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This Pumpkin Spice Coffee Cake recipe is about to make all your pumpkin spice dreams come true.
This coffee cake has truly converted some pumpkin spice haters into total PSL lovers!
This Pumpkin Spice Coffee Cake will take you to a new place in the heavenly world of fall baking.
The cake is, of course, made with pumpkin puree and lots of warm spices. But then I also added in sour cream to get that moist tang we all want in coffee cake.
Then there’s the streusel. What’s better than streusel?! Here we have a buttery brown sugar pecan streusel loaded with more cinnamon.
The streusel doesn’t just go on top of this cake. There’s a layer in the center that provides a flavorful crunchy ribbon of goodness to each and every bite.
Really, my goal here was to satisfy your cravings for fall flavors while also making your house smell amazing.
Then there’s the icing on top… literally. Just a simple powdered sugar and maple syrup icing does the trick. All of these flavors together are an autumn dream.
But the best part?
How quick and easy this recipe is! You can have a batch of this Pumpkin Spice Coffee Cake cooling on your counter in about one hour. I think it tastes amazing warm. The cake itself can be covered and stored for up to 4 days and it somehow still stays moist.
Though I highly doubt it will last that long.
The Best Pumpkin Spice Coffee Cake
The Star of the Show: The Pumpkin Puree!
- I used store-bought canned pumpkin puree for this Pumpkin Spice Coffee Cake recipe.
- If you’d like, you could use homemade pumpkin puree in this recipe.
- Note: Be sure NOT to use canned pumpkin pie filling for this recipe – it is not the same thing as pumpkin puree.
- Be sure to check out my Fresh vs. Canned Pumpkin article for the differences between using fresh pumpkin puree, regular canned pumpkin, and organic canned pumpkin – and to learn how to make your own!
Why is There No Coffee in This Coffee Cake?
Generally, coffee cake is meant to be served with coffee, so it doesn’t typically contain coffee as an ingredient! Especially in this recipe where we want the pumpkin spice flavor to shine.
Why is There Sour Cream in This Coffee Cake Recipe?
Sour cream in coffee cake creates the most amazingly moist texture and flavor. If you don’t have sour cream, you can use plain full-fat yogurt instead.
What Baking Pan is Best for Coffee Cake?
This recipe was tested with an 8-inch square metal baking pan. If you’re using a glass or ceramic pan, you may need to extend the baking time by 5 to 15 minutes as those materials cook more slowly than metal. Learn more about Glass vs. Metal Baking Pans in my article here.
My Coffee Cake Sank in the Middle. Why?
- This cake is very rich, so it may sink very slightly in the middle. It shouldn’t be dramatic.
- If you do have a dramatic caving in the center, you may not have baked the cake for long enough.
- Check your baking time and that your oven is properly heating with an oven thermometer.
- Learn more about ovens in my article here.
Can You Double This Coffee Cake Recipe?
Yes! Simply double all ingredients and bake in a 9 by 13-inch baking pan and add about 5 minutes to the baking time.
How Long Can You Store Coffee Cake?
The Pumpkin Spice Coffee Cake itself can be covered and stored for up to 4 days. This cake stays very moist and the pumpkin spice flavor actually improves over time! Make this cake the night before serving it to save yourself time.
Can You Freeze Coffee Cake?
- I’ve had surprisingly good results from freezing the entire baked Pumpkin Spice Coffee Cake in an airtight container, then allowing it to defrost at room temperature before icing and serving.
- Slices will also freeze well – just wrap each slice well in plastic wrap and place inside an airtight container or freezer bag, to prevent freezer burn. Allow slices to defrost at room temperature before icing and serving.
