Small Pumpkin Spice Streusel Coffee Cake
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Your fall breakfast just got a little sweeter with this small pumpkin spice streusel coffee cake! Layers of moist and tender cake, swirled with cinnamon sugar, and finished with a buttery pecan streusel. Ready in under an hour, it’s a simple breakfast you’ll want on repeat.
Pumpkin for Breakfast really Does Work
Here’s the debate in our house: is the best part about the pumpkin coffee cake the fragrant fall cake, or the buttery streusel top. It’s still a split decision. Sadly ( 😉 ), I’ll have to make more to determine the winner.
But the good news for you is I’ve tested this pumpkin coffee cake so many times, you don’t have to decide. The cake as a whole is what fall breakfast dreams are made of.
A sturdy coffee cake that stays moist for days, thanks to sour cream (the same method I use in my popular applesauce coffee cake). It features the anticipated cinnamon-swirl ribbon running through the center. And rich pumpkin and spices flavor it for the season.
But the pièce de resistance – and icon coffee cake element – the streusel top. With sweet pecans to give a little extra bite and flavor. And if love streusel, you have to give my small batch apple pumpkin streusel muffins a try next!
And all of this deliciousness in one, easy-to-make, breakfast cake. A couple bowls, the cutest baking dish, and that’s it. You’ll even serve the cake straight from the dish. And serve it a little warm. It makes all the difference when paired with a piping hot fall beverage.
You’re 6 Steps Away from Coffee Cake
And that includes making the streusel. This coffee cake mirrors the simplicity of my pumpkin mini bread with almond streusel.
I start by mixing all the wet ingredients – making sure to mix the egg well, so there are no eggy bits remaining. From there, I sift my dry ingredients over the top. You may have noticed that sometimes the pumpkin pie spice likes to clump, so sifting breaks it up. Plus, you alleviate any concerns of having pockets of one ingredient.
Pour half of the batter into the baking dish and give the top of it a good coating of cinnamon sugar. Then finish with the remaining batter, then the streusel.
And what may be one of my favorite things about this pumpkin cake: you can serve it directly from the pan. Winner, winner.
Helpful Tips To Get You Started
- Grease the pan well – Make sure to get into all the corners so the cake slices release easily.
- Chill the streusel – Make the streusel first, then pop it in the refrigerator to chill as you prepare the cake. This keeps the large streusel chunks intact when baked.
- Use all of the streusel – It will seem like a lot, but it bakes down.
- Give it a drizzle. My brown butter cinnamon glaze makes this coffee cake ridiculous (in a good way).
- Pumpkin spice overnight oats are a great way to use leftover pumpkin. Plus, they are so incredibly easy to make!
Did You Make It? Let’s Hear About It!
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Curious what side of the coffee cake debate I land on? Let’s just say there tends to be extra streusel bits left in the pan. 🙂 Let me know in the comments below, which part of coffee cake is your favorite!
Small Pumpkin Spice Streusel Coffee Cake
Equipment
- Fine Mesh Strainer (optional)
Ingredients
Streusel Topping
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup brown sugar, light or dark
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- 2 tablespoons pecans, chopped (optional)
Pumpkin Spice Coffee Cake
- ⅔ cup pure canned pumpkin
- ¼ cup organic cane sugar (or granulated sugar)
- ¼ cup brown sugar, light or dark
- 3 tablespoons full fat sour cream, room temperature
- 3 tablespoons canola oil (or any neutral oil)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons cinnamon sugar (for middle filling)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F degrees and adjust the rack to the middle position. Grease a glass 6-inch baking dish – making sure to get the corners well.
Streusel Topping
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Add the butter cubes. Use your fingers or a fork to cut the butter into the dry ingredients until it is moistened and resembles thick cookie dough. Stir in the chopped pecans. Refrigerate until ready to use.3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup brown sugar, light or dark, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes, 2 tablespoons pecans, chopped
Pumpkin Spice Coffee Cake
- In a medium mixing bowl, add the pumpkin, both sugars, sour cream, oil, and vanilla. Whisk until smooth. Add the egg and whisk until fully combined.2/3 cup pure canned pumpkin, 1/4 cup organic cane sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, light or dark, 3 tablespoons full fat sour cream, room temperature, 3 tablespoons canola oil, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 large egg, room temperature
- Sift or sprinkle the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices over the wet ingredients. Mix until no dry streaks remain. Note – I like to sift the dry ingredients through a fine mesh strainer set over the mixing bowl. This removes any lumps.1 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pour approximately half of the batter into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with the cinnamon sugar. Then pour the remaining batter on top.2 tablespoons cinnamon sugar
- Top the coffee cake batter with the streusel. Break up any larger chunks with your fingers as you sprinkle to get even distribution. Bake the coffee cake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out mostly clean. If the top is browning too fast, lightly tent a piece of aluminum foil on top.
- Cool the cake in the baking dish set on a wire cooling rack. The cake can be served warm. For leftovers, cover the dish and and keep at room temperature, or in the refrigerator, for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Serving Size – This is a small batch recipe that can be doubled. Bake in an 8 or 9-inch baking dish and start checking the cake at 35 minutes.
- Baking Dish – You can also bake the coffee cake in a metal baking pan. If so, it may not take as long to bake – start checking at 30 minutes. I like to use glass for this cake for a nice presentation, and if serving warm, it will keep the cake warmer longer.
- Pumpkin – Use pure canned pumpkin (my preference is Libby’s). I do not recommend pumpkin pie filling because it contains extra ingredients and sweeteners we do not want/need in the cake.
- Leftover Pumpkin – You will have leftover pumpkin, regardless of the size can you use. Check out my other pumpkin recipes to make another batch of pumpkin treats.
- Cinnamon Sugar – You can purchase pre-made cinnamon sugar, or make your own. I typically do 1 teaspoon of cinnamon for every 1 tablespoon of sugar.
- Freezing – Cool the cake completely. If storing the cake longer than a couple of days, I recommend removing the cake from the pan. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, place in a freezer bag, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.
Nutrition Estimates
About the Author …
Hi, I’m Erin! With years of experience baking for two in my own small household, I know about the love for desserts without the leftovers. I’ve tested, written, and photographed every one of the 300+ recipes on my website. And even had some of my desserts featured on Taste of Home, The Spruce Eats, ELLE, Parade, and more! From traditional to gluten free desserts for two, I have the recipe for you.
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