Pumpkin Coffee Cake With Pecan Oat Streusel
This pumpkin pecan coffee cake is fall inspired, boasting a fluffy texture and just the right amount of spice.
Few things are better than the smell of fall flavors drifting from a cinnamon spiked treat in the oven. I usually slip out of bed before the rest of my family wakes up to make this coffeecake, sipping on something warm and looking out our condo window at the redwoods outside. I cherish those quiet moments when I can bake alone in my kitchen dreaming up new recipes and having some much needed me time. I’m baking this coffee cake while writing this and I wish you could smell my kitchen!!
This coffee cake has a few steps, but it’s truly delicious with a tender spiced crumb that is perfect with a hot cup of coffee. There are three components to this coffeecake: streusel, pumpkin coffee cake and a vanilla glaze. The oats and toasted pecans give the streusel a nice depth of flavor making it a coffee cake that feels special and truly festive during the holidays. And the glaze, well everything is better with glaze!
Before we get to the recipe let’s talk about two things: properly greasing and flouring a springform pan and the importance of bringing dairy to room temperature. If you are a seasoned baker this may not interest you, and you can go straight to the recipe, but for the novice baker the following will be helpful!
Properly Preparing a Cake Pan
My husband always looks over my recipes before I post them. He is an amazing cook, but isn’t a baker and I love his perspective drafting my recipe instructions. In the recipe I write, “butter and flour a 9” springform pan,” and he immediately said “what exactly does that mean?” Instructions are as follows.
Using a springform pan, smear an even layer on the bottom and the sides of the pan with slightly softened butter or shortening—coating it thoroughly. You don’t want a thick layer, but enough that the pan is nicely greased. Next, put two tablespoons of flour into the bottom of the pan and rotating the pan in a circular motion coat the bottom and sides evenly. Once the flour covers the entirety of the pan, place pan over a sink and gently, but swiftly smack out the rest of the flour, leaving a perfectly thin layer of grease and flour. I usually smack the pan against the middle barrier of the sink and then wash remaining flour down the sink. Set pan aside until ready to bake. This is the appropriate method for preparing any pan for cake.
Bringing Dairy to Room Temperature
For this recipe, my best advice is to bring ingredients to room temperature before making the coffeecake as it really does make for a better end result, this is especially the case with cakes. The easiest way to bring dairy to room temperature is place the eggs, sour cream and butter on the counter 1-2 hours before baking. Since I rarely remember to do this, I bring my dairy to room temp at the beginning of the bake. Don’t worry, it only takes a few minutes.
For this recipe, DON’T bring the streusel butter to room temp as very cold butter is essential for streusel, but for the eggs, sour cream and butter for the coffee cake batter, bringing dairy to room temperature allows the batter to mix evenly, creating little pockets of air as it emulsifies. Aka a light and fluffy texture!! This is what we want right?! If you are a baking nut like me you will be interested to know, not all cakes are created equal. I repeat, not all cakes are created equal! If you want that light texture we all strive achieve, you have to find the right finesse, and a good way to start is bringing your dairy to room temperature.
Here are a few tips in case you forget to place your dairy out ahead of time. Place the eggs in a glass measuring cup and run hot tap water over them for a few minutes. I usually do this when my butter and sugars are mixing. By the time the butter and sugars are finished the eggs are ready to go! Easy peasy. For the sour cream, place it in a small bowl and microwave for 15 seconds. Stir and check the temperature. Depending on your microwave it may be ready or need more time and if so repeat the process. For the butter, taking a cold stick out of the refrigerator, place in microwave vertically and microwave in 10 second increments flipping butter each time you open the microwave. Once properly softened, proceed with the recipe as directed. This all takes a total of five minutes and it makes a difference I promise.
Final Tip
Coffee cake should be enjoyed the same day it’s made and preferably within a few hours of baking. Even better? Warm out of the oven with coffee, which is how my family enjoys it every time. Enjoy!
Pumpkin Coffee Cake With Pecan Oat Streusel
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup flour
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup rolled oats
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 6 tbsp cold salted butter, cut into small cubes
- 1/2 cup pecans
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- pinch of nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup salted butter, softened
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature
- 2 tbsp milk
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Evenly butter and flour a 9" springform pan. Put aside.
- To lightly toast the pecans, place pecans in a skillet over medium heat. Heat pecans, stirring occasionally, until slightly browned and fragrant, about 5-7 minutes. Once cooled chop pecans and set aside.
- To make the streusel, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, oats, cinnamon and salt. Place butter that has been cut into small cubes into flour mixture. With a pastry cutter mash and mix the mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in pecans. Set aside in the fridge.
- To make the batter, sift together the dry ingredients--flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt. Set aside.
- In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat the butter and brown sugar on medium high for 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time scraping after each addition.
- Add pumpkin puree and sour cream mixing on low, scraping the bowl to make sure ingredients are mixed properly.
- Pour flour mixture into wet ingredients and mix on low until evenly mixed. After a final scrape, turn mixer up to medium for a few seconds to make sure everything is fully incorporated. Don't over mix.
- For assembly, pour half of batter into the bottom of the prepared springform pan. Sprinkle half of streusel on top of the batter. Place remaining batter on top and finish with remaining streusel. The batter is thick, so using an offset spatula is helpful in spreading each layer of batter.
- Using the middle rack, bake coffee cake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Let coffee cake cool for 10 minutes before releasing from springform pan.
- While cake is cooling, make the glaze. Whisk together milk, powdered sugar and vanilla until completely smooth. If the glaze is too thin add a bit more powdered sugar until desired consistency. Once cake is cooled a bit, drizzle glaze over coffee cake as pictured.
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