More Delicious Fall Breakfast Recipes:
For the streusel:
-
1/2
cup
(100 grams) light brown sugar
-
1/4
cup
(32 grams) all-purpose flour
-
1/2
cup
(60 grams) pecans,
finely chopped
-
1
teaspoon
ground cinnamon
-
3
tablespoons
(43 grams) unsalted butter,
melted
For the cake:
-
2
cups
(254 grams) all-purpose flour
-
1
teaspoon
baking powder
-
1/2
teaspoon
baking soda
-
1/2
teaspoon
fine salt
-
1/2
teaspoon
ground cinnamon
-
1/4
teaspoon
ground ginger
-
1/4
teaspoon
ground nutmeg
-
1/2
cup
(100 grams) light brown sugar
-
1/2
cup
(100 grams) granulated sugar
-
1
cup
(244 grams) pumpkin puree
-
1/2
cup
(100 grams) vegetable oil
-
4
ounces
(113 grams) sour cream,
at room temperature
-
2
large eggs,
beaten
For the glaze::
-
1/2
cup
(63 grams) powdered sugar,
sifted
-
2
tablespoons
maple syrup
-
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray the bottom of an 8-inch square pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Make the streusel:
-
In a small bowl, combine all of the streusel ingredients with a fork until crumbly.
Make the cake:
-
In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. In a small bowl, stir together the pumpkin puree, oil, sour cream, and eggs. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, then pour in the wet ingredients. Gently stir until just combined.
-
Spoon half of the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with half of the streusel. Spread the remaining batter over the streusel. Sprinkle with the remaining streusel.
-
Bake for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Glass and ceramic pans will take longer to bake than metal. Cool for 15 minutes.
Make the topping:
-
In a small bowl, combine the sugar and maple syrup until a thick, pourable icing forms. Drizzle over the warm cake. Cut into squares and serve. Store leftovers, covered, at room temperature for up to 4 days.
This recipe was published in 2017 and recently updated with additional recipe tips. Photos by Sarah Fennel.
November 2020 Baking Challenge
This recipe was the November 2020 pick for our monthly baking challenge! Every month you can join the challenge by baking the recipe and snapping a photo for a chance to win prizes! Learn more about my monthly baking challenges here. Check out everyone’s coffee cakes:
There is a reason this has so many 5* reviews. We’re not a pumpkin family so I was hesitant to try it. I didn’t tell hubby until after he said he loved it and I still haven’t told my son! I followed the recipe almost exactly except switching greek yogurt for the sour cream. I contemplated doubling the cinnamon but the cake was perfectly spiced. I do feel that the maple glaze is unnecessary and that the cake is perfect without it. I made the glaze but in the end just used very little of as a drizzle.
So happy to hear this was such a hit!!!
A+++ recipe!! Baked in a 9×9 pan and still turned out amazing. Definitely a keeper and the whole family loved it!
Yay! So thrilled to hear that, MK!
Can this be doubled and made in a 9×13 pan?
Hi Rachel! Yes! As Tessa mentions in the pink tip box above the recipe, this can be doubled into a 9×13 pan and add about 5 minutes to the baking time 🙂 Happy baking!
Just made this as a double batch and completely forgot the eggs. 🙁 Was wondering why it was so thick and hard to spread. I also MIGHT have reduced the oil by 1/4 and both sugars a bit as well – this is what happens when youre scatterbrained and get interrupted while baking. Sigh. figured better to have less than too much, so took a risk. It’s in the oven – Wish me luck….
__
How it turned out: turned out really great. a little dense but i like the denseness for a coffee cake. it’s very moist. I skipped the icing and topped it with cream cheese fruit dip i had on hand from a fruit platter. DELISH! Next time i wont forget the eggs haha.
So glad this worked out and still tasted good, even with your adjustments, Joanne!
Looks absolutely delicious! Please clarify that sour cream is 1/2 cup as equivalent to 4 oz. Thanks.
Hi Mindy! Yes, that is correct 🙂 Please let us know what you think of this recipe once you give it a try! Happy baking 🙂
It was perfect! It turned out completely, totally perfect. YUM. And thank you!
So happy to hear you enjoyed this coffee cake so much, Taisa!! 🙂
I made this recipe several times already. This is now one of my favourite cakes and everyone loved it so far.
