Streusel for life.
Brisk fall mornings call for thick squares of coffee cake covered with brown sugar streusel, and this pumpkin pecan crunch coffee cake is bringing all that and more. Soft, tender, and packed with warm spices and ribbons of streusel, it’s the perfect treat to enjoy any time of day.
This cake is inspired by my grandma Charlene’s famous coffee cake, which she baked for all our big family holiday breakfasts. Made from two box mixes (yellow cake and vanilla pudding), Grandma’s coffee cake was irresistibly sweet and decadent. I set out to recreate its rich golden color and dense sweetness without the artificial short-cuts, and canned pumpkin proved to be the perfect solution.
Coffee cake toppings come in many varieties, ranging from fine streusels to chunkier crumbles. Following my grandma’s lead, the topping for this cake leans into the finer streusel territory: it’s mostly brown sugar and melted butter, with pecans for additional crunch and richness. Don’t be tempted to skip the salt here: it’s critical to making the pecans pop and balancing the sweetness.
Between the pumpkin, eggs, and oil, this is a very rich and moist cake, so it takes a while to bake. Make sure the top of the cake is bouncing back and your skewer comes out totally clean before taking it out—otherwise you’ll risk underbaking it. Don’t be concerned about overbaking: this is not a cake that easily dries out.
This cake should stay good for 3-5 days after baking. I recommend keeping it in the refrigerator if you want it to last longer, especially if you live in a more hot or humid climate. Since it’s made with oil instead of butter, the texture doesn’t suffer from refrigeration. In fact, I almost love it even better when it’s served cold.
Enjoy!
Pumpkin Pecan Crunch Coffee Cake
(Serves 9)
For the brown sugar pecan streusel:
¾ c. (150 g.) light brown sugar
3 tbsp. (22 g.) all-purpose flour
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. kosher salt
3 tbsp. melted butter
¾ c. pecans, toasted and chopped
Instructions
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Drizzle over melted butter and toss with a fork until mixture resembles wet sand. Sprinkle over pecans and toss until incorporated. Set aside.
For the cake:
2 large eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree
¾ cup (150 g.) light brown sugar
½ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup sour cream
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. nutmeg
½ tsp. kosher salt
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
1 ¾ cup (210 g.) all-purpose flour
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, rack in the middle position. Grease a 8”x 8” metal baking pan with cooking spray; line bottom and two sides with a sheet of parchment paper, leaving the ends hanging over the edges for easy removal.
In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, pumpkin, brown sugar, oil, sour cream cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and cloves until combined. Whisk in baking powder and baking soda until well incorporated, at least 30 seconds. With a rubber spatula, fold in flour just until no streaks remain.
Pour half of batter into prepared pan. Top half of streusel, sprinkling in an even layer, then carefully spoon remaining batter over top. Sprinkle remaining streusel on top in an even layer.
Bake until risen, slightly springy to the touch, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 35-45 minutes.
Let cool before using parchment handles to lift the cake from the pan. Cut into squares and serve.
Originally posted October 20, 2024.
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