This pumpkin coffee cake has a soft, springy pumpkin cake with a buttery brown sugar crumble layered through the middle and scattered over the top. The pumpkin pie spice adds warm fall flavors without making the cake overly sweet. My favorite part is the topping when it’s freshly baked, with crispy bits of brown sugar that contrast with the soft cake underneath.

Close-up of pumpkin coffee cake with a thick brown sugar crumble topping and a fork holding a bite of orange pumpkin cake.

How to Make Pumpkin Coffee Cake

Preheat the oven. Set the oven to 350°F and line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
Make the brown sugar crumble. In a bowl, combine the light brown sugar, flour, and pumpkin pie spice. Add the cold salted butter and use a pastry cutter or your hands to work it into the dry ingredients until crumbles form. Place the bowl in the refrigerator while you prepare the cake batter.
Mix the wet ingredients. In a large bowl, combine the melted salted butter, pumpkin puree, granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract.
Combine the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until combined.
Add the first layer. Spread half of the pumpkin cake batter into the prepared baking pan. Remove the crumble mixture from the refrigerator and sprinkle half of it evenly over the batter.
Finish layering the cake. Spread the remaining pumpkin batter over the middle crumble layer, then scatter the rest of the brown sugar crumble across the top.
Bake the coffee cake. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 35–40 minutes. Check the center with a toothpick to make sure there’s no wet cake batter, or gently press the cake to see if the center springs back.
Cool and serve. Remove the pumpkin coffee cake from the oven and allow it to cool slightly before slicing and serving.

Tips for the Best Pumpkin Coffee Cake

Use 100% pumpkin puree. This recipe calls for plain canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling already contains added sugar and spices, which would change the balance of sweetness and pumpkin pie spice in this cake.

Check the cake beneath the crumble. The thick brown sugar topping can make it harder to judge when the cake is finished. Check the center with a toothpick for wet batter, or gently press the cake to see if it springs back rather than relying on the color of the topping alone.

Enjoy the crumble while it’s fresh. One of my favorite things about this coffee cake is the crispy bits of brown sugar on top when it’s freshly baked. The topping gradually softens as the cake sits, so I prefer enjoying it while that contrast between the crumble and soft, springy cake is still there.

Slice of pumpkin coffee cake with a golden pumpkin crumb and chunky cinnamon-spiced streusel topping on a white plate.

More Pumpkin and Fall Baking Recipes

Pumpkin Dump Cake – Canned pumpkin layered with yellow cake mix, butter, and pecans for an easy fall dessert with a golden topping.
Pumpkin Banana Muffins – Soft muffins made with ripe bananas, pumpkin puree, and pumpkin pie spice for breakfast or a sweet snack.
Sweet Potato Coffee Cake – A moist coffee cake made with sweet potatoes and finished with a buttery crumb topping.
Crustless Pumpkin Pecan Pie – Creamy pumpkin pie filling with a brown sugar pecan topping, made without a traditional pie crust.
Pumpkin Oatmeal Bars – Lightly sweet pumpkin oatmeal bars that make an easy fall breakfast or afternoon snack.

No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Balls

Pumpkin Banana Muffins

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread

Sweet Potato Coffee Cake

Pumpkin Coffee Cake

A soft, spongy pumpkin coffee cake with pumpkin pie spice and a buttery brown sugar crumble layered through the middle and over the top. The crumble develops crispy, caramelized bits when freshly baked.

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Course: Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Pumpkin Coffee Cake

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 40

Total Time: 1

Servings: serving

Calories: 417kcal

Equipment

8×8 baking pan

Ingredients

Crumbles

2/3 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour 95g
2 teaspoon pumpkin spice
6 tablespoon butter cold

Coffee cake

8 tablespoon butter melted
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large egg
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 166g
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Preheat the oven. Set the oven to 350°F and line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
Prepare the crumble. In a bowl, combine the light brown sugar, flour, and pumpkin pie spice. Add the cold salted butter and use a pastry cutter or your hands to work it into the dry ingredients until crumbles form. Place the mixture in the refrigerator while preparing the cake batter.
Mix the wet ingredients. In a large bowl, combine the melted salted butter, pumpkin puree, granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract.
Mix the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix until combined.
Layer the cake. Spread half of the pumpkin batter into the prepared baking pan. Sprinkle half of the chilled brown sugar crumble evenly over the batter.
Add the remaining layers. Spread the remaining pumpkin batter over the crumble layer, then distribute the rest of the crumble across the top.
Bake. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 35–40 minutes. Check the center with a toothpick for wet batter, or gently press the cake to see if the center springs back.
Cool and serve. Remove the coffee cake from the oven and allow it to cool slightly before slicing and serving.

Notes

Pumpkin: Use 100% canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
Crumble texture: The brown sugar crumble is especially crispy when freshly baked. It gradually softens as the coffee cake sits.
Butter: This recipe was made with salted butter in both the cake and the crumble.
Pan: Use an 8×8-inch baking pan lined with parchment paper.