I had to translate the recipe to German for colleagues and friends
I doubled the amount of streusel this time (currently cooling), because my family loves streusel. Let’s see what they’ll say tomorrow ☺️
So happy to hear this cake has been such a hit! I’m with you on doubling the streusel, yummy! Thanks for the comment, Kati 🙂
Absolutely delicious! Great flavour and so moist! The streusel is perfect. A new favourite that will be made again and again. Thank you!
So happy you enjoyed this recipe! Thanks so much for the comment 🙂
Delicious! Baked for 40 minutes. Maybe should have been 37 but still moist. Make glaze with milk because no maple syrup. Love no mixer! Your recipes always terrific. Will post and tag on Insta later.
Yum! Perfect, warm treat for a cold winter morning. I was excited to make this and started mixing everything up only to discover I was out of eggs! Doh! I hate when that happens. I just added the rest of the can of pumpkin for extra moisture and crossed my fingers. Ha! It still turned out deliciously but probably a little more dense than with eggs. Next time I’ll check my ingredients before starting (not the first time I’ve made ingredient assumptions) ♀️ Thanks for a tasty treat!
I don’t think there’s anything more frustrating on a wintry day to find out you’re out of a key ingredient for such a warm treat, way to keep with it and experiment! Glad it still turned out delicious 🙂
This has become part of my Christmas morning buffet. It’s so good. Always a hit!
Wonderful! So happy to hear how much you love them, thanks so much for the comment!
This recipe is a keeper! Only thing I had to substitute was walnuts for the pecans because that’s what I had on hand. I can’t wait to make it again with pecans in the future!
Have you ever made this in a half sheet pan? Could I either 1.5x the recipe or double it to fit so it feeds more people? This looks delicious and I can’t wait to try it!
Hi Kimberly! We haven’t tried in a half sheet pan before, though we have doubled and baked in a 9×13 baking dish, with an additional 5 minutes to the baking time. You’re welcome to 1.5x or double the recipe 🙂 Please let us know how it goes if you give it a try!
Can I use walnuts instead of pracans?
While we haven’t tried that, other readers have with success 🙂
Sooooo Amazing!! I will definitely be making this again! I can’t imagine anyone not loving this coffee cake
Amazing!! Made this for my daughter to take to school, also took some to work. Everyone loved it. Plan on making more for thanksgiving breakfast. I used pumpkin pie spice for the apices since I had it on hand and left out the pecans per my daughter. Can’t wait to try it with them. Thank you for a wonderful recipe.
So happy everyone enjoyed this recipe! And what a perfect treat to start out Thanksgiving with. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!
Great recipe! I used olive oil instead of vegetable, walnuts for the pecans, and changed the spice mixture to cardamom, clove and cinnamon. Swapped vanilla and milk for the maple syrup in the glaze. @icravephilly
Ooo love cardamom and cloves, such warm spices and would be delicious with this recipe!
Made a couple changes. Reduced the oil by half and simply replaced it with an equal portion of pumpkin puree. Reduced the sugar by half and added 5 pitted medjool dates, finely chopped, instead. Doubled the amount of cinnamon because we like cinnamon. =) Turned out beautifully and received rave reviews from family and friends.
So happy your substitutions worked well, Lena! Thanks so much for sharing 🙂
Delicious! I used homemade pumpkin purée. My family really liked it and asked me to make sure I keep the recipe. Next time I may thin the glaze a bit by using an extra teaspoon of maple syrup.
Happy to hear it was such a hit! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Your 1/2 cup in grams seem to all be different depending on ingredientes. You also have flour 254g/ 2 cups then pumpkin pureee 244 is 1 cup. Please advise.
Hi Alemuz! The recipe is correct, keep in mind that different ingredients have different densities! Think of it like this: 1 cup of feathers would not weigh the same as 1 cup of rocks. Pumpkin is a heavier ingredient than flour, thus it has a higher gram amount for a smaller amount. I hope that helps!
