Pumpkin Streusel Coffee Cake

A few weeks ago I was at BJ’s picking up a few things, and even though I didn’t need anything in the baking supplies aisles, I had to take a quick look and see if they had anything new. It’s a bad habit of mine. My curiosity really paid off this time, as I discovered they had cans of pumpkin on a huge sale – three of the warehouse-sized cans (I think they’re 28-oz each) for only $3.99! Even though I already had pumpkin in the pantry at home, I couldn’t resist stocking up just a bit more. The past few years there always seems to be a panic about pumpkin shortage when fall rolls around, and should that be the case this year I’ll be prepared 🙂

As I drove home that day I couldn’t stop thinking about baking up a few more pumpkin treats. I usually restrict most of my pumpkin baking to the fall months, but there’s really no reason not to use it year-round. And when I mentioned what I was thinking of doing over on my Facebook page, you guys responded in a big way – apparently you love pumpkin all year too! Though it typically takes me forever to choose a recipe when I decide to bake, I’d had this coffee cake flagged for a while, so the decision was easy this time.

After all the anticipation, this recipe didn’t disappoint. I loved it! Not surprisingly, the streusel was my favorite part – there’s a layer baked into the middle of the cake and one sprinkled on top as well so every single bite is packed with that brown sugar and oat goodness. The pumpkin contributes a pretty orange color to the cake, but the flavor is surprisingly subtle. I didn’t mind, but if you’re looking for something with an assertive pumpkin flavor, this probably isn’t the one for you. This morning I woke up to the first snow of the winter, and though it was just an inch or two, it was such a nice treat to enjoy a thick slice of this coffee cake under a blanket on my couch. The cake would be a great addition to a brunch menu I think, and with my enormous stash of pumpkin, it probably won’t be long until it makes another appearance on my table 🙂

Pumpkin Streusel Coffee Cake
adapted from Williams-Sonoma

Streusel
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch kosher salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

Cake
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature

Glaze
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray with flour. (A 9-inch cake pan works too as long as it has about 3-inch sides.)

To make the streusel: Stir the flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt together in a medium bowl. Add the butter, and use a pastry cutter to work it into dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside while you make the batter.

To make the batter: Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt together in a medium bowl. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the pumpkin puree and sour cream and beat until incorporated. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients, beating just until combined – the batter will be very thick.

Spread half of the batter in an even layer in the bottom of the prepared pan. Sprinkle half of the streusel mixture over the batter. Dollop the remaining batter over the streusel and use an offset spatula to spread it as best you can (it doesn’t have to be perfect). Top with the remaining streusel.

Bake the cake for about 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 15 minutes then remove the sides of the pan and let the cake cool completely.

To make the glaze: Whisk the confectioners’ sugar, milk and vanilla in a small bowl until the consistency is thick, but pourable. You might need to add a little more milk to achieve the right consistency (I did). Drizzle over the top of the cake. Let the glaze set before serving.