Soft, moist pumpkin cake made with real pumpkin purée, rich butter, and tangy buttermilk, finished with a thick layer of buttery cinnamon brown sugar crumbs. This homemade pumpkin crumb cake is full of warm fall flavors and has the perfect balance of tender cake and sweet, crunchy topping. Finished with an optional maple cream cheese glaze, it’s perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dessert alongside a hot cup of coffee.
Makes: 9-12 slices I Prep: 20 minutes I Bake: 40-50 minutes I Cool: At least 30 minutes
ingredients:
For the Pumpkin Buttermilk Cake
250 g (2 cups) all-purpose flour
200 g (about ¾ cup + 1 tbsp) pumpkin purée
120 g ( ½ cup) full-fat buttermilk, room temperature
113 g (½ cup) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
130 g ( 2/3 cup packed) light brown sugar
65 g ( 1/3 cup) granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp fine sea salt
For the Crumb Topping
142 g all-purpose flour
170 g light brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp fine sea salt
115 g ( ½ cup) unsalted butter, softened
Optional Maple Cream Cheese Glaze
60 g (1/2 cup) powdered sugar
30 g (about 1 ½ tbsp) pure maple syrup
½ tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp cream cheese, at room temperature
30-45 g (2-3 tbsp) heavy cream
pinch of salt
instructions
Prepare the Crumb Topping. In a medium bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, light brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add the softened butter. Using your hands, work the butter into the dry ingredients until a thick, crumbly mixture forms. The mixture should hold together when squeezed but easily break apart into large, buttery crumbs. Set aside while preparing the cake batter. For more distinct crumbs, refrigerate for 15-20 minutes before adding it to the cake.
Prepare the Baking Pan. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9-inch square metal baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a little overhang on the sides to make removing the cake easier. Lightly grease the exposed sides of the pan with butter.
Combine the Wet Ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the melted, slightly cooled butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar until combined. Add the eggs, pumpkin purée, vanilla extract and buttermilk. Whisk until the mixture is smooth and evenly incorporated.
Combine the Dry Ingredients. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt. Make sure the leavening agents and spices are evenly distributed throughout the flour.
Make the Pumpkin Cake Batter. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the mixture together until just combined and no visible streaks of flour remain. Avoid overmixing, as this can create a dense or tough cake. The finished batter should be thick, smooth, and easily spreadable.
Assemble the Crumb Cake. Transfer the pumpkin cake batter into the prepared baking pan. Using an offset spatula or the back of a spoon, spread the batter into an even layer. Evenly distribute the crumb topping over the entire surface of the batter. For the best texture, leave a mixture of small crumbs and larger buttery clusters.
Bake the Cake. Place the baking pan on the center rack of your preheated oven. Bake at 350°F for approximately 40-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. The crumb topping should be golden brown and the center of the cake should feel set. If the topping begins to brown too quickly before the center is fulled baked, loosely cover the pan with aluminum foil and continue baking. Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool for at least 30 minutes before glazing.
Prepare the Optional Glaze. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the maple cream cheese glaze. Drizzle evenly over the cooled coffee cake. Allow the glaze to set slightly before slicing and serving.
Notes:
Use pure pumpkin purée. Be sure to use 100% pumpkin purée rather than pumpkin pie filling, which contains added sugar and spices.
Use room temperature eggs and buttermilk. This helps the ingredients incorporate smoothly and creates a more even cake batter.
Don’t overmix the batter. Once the dry ingredients are added, gently fold everything together until just combined. Overmixing can make the cake dense.
Make substantial crumbs. Using your hands to combine the crumb topping allows you to create larger, bakery-style clusters rather than a fine, sandy topping.
Use a metal baking pan. A metal baking pan provides more consistent heat distribution and helps the center bake evenly.
Let the cake cool before glazing. Drizzling glaze over a hot cake will cause it to melt and soak into the topping rather than creating a defined finish.
Storage and freezing:
Room temperature: Store the crumb cake covered in an airtight container for up to 1 day.
Refrigerator: For longer storage, refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Allow slices to come to room temperature before serving.
Freezing: Freeze individual slices, preferably without glaze, in an airtight freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before serving. For the best texture, gently warm individual slices before serving.