So delicious! Has a nice light texture and wonderful flavor. Husband even liked this cake and he’s not a fan of pumpkin. Will definitely make this cake again. Thanks for sharing!
Amazing! So happy to hear it was such a hit!
Omg!! Loved it
Just finished making it and me and my boyfriend absolutely love it. I told him he would fall in love with me again and he did. Lol
Aw, that’s so sweet haha! So happy you both enjoyed this recipe, thanks so much for sharing! 🙂
So delicious and not too sweet
OMG!!! Me and my family have fallen head over heels in love with this!! I love coffee cake and I love pumpkin flavored things, so the two together? LIFE CHANGING!!!
Haha YAY! So glad you loved this coffee cake so much.
Can you make this all gluten-free with just substituting the flour equally with a gluten-free brand
Doubled this recipe for a 9×13 pan and it was amazing! Everyone at work loved it. Could have used a few more minutes in my oven with the additional 5 minutes!
So thrilled this coffee cake was a hit at work!
Can we prep this the night before, put in the fridge and just pop the pan into the oven in the morning?
I wouldn’t recommend that, as your coffee cake wouldn’t get the rise needed if the batter is refrigerated overnight. I’d recommend baking the recipe fully the night before as it stores very well for up to 4 days! You could also freeze ahead of time as well.
This was a simple to follow recipe and the cake was SO moist, but well balanced with the crunchiness throughout from the streusel. In one word – delicious! First time I’ve made this cake (but won’t be the last) and it was a huge hit with many asking for the recipe!
So thrilled to hear this recipe was enjoyed!
Can this receipt be used in a 10 cup bundt pan? If so, any special instructions in doing so?
Hi John! We haven’t tried this recipe in a bundt pan before. If you have success with that, we’d love to hear about it!
Are you able to add instant coffee to the coffee cake for that little taste of coffee? If so, how much?
I haven’t personally tried that before! If you give that a try, let us know how it turns out!
Have made this three times this Fall!!! Amazing!!!!!
YAY!! So happy to hear how much you love this coffee cake, thanks for sharing 🙂
Incredibly delicous and moist;)
This looks amazing! Could I bake this in a loaf pan?
We haven’t tried that, though a couple reviewers had success halving the recipe in a loaf pan. Please let us know how it goes if you give it a try 🙂
Have you ever prepped the cake and put in fridge to bake the next day?
While this recipe does contain both baking powder and baking soda, we don’t recommend refrigerating the batter overnight as you will not get the rise needed for this coffee cake. This coffee cake can be stored at room temperature for up to 4 days, and honestly, the pumpkin spice flavor actually improves over time and the cake stays very moist. We would suggest baking in advance instead. Hope that helps!
Perfection! Super moist and flavorful. Perfect blend of sweet and spice. Loved the streusel and pecan layering.. it adds a great texture. Everyone loves it.. will make again!
Hooray!! So happy to hear that 🙂
I love everything about this cake recipe! Easy enough, i am not a baker, & so so good! Hits all the fall spots. Can’t recommend enough. Cheers, folks! ☕ Happy fall
So happy you loved this recipe, Samantha!
I doubled the recipe and baked it in a 9×13 glass pyrex. It took about 20 minutes longer to bake. It is delicious. The only change I made was to add some cloves to the batter. Next time I think I will add pecans to the batter as well. I shared it with family and friends. Everyone enjoyed.
Love your addition! And the pecans sound delicious too, yum! So happy to hear it was a hit, thanks for sharing, Liz! 🙂
While I liked the streusel and thought the texture of the cake to be nice, the cake itself was quite bland. Next time, I would double maybe even triple the amount of spices. Those proportions are what I generally find in flavorful pumpkin recipes.
Sorry to hear that! You’re more than welcome to experiment with the spices to perfect it for your preference. I hope you give this recipe another try!
Cannot wait to eat this coffee cake…as I write this it is baking in the oven..love the combination of pumpkin, pecans and maple…those flavors are my favorite.
