Name: Cinnamon Streusel Pumpkin Coffee Cake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 2 c flour (250g); 1 ½ tsp cinnamon; 1 ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice; ½ tsp salt; 2 tsp baking powder; ½ c unsalted butter, softened; 1 large egg (room temperature); 1 tsp vanilla; ⅓ c whole milk; ½ c brown sugar; ¼ c white sugar; 1 c pumpkin; ½ c flour; ¼ c unsalted butter, cubed (cold); ½ tsp cinnamon; ½ c brown sugar; 1 c powdered sugar; 1 tsp melted butter; 1 - 2 T milk; ½ tsp vanilla

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Give your favorite coffee cake a fall makeover with this simple and delicious Cinnamon Streusel Pumpkin Coffee Cake. Only about 15 minutes to prep and extra moist and fluffy thanks to the addition of pumpkin. Spiced with cinnamon and pumpkin spice and topped with buttery streusel and icing. The perfect addition to brunch and more!

Pumpin coffee cake with streusel topping on white plate with cinnamon sticks.

Adding pumpkin to just about anything makes it that much better, right? We love kicking off fall with all of the pumpkin things, and this Pumpkin Pie Crumble recipe that everyone LOVES was in a way the inspiration for this crumbly topped Pumpkin Coffee Cake.

Adding a touch of pumpkin and spice to a classic coffee cake adds all the more moisture and flavor--you may never go back! Try it topped with this Pumpkin Spiced Whipped Cream--YUM!

Why you will love this Pumpkin Coffee Cake Recipe:

It is so simple to prepare. Other than creaming the butter and sugar, this pumpkin coffee cake recipe really just requires a bit of adding and mixing. It does use up more dishes than many of my recipes, but I typically make the streusel topping in the same bowl I add the dry ingredients into to cut down on at least one dish!
3 parts to perfection: cake, cinnamon streusel topping, vanilla icing. The best coffee cakes include all three in my opinion! The moist pumpkin cake layer pairs so well with the cinnamon crumble topping, and top it with icing? The trifecta indeed.
Literally tastes like fall. One bite and you will be feeling all the cozy warm fall vibes that everyone loves. Any fall gathering will be all the more delicious with this cake! Between this and some pumpkin banana bread, your fall baking will be all set!
It is so moist and delicious! I have made this recipe so many times and it never disappoints. The cake texture is so perfectly moist and the crumbly topping just makes it the all the more dreamy!

Ingredients:

pumpkin: I always opt for canned no matter how many times I say I am going to make my own pumpkin purée. Canned works well and I keep it in the pantry all year round!
butter: I use unsalted. Make sure it is softened to room temperature.
sugar: regular, granulated
brown sugar: light brown sugar is what I use in this recipe. Dark should work, the flavor will be more bold and the cake may be darker in color.
vanilla: opt for real vanilla extract over imitation if possible in this recipe.
egg: ideally at room temperature. Room temperature eggs will help the cake rise better and are ideal for the given baking time. Using a cold egg can add time needed to bake.
flour: I use all purpose flour for this recipe. A one to one gluten free flour should work as well in case you need to substitute.
baking powder: make sure your baking powder is fresh. This will make for a much more successful pumpkin coffee cake.
spices: I use a combination of pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon. I find that some pumpkin pie spices you get from the store have too much nutmeg for me. So I like to balance it a bit with more cinnamon. You could do all pumpkin spice if preferred.

Streusel Topping:

For the cinnamon streusel topping, cold butter is better to start with to make it easier to cut into the flour and sugar mixture. You can even use a cheese grater to grate the butter as I did for these honey biscuits. Use a pastry cutter or fork, or even fingers to mix it all together.

Vanilla Icing:

You only need a few things here: powdered sugar, milk or cream, melted butter and vanilla. I prefer to add the butter to give the icing more flavor and a better texture. You can adjust the amount of milk to your desired thickness.

I prefer the icing drizzled over top, but you can make it thicker and spread it over top instead!

Icing and streusel topping ingredients sorted on counter and labeled.

How To Make This Pumpkin Coffee Cake:

Before you start with the cake batter, preheat the oven and then combine and whisk the dry cake ingredients and set aside.

Prepare the Cake: From there, cream the softened butter and sugar until creamy, light and fluffy. Add in the milk, egg and vanilla and beat until fully incorporated. (steps 1-2)
Add the pumpkin and beat only until mixed in--you don't want to over mix from this point on. (step 3)
Add in the dry ingredients slowly into the wet and beat, again just until mixed fully. The batter will be thick. Pour the batter into a well greased 9x9 inch baking pan and spread to even out. (steps 4-6)

Step by step photos on how to make coffee cake recipe with pumpkin.

Prepare the Streusel Topping: Mix together the flour, brown sugar and cinnamon to combine. Add in the cold, small cubed butter and use a pastry cutter or fork to break down the butter until coarse and crumbly. You can use a food processor for this step, just requires another dish to clean, and sometimes I am not in the mood for more!
Sprinkle the crumble topping over evenly over the pumpkin layer. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. I find that 30 minutes on the dot works best for my oven. The streusel isn't overly crispy at this point, nice and soft with a very slight crunch. You can broil the top for a minute or two if you like crunch on top. (steps 7-8)
Allow to cool on a cooling rack for at least 10 minutes before icing. When ready, whisk together the icing ingredients and drizzle over top. Adjust the thickness as desired. Serve immediately still warm or after icing fully hardens. (step 9)

Streusel topping over cake in pan, baked coffee cake and then iced cake.

Expert Tips and Notes:

I have tested this pumpkin coffee cake using an 8x8 inch square pan. I find the cake layer to be too thick in comparison to the crumble topping and it's not quite balanced. If using this size pan, the cook time will be about 35-37 minutes.
You can freeze your coffee cake. Store in an airtight container and thaw within about 2 months. I also like to freeze a few individual pieces for when I really have a craving!
If you are craving even more pumpkin spice, you can add a pumpkin spice coffee creamer instead of milk into the icing.