There's nothing like the smell of pumpkin coffee cake wafting through the kitchen on a cool autumn day. This scrumptious fall treat is perfect for any occasion...from family gatherings to cozy fireside nights.
This is a homemade recipe topped with a delicious brown sugar topping and powdered sugar glaze that's made in a cast iron skillet.
It's perfect for breakfast, brunch, or even as a dessert. So go ahead and indulge yourself in a little fall comfort food.
Check out all the other easy pumpkin dessert ideas for even more delicious recipes.
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It's pumpkin season, which means it's time to break out the cast iron skillet and bake up a batch of pumpkin coffee cake with brown sugar topping.
The batter for this coffee cake is simple to prepare, just pour it into the skillet and top with the topping. Then, bake until golden brown and fragrant. It comes together in just a few minutes and is the perfect way to use up leftover pumpkin puree.
Looking for more fall-inspired easy desserts? Try my Pumpkin Spice Cookie Cups, Mini Pumpkin Bundt Cakes or my Pumpkin Dump Cake
Table of Contents
- Can I make this recipe without a cast iron skillet?
- How do you keep a coffee cake moist?
- Helpful Kitchen Tools
- Main Ingredients Needed
- Recipe Variations
- Step-by-Step Instructions
- Baking Instructions
- Add the Powdered Sugar Glaze
- Before You Begin!
- Storage Tips
- Freezing Tips
- Recipe FAQ's
- Indulge in Flavor, Not Ads - Get Your Ad-Free Digital Cookbook Today!
- 📖 Recipe Card
- 💬 Comments
Can I make this recipe without a cast iron skillet?
Yes, if you don't have a cast iron skillet pan, you can use a traditional 8X8 inch baking dish to bake this coffee cake recipe.
Another option would be to use a 9x13 inch pan for the coffee cake. The cake will be about 2 inches deep, which is ideal for most coffee cakes. If you want a taller cake, use an 8x8 inch pan, but keep in mind that the cake will cook more quickly in this smaller pan.
No matter what size pan you choose, be sure to grease it well before adding the batter. This will help to prevent the cake from sticking and make it easier to remove from the pan when it is finished baking.
How do you keep a coffee cake moist?
There are a few key things to remember when baking a coffee cake so that it turns out moist and delicious.
- First, be careful not to overmix the batter. Overmixing can cause the cake to be tough and dry.
- Second, use butter instead of vegetable oil in the recipe. This will help to add moisture to the cake.
- Third, bake the cake at a lower temperature than usual. This will help to prevent the cake from drying out.
Helpful Kitchen Tools
More InformationMore InformationMore InformationMore Information
Main Ingredients Needed
Here's a quick overview of the ingredients for this recipe. Find the exact amounts and click the Instacart button to easily add them to your cart – all in the printable recipe card below!
Recipe Variations
- You could add chocolate chips to the batter.
- If want you could also add raisins, dried cranberries, or chopped pecans to the batter before pouring into the prepared pan.
- Add ½ cup chopped pecans or chopped walnuts to the crumb topping mixture for added crunch!
- Check out my other recipe for Blueberry Crumb Coffee Cake, that's also made in a cast iron skillet.
- You might also like this Zucchini Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting recipe!
Step-by-Step Instructions
This section includes step-by-step photos and instructions to guide you through the recipe. For the complete printable version, scroll down to the recipe card below.
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9" cast iron skillet or a 8 X 8" Baking Dish with butter and set aside. Note: If you're using a traditional baking dish, you can use non-stick baking spray.
Step 2: In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a medium bowl, add milk, melted butter, pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla extract. Stir to combine.
Step 3: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well to incorporate.
Step 4: Pour cake batter into the prepared skillet and use a spatula to create a smooth even layer.
Step 5: In a small bowl, add the melted butter, brown sugar, and pumpkin pie spice. Stir to combine.
Step 6: Pour the crumb topping over the cake. Use a butter knife to swirl the mixture into the cake batter.
Baking Instructions
Step 7: Bake in a preheated oven for 27-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes.
Add the Powdered Sugar Glaze
Step 8: Add powdered sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and pumpkin pie spice to a small bowl. Stir to combine.
Step 9: Spoon the icing onto the cake. Slice and serve.
The coffee cake is moist and fluffy, with a rich pumpkin flavor and a sugary topping. Serve warm, with a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Before You Begin!
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Storage Tips
- Store the leftover pumpkin coffee cake at room temperature in an air-tight container for 3 days or in the refrigerator for 7 days.
- Make sure the cake is completely cooled before sealing it in the air-tight container.
Freezing Tips
- You can also freeze the pumpkin coffee cake. However, if your plans are to bake and freeze before serving, you should freeze before adding the glaze.
- Again, allow the cake to cool completely before placing in either a freezer-safe container or a freezer-safe plastic storage bag.
- You can safely freeze baked coffee cake for about 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator and not the counter as it might get mushy. Then when the cake is defrosted, prepare the powdered sugar glaze.
Recipe FAQ's
To view the answers, simply click on the down arrow (⬇) next to each question. If you have any other questions not answered here, please leave a comment!
There are a few different ways to tell if coffee cake is done. The first is to insert a toothpick or cake tester into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, the cake is done. Another way to tell if coffee cake is done is to lightly press your finger into the top of the cake. If the indentation springs back, the cake is ready. Finally, you can also tell if coffee cake is done by its color. The top should be golden brown and the sides should be pulled away from the pan. If all of these tests pass, your coffee cake is done and ready to enjoy!
The cake needs to set quickly to firm up to hold the crumb topping in place. Make sure you have the oven set at the correct temperature. However, if you do find that this is happening a few times, you can easily bake the cake without the crumb topping for about 30 minutes and then pull the cake out of the oven and add the crumb topping.
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📖 Recipe Card
Pumpkin Coffee Cake
Video
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup milk
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
- ½ cup pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 to 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 to 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9" cast iron skillet with butter and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a medium bowl, add milk, ½ cup melted butter, pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla extract. Stir to combine.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well to incorporate.
- Pour cake batter into the prepared skillet and use a spatula to create a smooth even layer.
- In a small bowl, add ½ cup melted butter, brown sugar, and pumpkin pie spice. Stir to combine.
- Pour the crumb topping over the cake.
- Use a butter knife to swirl the mixture into the cake batter.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 27-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes.
- Add powdered sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and ¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice to a small bowl. Stir to combine.
- Spoon the icing onto the cake.
- Slice and serve.
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