I’m sure it smelled amazing while it was baking, please let us know how it turned out! 🙂
This was the best coffee cake I have made. My three year old son asked for it for his birthday! Can’t wait to make it again!
Amazing!! So happy it was such a hit, what a compliment that he’d like it for his birthday! Thanks for the rave review 🙂
This is so good. It really is moist and delicious and that streusel is to die for.
I wanted to make another pumpkin recipe on the same day (and in the same pan…) so I ended up using just a half can of pumpkin (212 g) for each recipes and it worked beautifully. So, one can of pumpkin will make this twice which is very handy.
So glad you enjoyed it, Rachel, and love how you incorporated two recipes into the same pan! So creative!
The beginning of September and the first cool day after a heat wave so obviously something pumpkin spice was needed. This cake did not disappoint! It was so delicious and very easy to make. Can’t wait to make it again!
So happy you loved this cake, Kelly! I don’t think there’s anything better than cooler days and pumpkin desserts 🙂
I made this yesterday. It’s good. Pumpkin flavor is subtle. I used a metal 9×9 plan and still had to cook longer than the recipe states. I’ve had this issue with other recipes on this site too. I don’t know what’s up with your oven, but I find the cooking times to be unreliable and have noticed other comments to that effect so I know it’s not just me.
Thanks for your feedback, Sally! Many home ovens aren’t accurately calibrated and can be off by 10, 20, even 40°F! That means when your oven says it’s preheated to 350°F, it may be incorrect and actually need more time to get to that temperature. Do you have an oven thermometer to check its accuracy? Here at Handle the Heat, we’ve noticed even with our own ovens that our temperatures can be off, so we always suggest using an oven thermometer. My personal oven takes an extra 15 minutes to get up to temp after it beeps stating it’s at the correct temperature, and if I bake anything before that, it does take longer. So happy your cake still turned out well 🙂
Hi we don’t get canned pumpkin purée here can I just boil it and put it in the blender ?
Hi Shamistha! You are welcome to use homemade pumpkin puree instead, that will work just fine! Here is a great recipe on how to make it (though there are many online). Please let us know what you think of this recipe when you have a chance to make it! 🙂
Oh my god!!.. Thanks a lot for this recipe Tessa.. It was so god.. so moist that my Dad specifically required me to use this recipe for his birthday cake.. it was incredible moist and loaded with the amazinf spices.. my godness.. dellicious… thanks so much!!… PD: I had to used plain yogurt (because here it is very dificult to find sour cream), and still was a hit!!.. thanks..
So awesome to hear, Dayris! I’m thrilled your dad loved this coffee cake so much he wants it again for his birthday! 🙂
Hi, Tessa.
I would like to make this cake, except I don’t have sour cream. I have greek yogurt, but it’s no fat. Can I sub that yogurt for the sour cream, or would the lack of fat not work so well? If it won’t work, I’ll just wait until I can buy the sour cream.
Thanks so much.
I haven’t tried a non-fat yogurt in this recipe, so I can’t say for sure! I’d personally recommend waiting-the sour cream really gives it that moist tang that you look for in coffee cake 🙂
Hi, Tessa,
Thanks for that. I’ll take your advice and use sour cream.
I appreciate it.
This cake was delicious! I made a few changes as I am at higher altitude and I don’t like ginger, I used cloves instead. I also added more cinnamon and nutmeg than called for 1 tsp and 3/4 tsp because we love spices! Overall, very much a hit at my house!
So glad you enjoyed this coffee cake recipe!
Hi,
Could you tell me what changes you made for higher altitude, please? I am at 3500 ft, so I am at a loss as to what I need to change.
Thanks very much,
Hi Lynda, I’m not really sure because I’ve never baked at a higher altitude. If you find that you normally need to make adjustments for a recipe to turn out, then I would stick to whatever you normally do. Good luck!
Oops sorry, Tessa, I didn’t mean for this question to go to you. I meant for it to go to the person above my question….Lyndsey M. She mentioned that she made changes for high altitude.
