mouth-watering desserts to enjoy throughout Autumn.
This scrumptious pumpkin coffee cake has layers of incredible flavours and wonderful textures that make us savour every single bite. Inspired by the colours of Fall, my cake is deliciously family-friendly, indulgent, and perfect for your Thanksgiving dessert menu too.
A tweak of my blueberry banana bread crumble cake, this pumpkin spice cake with pecan streusel topping is rich and buttery, moist and crunchy, light and decadent, just perfect to enjoy with a cup of pumpkin white hot chocolate for the ultimate Fall treat.
I absolutely love pumpkin desserts, my pecan-crusted pumpkin pie, pumpkin cornbread and pumpkin cinnamon rolls never miss from our table on Thanksgiving. They are so exquisite, it's hard to resist having one too many slices!
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Note!
Go to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions!
Ingredients overview - the crumb topping
- light brown sugar - add a caramel-like touch to the topping
- butter - I used salted butter to balance out the sweetness of the sugar
- plain flour - there is no need for any leavening agents to form the crumb topping
- pumpkin pie spice - for a touch of Fall
- chopped pecans - add a good crunch
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Ingredients overview - the sponge
- self-raising flour - helps with a light sponge
- baking powder - for extra lift
- pumpkin spice - adds a wonderful Autumnal feel to the cake
- sugar - I used granulated sugar, but caster sugar also works
- buttermilk - makes the sponge moist
- eggs - at room temperature
- butter - soften, but not melted
- dark brown sugar - adds a caramel-like taste for the sponge, and adds a darker colour
Step-by-step photos and instructions
- to make the pecan crumb topping, sift the flour in a mixing bowl, add the butter cut into cubes, and use your fingertips to rub them together until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs
- add the light brown sugar, pumpkin spice and chopped pecans, and mix everything together
- to make the sponge, add the dark brown sugar and butter to a large mixing bowl, and use a hand mixer to beat them together until you have a creamy mixture
- add the eggs one by one beating well after every addition
- add the buttermilk, pumpkin puree, pumpkin spice and beat again to incorporate
- sift in the flour, add the baking powder, and use a spatula to mix everything into a smooth mixture
- preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 Fahrenheit)
- grease and flour a rectangle baking tray ( mine is 30 x 22 x 5 cm / 12 x 9 x 2 inches), spread the mixture evenly, and top with the crumb topping
- bake for 40-45 minutes until golden and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean
Expert tips
I used roasted pumpkin puree, which was a lot lighter in colour than canned pumpkin puree. Depending on which one you use, the pumpkin sponge will have a lighter or darker shade.
Roasted pumpkin has a wonderful natural sweetness, which I prefer over the canned one, but texture wise, both should work. If you use canned pumpkin, make sure it's plain pumpkin puree, and not pumpkin pie filling, as that's already sweet and spiced.
Cream the sugar and butter really well, it will make the difference between a light sponge and a denser one. It is also important to use a spatula when you incorporate the flour, rather than the mixer, as overmixing can result in a tougher sponge.
Allow the cake to cool down completely before slicing, it might look unset if it's still warm. As it cools down, the flavours are more intense, and the sponge is light.
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Pumpkin Spice Coffee Cake with Pecan Crumb Topping
Ingredients
For the pecan crumb topping
- 100 g plain flour (¾ cup)
- 100 g light brown sugar (½ cup)
- 85 g cold butter, cubed ( 6 tbsp)
- ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
For the sponge
- 250 g self-raising flour (2 cups)
- 110 g soften butter (½ cup)
- 100 g dark brown sugar (½ cup)
- 50 g granulated sugar (¼ cup)
- 2 eggs
- 125 ml buttermilk (½ cup)
- 250 g roasted pumpkin puree (1 cup)
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or cinnamon / mixed spice)
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Instructions
- To make the pecan crumb topping, sift the flour in a mixing bowl, add the butter cut into cubes, and use your fingertips to rub them together until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
- Add the light brown sugar, pumpkin spice and chopped pecans, and mix everything together.
- To make the sponge, add the soften butter with the dark brown sugar and granulated sugar to a large mixing bowl, and use a hand mixer to beat them together until you have a creamy mixture.
- Add the eggs one by one, beaten really well after every addition.
- Add the buttermilk, roasted pumpkin puree, pumpkin spice and beat again.
- Sift in the flour, add the baking powder, and use a spatula to mix them together until you have a smooth batter.
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 Fahrenheit).
- Butter and flour a rectangle baking tray (30 x 22 x 5 cm / 12 x 9 x 2 inches).
- Spread the batter evenly, top it with an even layer of crumb, and bake for 40-45 minutes or until golden and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Remove the cake from the oven, and allow it to cool down completely before slicing.
Video
Notes
- I used roasted pumpkin puree, which has a lighter colour than the canned pumpkin puree. Depending on which one you use, the sponge will have a lighter or darker colour
- If you use canned pumpkin puree, make sure it's plain puree, not pumpkin pie filling
- For the best texture, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. This step makes a difference between a light, soft and moist sponge, and a tough one
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