Pumpkin Streusel Coffee Cake

This pumpkin streusel coffee cake is so quintessentially Fall! It bakes up soft and tender, is filled with warm spices, and topped with buttery, biscoff streusel. It’s the perfect treat on a crisp Fall day!

How to Make This Pumpkin Coffee Cake

To make sure this recipe turns out as amazing as possible, let’s walk through each step together! Below is a video along with step-by-step pictures.

Step 1: Make the Cinnamon Swirl

First, we tackle the cinnamon swirl. Whisk together the granulated sugar and ground cinnamon. Set aside.

Step 2: Make the Pumpkin Coffee Cake Batter

Next, we make the pumpkin coffee cake batter. Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C and line an 8-inch square or 9-inch round pan (springform works best) with parchment paper. Grease the pan with non-stick spray.

In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, mix the cake flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, pumpkin spice, baking powder, and fine salt.

Add the room temperature, unsalted butter that’s been cut into 1 Tbsp-sized pieces, to the dry ingredients.

Mix on a low speed with a paddle attachment or hand mixer until the mixture looks like wet sand and no more large chunks of butter remain.

Then add the sour cream, pumpkin puree, oil, and vanilla extract. Mix on a medium speed until fully combined.

Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula to make sure everything is properly mixed.

Step 3: Make the Biscoff Streusel Topping

We make the streusel topping last! In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, ground cinnamon, and fine salt. Then mix in the roughly chopped Biscoff cookies (optional).

Add the cold butter to the dry ingredients and use your fingers to break it up into smaller pieces. You should end up with a bowl of what looks like wet sand with some pea-sized chunks of butter. Be careful not to over-mix! You want to leave some of those buttery chunks intact.

Next, add the unsalted butter that’s been melted and set aside to cool for about 10 minutes into the mixture. Use a fork to kind of fold the mixture together. I sweep around the sides of the bowl and then along the bottom of the bowl.

The goal is to gently incorporate the butter into the dry ingredients while leaving some big chunks intact. Be careful not to overmix! Mix just until the flour is fully incorporated.

Step 4: Bake the Pumpkin Coffee Cake

Pour two-thirds of the batter (about 600g) into the prepared pan, then sprinkle the cinnamon swirl filling in an even layer over the batter.

Pour the rest of the batter over the cinnamon swirl, then cover the top of the batter with an even layer of Biscoff streusel.

Bake on the middle baking rack for 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs and the center looks set. Rotate the pan halfway through to help it bake evenly.

Bake time will be shorter in a square pan and longer in a round pan.

Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan for an hour. If you’re in a rush, pop the cake (pan and all) into the freezer for 30 minutes. Then, carefully lift the cake out of the pan with the parchment paper sling and place it on a wire rack to finish cooling.

Drizzle with warm cookie butter, then enjoy!

Substitutions and Swaps – Pumpkin Coffee Cake

This recipe uses quite a few ingredients, and I know you might not have them all on hand.

Below are some swaps and substitutions that can be made in this cake recipe.

• All-Purpose Flour – This recipe turns out best with all-purpose flour in the batter, but you can use a gluten-free flour blend or cake flour if that’s what you have on hand. You can also use self-rising cake flour, but be sure to omit the baking powder and salt in the recipe.
• Brown Sugar – Light or dark brown sugar can be used in this recipe, but I prefer using light brown sugar.
• Unsalted Butter – If you only have salted butter on hand, you can use it in place of the unsalted butter in this recipe. Just be sure to omit the salt that this cake recipe calls for. You can also use vegan butter in its place (and also omit the salt).
• Pumpkin Puree – Libby’s pumpkin puree works best in this recipe! If you use another brand, you may want to pour the puree onto a few sheets of paper towels to absorb any excess moisture. I find other brands, especially organic kinds, are a lot wetter.
• Vegetable Oil – Any flavorless oil will work in this recipe. Canola or even sunflower oil would work great!
• Biscoff Cookies – I like to add chopped biscoff cookies to the streusel for some added texture and flavor, but these can be omitted if needed.
• Cookie Butter – If you can’t find cookie butter, you can make a vanilla glaze using 1 cup powdered sugar (125g), 2 Tbsp cream or milk (30g), and 1 tsp vanilla extract.

Can This Recipe Be Doubled?

This recipe can be doubled and made in a 9×13-inch pan if needed. Bake time will be 5-10 minutes longer, and I recommend placing a couple of heating cores in the middle of the pan to help it bake more evenly.

This recipe can also be used to make pumpkin streusel coffee cake muffins. Fill cupcake liners 1/3 full, add a thin layer of cinnamon swirl, then top with additional batter until the liners are about 3/4 full and bake at 350°F / 175°C for 20-23 minutes (bake time will vary based on the size of your liners & pan).

Tips for Making the Best Pumpkin Coffee Cake

• Line the pan with a parchment paper sling so that you can easily remove the pumpkin coffee cake once it’s baked without messing up the streusel topping.
• Use pure pumpkin puree, NOT pumpkin pie filling!
• Properly measure your flour (spoon into the cup measure, then level) or use a kitchen scale to measure your dry ingredients.
• Ingredients at room temperature mix together better. Set out any cold ingredients ahead of time (unless otherwise specified).

Making This Recipe in Advance & Storage Tips

You can make this pumpkin coffee cake in advance! It can last for a few days at room temperature, up to a week in the fridge, or up to a month in the freezer. Store the pumpkin coffee cake in an airtight container to keep it moist.

This pumpkin coffee cake freezes extremely well! So don’t be afraid to make a double batch and freeze one for later. I like to wrap the pumpkin coffee cake in a layer of plastic wrap, and then a layer of foil to lock in all the moisture.

When I’m ready to enjoy one of the frozen coffee cakes, I move it from the freezer to the fridge the night before. Then I set it out at room temperature to let it thaw for a few hours before adding the cookie butter.

Let Me Know What You Think!

If you make this pumpkin coffee cake recipe, I’d love to hear what you think! Let me know by leaving a rating and comment below.

And don’t forget to tag me @chelsweets use #chelsweets if you share on social media, so that I can see your amazing creations.

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