Thanks for responding, though. I appreciate it.
SO GOOD!!! 10/10. I omitted the glaze drizzle and the streusel filling to manage the overall sweetness. My fam devoured this and could not get enough…even my mom who supposedly said she didn’t like pumpkin asked me for the recipe. Thank you for sharing this delight!
SO GOOD!!! 10/10. I omitted the glaze drizzle and the streusel filling to manage the overall sweetness. My fam devoured this and could not get enough…even my mom who supposedly said she didn’t like pumpkin asked me for the recipe. Thank you for sharing this delight!
Tessa, I made this recipe. It looked great and smelled wonderful, and when I did my toothpick test it came out clean. However, as the coffee cake was cooling, the middle started sinking; and when I cut into it later the middle wasn’t cooked all the way. I have tested my oven temperature and it is fine, and I even added 10 more minutes to the bake time. My question is how can I know that a coffee cake like this is really fully cooked if the toothpick test isn’t reliable?
Absolutely delicious. I did only make 1/2 of the recipe for the drizzle topping.
So glad you tried this recipe out!
I swapped a few ingredients and it came out smelling, looking, and (hopefully) tasing pretty good!
I used gluten free 1:1 flour in place of wheat flour, 1/2 cup of softened butter (that I mixed directly into the sugars before adding the other wet ingredients), plain Greek yogurt in place of sour cream, and the full 15 oz. can of pumpkin purée (because gluten free flour sucks up a lot of moisture!).
So excited to eat it once it cools down. Seriously a pregnancy craving!
Good to know this recipe still works with substitutions! So glad you were able to enjoy this coffee cake recipe. Hooray!
I made this last night, and it is spectacular! I’m a baker, so my standards are high. Did omit the glaze because I’m not big on super sugary taste.
So happy to hear this, Laura!
Soooo good! I’ve made this several times. The first time I followed the recipe. It was great. But because I love a good streusel crumb on top and in the middle, I did increase that part of the recipe by 50%. I also roasted my own pumpkin and pureed which really increased the flavor. (Tessa has a great video tutorial on this: canned versus fresh). I recommend making 2 at one time as they tend to disappear! 🙂
Hooray! I’m so glad you loved this recipe, Cindy!
Yummy!! I added just a little orange zest to the cake because I needed to use up an orange, but other than that, I followed the recipe to a T. The cake was moist and the cinnamon struesel is to die for!
Love the addition of orange zest! So glad you tried this recipe out.
I’m not usually a big fan of pumpkin but this pumpkin coffee cake is absolutely AMAZING!!!!
Hooray!!
So moist with a warm cinnamon flavor throughout. Delicious, but the crunch of the streusel inside and out puts it over the top!
I’m thrilled you love this coffee cake!
Oh my…best coffee cake I’ve tried this year, even without icing!! Good flavor and nice consistency. I used garden pumpkin and cooked it just prior to using in this recipe. I did not use the nuts due to family preference.
Hooray! Thank you so much for the kind comment.
Love this cake! Super simple but delicious and flavourful. I used chopped walnuts instead of pecans since that’s what I had. I’ll definitely be making this again!
This is the first time I made coffee cake. I was intimidated at first but Tessa made it super easy. I made it twice. Once with a friend and it was gone the same day. And another time with my mom and she shared it at work. Everyone loved it!! 🙂 I did have to leave it in longer bc it was not done at 35 minutes. I did what she said and waited longer with the tooth pick method. 🙂
This makes me super happy! I’m so glad you enjoyed this coffee cake recipe.
Hi there! I’m thinking about making this recipe for Thanksgiving next week. I’ve noticed that you said it keeps for 4 days. Should it be stored at room temperature or in the fridge?
Thanks!
Hi Michaela! Store leftovers, covered, at room temperature for up to 4 days. This recipe is perfect for a relaxing and delicious Thanksgiving breakfast since you can make it ahead of time! Enjoy 🙂