Pumpkin Crumb Cake
This Pumpkin Crumb Cake has a thick layer of crumble topping over a softly spiced, moist pumpkin cake. This is one of my personal favorite cakes!
Happy October! Now that’s officially pumpkin month, I had to share a pumpkin recipe – one that’s loaded with spices and warmth and goodness and pecans and LOTS of crumbles. This pumpkin crumb cake does just that ^^.
Also, when I first made this, I called it a coffee cake. Then I thought, well that has a whole lot of crumbs…maybe it’s a crumb cake. Then I realized I had absolutely nooo idea what the difference between a crumb cake and a coffee cake was. So, I asked Google, and found some answers.
1. Coffee cakes can be pretty much anything that you would want to serve with coffee.
2. People from NY/NJ believe a crumb cake should have at least a 1:1 crumb to cake ratio.
3. A crumb cake can be a coffee cake, but a coffee cake is not always a crumb cake.
4. Crumb cake ALWAYS has a whole lot of crumbles on top.
Phew – got that? I think most of us (or at least me…) have a certain image of coffee cake, probably something with crumbles andcinnamon and maybe a swirl through it. But it can be anything! Crumb cakes, though, are specific. You can’t just call anything a crumb cake.
So…this pumpkin cake I got here? I’m calling it a crumb cake, because guys, that is a THICK crumb layer. I’m all about a good crumb topping, so I made this one thick, crunchy, and exactly what you want out of your crumble layer.
I also added pecans, because I <3 them, but you can replace them with your favorite nut or just leave ’em out entirely.
This pumpkin crumb cake also is sooo perfect for fall, because hello: pumpkin and cinnamon. I know you’re being bombarded with pumpkin recipes all over the internet, but I truly believe this one is special. Take that for what you will.
Happy October! Enjoy :)
Pumpkin Crumb Cake
Ingredients
For the cake
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup 1 stick unsalted butter
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2/3 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/3 cup sour cream
For the crumb topping
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup dark brown sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon table salt
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick, melted and still warm)
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup pecans (chopped)
Instructions
For the cake
- Preheat an oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 9-inch springform pan or a 9-inch cake pan with 3-inch sides.
- Prepare the crumb topping.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat together the butter and brown sugar on medium-high speed until well combined. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the pumpkin puree and sour cream and mix. Stir in the flour mixture. The batter will be quite thick.
- Spread batter in the prepared pan. Top with the crumb topping. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 40-50 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for about 15 minutes. Remove the sides from the pan and slide the cake onto the rack.
For the crumb topping
- Whisk sugars, cinnamon, salt, and butter in medium bowl to combine. Add flour and pecans and stir until mixture resembles thick, cohesive dough. Set aside to cool to room temperature, 10 to 15 minutes.
That is one mighty fine coffee cake. It is the season for pumpkin!
I’m completely in love with this crumb cake. Just look at all of that crumb! And the pecans are the perfect addition. Pinned!
Thanks so much, Jen! :)
Yum! I love that generous layer of crumb topping! This is one pumpkin recipe I can’t wait to try!
How incredible does this cake look? I want a bite right now!
1:1 ratio of crumbs is my jammm. I love how thick the crumb layer is! So perfect for fall. Pinned!
Right?! The more crumb, the butter :) thanks Faith!
Wow that crumb topping looks absolutely amazing! Definitely takes this pumpkin cake to a whole new level. Looks delish!
The crumb topping looks incredible! I’m craving for a piece now!
Rachel, this is SUCH a gorgeous coffee cake! You’re totally speaking my love language with all that perfect crumb topping and pumpkin! I am so craving a huge slice of this right now with my afternoon coffee! Pinned. :)
ooo this sounds so delicious! I have never made a crumb cake before!… I know like why haven’t I? I don’t know but it sure looks yummy! ;-)
Rachel, this crumb cake is a thing of BEAUTY! I love that action shot in the beginning, too :) Fall is the best time because baking gets moved to the front of the line–and baking with pumpkin is the best kind!
Rachel, this looks sooo good. I love crumb cake and I also love how you breakdown the difference between crumb cake and coffee cake – how knew it was so involved? Pinning for Thanksgiving – a total different use for pumpkin rather than a plain pumpkin pie.
Dang, that crumb to cake ratio is something else! My husband is a major lover of crumb so that would be perfect for him, and for me too since he’d steal half my crumb anyways! What a great recipe!
That’s my kinda cake right there! Pass me a piece right now!!
I feel like a just took a crash course on coffee vs crumb cakes, but I think I prefer crumb cake…anything with a 1:1 crumb to cake ratio is fine by me! You cake looks delicious! And I LOVE all that crumble! Pinned!
