Pumpkin Pecan Coffee Cake

The streusel should come out of the oven in crisp, craggy patches, while the cake beneath stays soft enough to leave a few moist crumbs on the toothpick. That contrast is what makes this Pumpkin Pecan Coffee Cake worth cutting into while it’s still a little warm. I like that the batter comes together in one large bowl after the wet ingredients are whisked separately, so there’s no need to pull out a mixer or cream butter and sugar.

Canned pumpkin puree gives the cake its tender, moist crumb, and cinnamon and ginger bring a gentle warmth without hiding the pumpkin. The pecan topping is made with melted butter, which turns the flour and brown sugar into clumps that bake into a crumbly layer instead of disappearing into the batter. Give the cake time to settle in the pan before slicing, and you’ll get pieces with a neat top and a soft center.

Why Pumpkin’s Moisture Changes What You Want from the Streusel

Pumpkin puree brings plenty of moisture to cake batter, which is why this one doesn’t need a butter-based cake method to stay tender. The oil coats the flour and helps keep the baked crumb soft, while the eggs give the mixture structure. Stir the two mixtures together only until the dry flour disappears; a smooth, heavily worked batter isn’t the goal here.

The topping needs to remain a distinct layer. Mixing melted butter into flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon makes small clumps that can sit on top of the batter instead of blending into it. Scatter those clumps across the surface rather than pressing them down. As the cake bakes, the topping turns golden and gives each slice a crumbly contrast to the pumpkin underneath. If the streusel is distributed unevenly, some slices will have plenty of pecans and others will have very little, so take a moment to spread it across the whole pan.

What Gives the Pumpkin Cake Its Soft Crumb and the Topping Its Crunch

• Canned pumpkin puree — Choose plain puree, not pumpkin pie filling, which is already sweetened and spiced. A standard can works well; there’s no need to seek out a specialty brand. The puree should look thick and smooth when you spoon it into the bowl.
• Neutral oil — Vegetable or canola oil keeps the cake tender without adding a strong flavor that competes with the pumpkin and spices. Either is a good, inexpensive choice, and they can be used interchangeably here.
• All-purpose flour and leaveners — All-purpose flour gives the cake enough structure to hold the moist pumpkin batter and streusel. Fresh baking powder and baking soda matter more than buying premium flour; old leaveners can leave the cake short and heavy.
• Cinnamon and ginger — Ground spices give the cake warmth without making the pumpkin disappear. Use spices that still smell fragrant when you open the jar; if they smell faint or dusty, the finished cake will taste muted.
• Brown sugar, melted butter, and pecans — Packed light brown sugar adds a little moisture and a caramel note to the topping, while melted unsalted butter binds the dry ingredients into clumps. Chopped pecans bring the nutty crunch, so look for pieces that smell fresh rather than stale or oily.
• Eggs and milk — The eggs help the cake hold together, and the milk loosens the pumpkin mixture so it blends into the dry ingredients. Regular milk from the refrigerator is fine; no special variety is needed.

Build the Batter and Streusel Without Losing Their Texture

Get the Pan and Dry Ingredients Ready

Heat the oven to 350°F, then coat a 9×13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Whisk the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt together in a large bowl. Break up any visible clumps of flour or baking soda as you whisk, since a pocket of leavener can leave a bitter spot in the baked cake. Set this bowl aside while you bring the wet ingredients together.

Whisk the Pumpkin Mixture Smooth

In a separate medium bowl, whisk the pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, and milk until the mixture looks smooth and evenly combined. Scrape the bottom of the bowl with the whisk if you see a streak of egg or a pool of oil. A few seconds of whisking now makes it easier to blend the wet mixture through the flour without overworking the batter later. The pumpkin mixture should look uniform before it goes into the large bowl.

Stir Just Until the Flour Disappears

Add the pumpkin mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until no dry streaks remain. Stop as soon as the flour is incorporated; the batter doesn’t need to look glossy or perfectly smooth. Scrape it into the prepared pan and spread it evenly into the corners. An even layer helps the cake bake at the same pace across the pan.

Scatter the Streusel and Check the Center

Stir the streusel flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a medium bowl, then mix in the melted butter until clumps form. Fold in the chopped pecans and scatter the mixture evenly over the batter. Bake for 35 to 42 minutes, until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs, not wet batter. Let the cake rest in the pan before slicing.

Two Easy Ways to Adapt the Pecan Streusel Cake

Questions That Come Up When Baking Pumpkin Coffee Cake

Pumpkin Pecan Coffee Cake

Pumpkin pecan coffee cake bakes in a 9x13-inch pan with a moist pumpkin cake and a golden cinnamon pecan streusel. Stir the batter just until no dry streaks remain for a tender crumb, then let it rest before slicing.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 42 minutes mins

Resting 20 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 22 minutes mins

Servings: 12 servings

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Calories: 390

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

For the cake

• 1 nonstick cooking spray for the pan
• 2.5 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 0.5 tsp ground ginger
• 0.5 tsp salt
• 1.5 cup pumpkin puree canned, not pumpkin pie filling
• 2 eggs large
• 0.5 cup neutral oil such as vegetable or canola
• 0.25 cup milk

For the pecan streusel

• 0.75 cup all-purpose flour
• 0.5 cup brown sugar packed, light
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter melted
• 0.5 cup pecans chopped

Equipment

• 1 9x13-inch baking pan

Method

 

Prepare the pan

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Coat a 9x13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Make the cake batter

1. Whisk the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt in a large bowl.
2. In a separate medium bowl, whisk the pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, and milk until smooth.
3. Add the pumpkin mixture to the flour mixture and stir just until no dry streaks remain.
4. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.

Make the pecan streusel and bake

1. Stir the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a medium bowl.
2. Mix in the melted butter until clumps form, then fold in the pecans.
3. Scatter the streusel evenly over the batter.
4. Bake for 35 to 42 minutes, until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
5. Let the coffee cake rest in the pan for 20 minutes before slicing.

Notes

For a tender cake, stop stirring as soon as no dry streaks remain. Store covered at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerate for up to 5 days; freeze, tightly wrapped, for up to 2 months. For a dairy-free swap, use plant-based milk and dairy-free butter.