Description
This Cream Cheese Pumpkin Coffee Cake combines moist pumpkin spice cake with a rich cream cheese filling and a crunchy pecan streusel topping, making it the perfect autumn treat for breakfasts, brunches, or dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
Pecan Streusel
- 4 tablespoons cold butter, shredded
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup brown sugar (light or dark)
- 1/3 cup chopped pecans
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (increase to 1/2 tsp if using unsalted butter)
Cream Cheese Filling
- 1 bar (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pumpkin Cake
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 4 tablespoons cold butter, shredded
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 cup pure pumpkin
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Heat oven to 350°F and spray an 8×8-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Make the Streusel: In a small bowl, combine the cold shredded butter, flour, brown sugar, chopped pecans, and salt. Use a pastry cutter or your hands to mix until crumbly. Set aside.
- Make the Cream Cheese Filling: In a bowl, beat the softened cream cheese, granulated sugar, egg, and vanilla extract with a mixer until smooth and well combined.
- Make the Pumpkin Cake Batter: In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and shredded cold butter. Stir with a wooden spoon to combine. Add the egg, sour cream, and pure pumpkin, then beat with a handheld mixer until a thick batter forms. Small chunks of butter remaining are okay.
- Assemble the Coffee Cake: Pour two-thirds of the pumpkin batter evenly into the prepared pan. Carefully pour the cream cheese mixture over the batter, keeping it away from the edges if possible. Drop spoonfuls of the remaining pumpkin batter over the cream cheese layer and spread gently; some cream cheese might show through, which is fine. Evenly sprinkle the streusel topping over everything.
- Bake: Bake for 38 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs but no wet batter.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the cake to cool slightly before cutting. Cut into 12 small squares for smaller servings, or 9 larger squares as desired.
Notes
- If using unsalted butter, increase salt in streusel to 1/2 teaspoon to balance flavor.
- The recipe easily doubles and can be baked in a 9×13-inch pan; increase baking time by 8-10 minutes and check doneness with a toothpick.
- For best texture and flavor, use full-fat, real cream cheese and sour cream.
- Walnuts can be substituted for pecans in the streusel topping if preferred.
- This cake pairs perfectly with coffee or a hot spiced beverage.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 piece (if cut into 12 pieces)
- Calories: 310 kcal
- Sugar: 22 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Fat: 19 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 60 mg
Keywords: pumpkin coffee cake, cream cheese filling, pecan streusel, autumn dessert, fall baking, pumpkin spice cake