Thanks Lindsey! I know, I felt like I spent so long reading about the differences that I’m an expert now, haha! And oh ya, the more crumb the better.
Love that crumb layer on top, it’s the perfect touch! I’ll find any excuse to eat pumpkin right now, this is perfect! Pinning!
I don’t care what you call this cake, I want it! That crumb layer is making me swoon!
that first shot though… you know what’s up!
this is OHMYGODSODELICIOUSINEEDTHISNOW material.
seriously, ALL THAT CRUMB. yes please!
Crumb cakes are so fun to make! But yours sounds incredibly delicious with the pumpkin and spices. Pinned for later because I like sour cream batters and I’m sure this one is great too, especially combined with the pumpkin puree, it gives me the impression of a very moist and flavorful cake.
Thanks Oana – it definitely is! Thanks for the pin!
Haha – I had no idea about the difference between crumb cake and coffee cake either! Whatever this is, I’d eat MULTIPLE slices – holy moly. That crumb on top is making me swoon!
Great photos! This cake looks extra crumbly- which is the best part!
This one is special. . pumpkin and cinnamon and the THICK crumb layer?! YES. Love this! love the crumbs. . I want more! :) Pinned!
Oh my word. I need this in my belly asap.
haha and yup, I grew up in NJ and crumb cakes MUST have a very thick layer of crumbs. My favorite was from this local bakery and I’m pretty sure the ratio of crumb to cake was around 3 to 1 parts. It was insane. In a veryyyy good way!
Huh, I never knew the difference between the two…thanks for investigating! This cake…crumb…coffee, or whatever, looks absolutely delicious!! I think I’d have a really hard time having only one slice ;)
You seriously did your research! I feel educated now :) This cake looks beyond amazing, and I loooove crumb cakes, can’t wait to try!
wow who knew there were sooooo many rules to crumb cake? ;) this looks awesome!!!
You’re right…it’s pumpkin overload out there on the web, but this one totally caught our eye! Absolutely on the list of things to make this weekend!
I WANT ALL THE CRUMBS! This looks TOO good.
Oh my word, this looks phenomenal girl! Pumpkin and cinnamon with a THICK crumb layer?? My absolute favorite – sign me up! Love that gorgeous first shot – pinning!
This crumb coffee cake looks extremely delicious and the fact that it has pumpkin makes it even better! I love exploring new pumpkin recipes, especially creative like this one! Pinned!
I feel so enlightened! :) Now I know the difference. I didn’t before either! This looks simply amazing.
Dang this looks awesome!! I wouldn’t mind a big slice!
I used a 9×13 pan and baked for 30 minutes. It came out very well! Thanks for the recipe!
Awesome JC – thanks for sharing! So glad you liked it :)
Well, this pumpkin dessert certainly looks scrumptious! We love coffee cakes & crumb cakes over here at our house…I actually need to make, photography, and post our recipe for Cinnamon Crumb Cake!
I made this last night and was disappointed. I felt that the two parts, cake and topping, though pretty, actually don’t go together well. I wish I’d tried topping this cake with a glaze or perhaps a lighter, moister streusel topping (as on a traditional sour cream coffee cake). The crumb indicated in this recipe is fairly heavy and would be better on a cobbler with a liquid/berry filling. The crumb and cake both came out good, but when combined, the result doesn’t make a good bite—too dense and dry.
I’m sorry that you didn’t enjoy the combination of the crumb with the cake, Laura!
Incredibly easy and delicious! Will make again.
So glad you’re loving it, Gretchen!
Made this tonight for my family while I was at my grandparents house, and it was a hit! Unfortunately, they didn’t have a cake tin large enough, so I made it in two 9 inch pans instead and cut down the baking time to 25 minutes. I also pulled out the sour cream only to realize it was expired, so I substituted milk for it. The cake itself was pretty good, not a lot of the classic pumpkin flavor and was a teeny bit dry (I think I may do more like 22 minutes next time if I have to split the batter), so I may up the spice and pumpkin content next time. However, since I did modify a few things I’m not going to hold that against the recipe. The crumbles were awesome. Everyone absolutely loved them, and I think I may even make the crumbles the next time I make cinnamon muffins to add a little extra fun! So, good overall concept, a fun change to crumb cakes, and well-received, but a little dry and not super strong on the pumpkin, so a 4/5 stars for me!
Hi Victoria, my guess is the dryness came from using milk in place of the sour cream, since the sour cream adds a lot of fat that helps keep things nice and moist! Glad you still enjoyed it, though!