This pumpkin streusel coffee cake takes the classic to a new flavorful level. This delicious breakfast or brunch treat is topped with vanilla glaze and chopped pecans.

Traditionally, coffee cake is a buttery, fluffy cake with a streusel topping. In the world of baking, it's delicious to think outside of the box!

Pumpkin Coffee Cake topped with streusel and chopped pecans.

This pumpkin coffee cake is made with canned pure pumpkin and buttermilk to make it dense and moist.

Pumpkin cake with streusel topping on marble cutting board with a bowl of cinnamon sticks on the side.

How to make streusel topping

One of my favorite things about coffee cake is the scrumptious crumb topping! For this topping, it takes just a few ingredients to whip up a delicious streusel topping for this pumpkin streusel coffee cake.

Butter- Unsalted and melted
Brown sugar
Cinnamon
Flour- to bind
Chopped Pecans
Confectioner's Sugar- For the drizzle
Vanilla Extract
Milk- Just a tablespoon or two

Using a fork to blend the ingredients helps create a crumbly texture for the crumble topping instead of a goopy mess when using melted butter. If you prefer, you can dice cold butter up into small bits before adding it to the topping mixture. Some people prefer this method to melting the butter.

If using melted butter, I find that placing the crumb mixture in the palm of my hands and rubbing my hands together creates a fine and crumbly topping.

Allow the cake to cool completely before drizzling the vanilla glaze on top of this coffee cake. Otherwise, it will melt into the cake.

A close-up of a slice of pumpkin cake topped with streusel, pecans, and icing drizzle.

What Ingredients are in Pumpkin Streusel Coffee Cake?

Canned Pumpkin - 100% Pure Pumpkin
Brown Sugar - packed and light variety
Spices - Ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves.
Flour - All Purpose
Egg - room temperature is best
Buttermilk - helps create a dense and moist coffee cake
Baking Powder and Baking Soda - leavening agents
Butter - unsalted, softened

See the recipe card for ingredient amounts.

You may like this Sour Cream Coffee Cake version of this coffee cake.

Pumpkin streusel coffee cake sliced into 12 squares.

How to Make Pumpkin Streusel Coffee Cake

One of the most important steps to making this pumpkin streusel coffee cake is NOT overbeat! The coffee cake should be moist, fluffy, and a little crumbly. Overbeating will make it dense and dry.

The first step to making this cake is to line a 9x9 baking pan with parchment paper.

The brown sugar and softened butter are beaten until creamy and the egg is then beat into the mixture until fluffy.

Canned pumpkin is added next, making sure to combine well.

Next, the spices, leavening agents, and flour are combined together.

Half of the dry mixture is then added to the wet mixture and beaten until just combined.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Iced Pumpkin Spice Loaf

Streusel topping pumpkin cake side view with icing drizzle.

Buttermilk is then added to the cake batter as well as the remaining flour mixture. It's important to beat until just combined so that it doesn't come out dry once baked.

This cake batter will be very thick and that is completely normal. Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan and spread evenly.

To make the streusel topping for this pumpkin coffee cake, melt the butter and combine it with the brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour. I use a fork to rake the mixture and to create crumbles.

Evenly layer the streusel topping on top of the batter by sprinkling it over the entire top of the pumpkin streusel coffee cake.

Chopped pecans are then added on top of the streusel topping and then it is baked for about 50-60 minutes. Keep an eye on your oven as baking times vary based on ovens! A toothpick stuck in the center of the cake should come out clean before removing it from the oven.

TOP TIP

If you don't have any buttermilk, no worries! Combine ½ cup of milk with ½ tablespoon of lemon juice. Allow the milk to sit for at least 5 minutes before adding to the cake batter.

📖 Recipe

Yield: 12 Slices

Pumpkin Streusel Coffee Cake

Name: Pumpkin Streusel Coffee Cake
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted; 3/4 cup brown sugar; 1 egg; 15 oz 100% pure canned pumpkin; 2 cups all-purpose flour; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 2 teaspoon baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg; 1/4 teaspoon ginger; 1/2 teaspoon cloves; 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/2 cup buttermilk; 1/3 cup butter, melted; 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/4 cup all purpose flour; 1 cup brown sugar; 1 cup pecans; 1 cup confectioner's sugar; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1-2 tablespoon milk

This pumpkin streusel coffee cake takes the classic to a new flavorful level. This delicious breakfast or brunch treat is topped with vanilla glaze and chopped pecans.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 55 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients

¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
¾ cup brown sugar
1 egg
15 oz 100% pure canned pumpkin
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ginger
½ teaspoon cloves
1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ cup buttermilk

Streusel Topping

⅓ cup butter, melted
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ cup all purpose flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup pecans

Glaze

1 cup confectioner's sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-2 tablespoon milk

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350° and line a 9x9 baking pan with parchment paper.
Beat the brown sugar and softened butter together until creamy.
Add the egg and beat until fluffy.
Beat in the pumpkin, combining well.
In a separate bowl, combine the spices and the flour.
Beat in half of the dry mixture into the wet ingredients.
Add in the buttermilk*
Beat in the remaining flour mixture until just combined. Do not overmix.
Spoon the cake batter into the baking pan.
Spread out evenly.
Melt the butter and combine it with the brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour.
Use a fork to rake through the mixture and to make it crumbly. **
Spread evenly over the cake batter.
Bake in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes. Oven temperatures will vary. Check the center of the cake with a toothpick before removing from the oven.
Allow the cake to completely cool before mixing together the ingredients for the drizzle and adding to the cake.

Notes

*To substitute the buttermilk, combine ½ cup of milk with ½ tablespoon of lemon juice. Allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes before adding it to the batter.

**A trick I use is to place the crumble mixture in the palm of my hands and rub my hands together and allow the crumbs to fall onto the batter. It creates a fine crumble.

Pumpkin Streusel Coffee Cake

How to make streusel topping

What Ingredients are in Pumpkin Streusel Coffee Cake?