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If you believe the best part of crumb cake is, well, the crumbs, you’ve come to the right place! This Pumpkin Crumb Cake starts with a moist, tender pumpkin cake flavored with plenty of warm fall spices. Then we pile on a thick, buttery crumb topping that’s nearly as tall as the cake itself.
Pumpkin Crumb Cake
It’s a little bit coffee cake, a little bit New York-style crumb cake and completely perfect for fall. Enjoy a thick slice for breakfast or brunch, or serve it for dessert with a hot cup of coffee. No judgment here!
Why You’ll Love This Pumpkin Crumb Cake
- So many buttery crumbs. The generous crumb topping is nearly half the cake—as it should be.
- Moist and tender. Pumpkin puree adds moisture and gives the cake a wonderfully soft texture.
- Plenty of fall flavor. Warm spices complement the pumpkin without overpowering it.
- Perfect with coffee. This cake is made for lazy weekend mornings, holiday brunches and afternoon coffee breaks.
- Great for sharing. Bake it for fall gatherings, Thanksgiving weekend or anytime you need an easy seasonal treat.
Ingredients for Pumpkin Crumb Cake
For the crumb topping:
- Unsalted butter, melted
- Granulated sugar
- Brown sugar – light or dark
- Pumpkin spice – store bought or homemade
- Ground cinnamon
- Salt
- Cake Flour – don’t substitute all-purpose flour
For the pumpkin cake:
- Cake flour – don’t substitute all-purpose flour, it’s best with cake flour
- Pumpkin spice or pumpkin pie spice
- Ground cinnamon
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Unsalted butter at room temperature
- Vegetable Oil
- Dark Brown Sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Eggs
- Pumpkin puree
- Vanilla extract
How to Make Pumpkin Crumb Cake
1. Make the crumb topping
Combine the melted butter, sugars, spices and salt. Add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a cohesive dough.
Set the crumbs aside while preparing the cake batter. This gives the flour time to absorb the butter and helps create those big, beautiful chunks we all love.
2. Make the pumpkin cake batter
Whisk together the flour, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In a separate large bowl combine the butter, oil and sugars. Beat with an electric mixer until lightened and creamy. Add the eggs, pumpkin puree, vanilla and half the flour mixture. Blend on low until incorporated. Pour in the remaining flour and blend again.
3. Assemble the cake
Spread the pumpkin batter evenly in the prepared pan.
Now for the best part! Using your hands, squeeze together clumps of the crumb topping. Pinch off large pea size pieces and spread in an even layer on top of the batter starting around the edges working toward the center until all crumb-topping is distributed. It may look like too many crumbs, but trust the process. We’re making crumb cake, after all.
4. Bake
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Bake the cake until the crumbs are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the pumpkin layer comes out with no wet batter. Moist crumbs are okay!
Cool slightly before serving. Crumb cake can be served warm, cold or room temperature. Top with whipped cream, ice cream or a dusting of powdered sugar.
No. Pumpkin pie filling contains added sugar and spices and isn’t a good substitute for pure pumpkin puree in this recipe.
Yes, but make sure your homemade puree has a similar consistency to canned pumpkin. If it’s watery, drain well before using so you don’t add too much moisture to the cake batter.
Absolutely. In fact, this is a terrific make-ahead cake. Once completely cooled, cover tightly and store at room temperature until ready to serve
Yes! Once completely cooled, wrap the cake or individual slices well and freeze. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or for a few hours at room temperature before serving.
Store the cake in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days. For longer storage, refrigerate or freeze individual slices.
How to store and serve Pumpkin Crumb Cake
Store the cake in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days. For longer storage, refrigerate or freeze individual slices.
Reheating leftover Crumb Cake
I highly recommend warming individual slices in the microwave for about 20 seconds (yum!). The cake will be soft and the crumbs still crisp. This is also great if you’re serving with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Tips for success
Don’t skimp on the crumbs. It may seem like an enormous amount of topping when you’re assembling the cake. That’s exactly what you want.
Make different size crumbs. A combination of small crumbs and big buttery chunks gives the topping that classic bakery-style appearance.
Don’t overmix the batter. Once the dry ingredients are added, mix only until everything is combined for the most tender cake.
Use cake flour, not all-purpose flour. This ensures a tender cake with a melt-in-your mouth crumb topping.
Measure the cake flour carefully. Too much cake flour can make both the cake and crumb topping dry. For best results, weigh the flour or lightly spoon it into the measuring cup and level the top. See our baking tips for more information.
Let it cool 30 minutes before cutting. The cake and crumb topping will set as they cool, making it much easier to cut clean slices.
Pumpkin Crumb Cake
Ingredients
For the crumb topping:
- 16 tablespoons unsalted butter melted (1 cup, 8oz or 226g)
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar (135g)
- ⅔ cup dark brown sugar packed (145g)
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 ½ cups cake flour (408g)
For the pumpkin cake:
- 2 ¼ cups cake flour (261g)
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin spice (5g)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature (4oz or 113g)
- ½ cup vegetable oil (4oz)
- 1 cup dark brown sugar packed (226g)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (55g)
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 15 ounces canned pumpkin puree unsweetened (not pie filling)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Prepare the crumb topping:
- Combine the melted butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin spice, cinnamon and salt in a bowl until combined. Add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon or stiff spatula until the mixture forms a cohesive dough. Set aside and cool completely, about 15 – 20 minutes.
Prepare the pumpkin cake:
- Preheat oven to 325℉ Lightly grease a 13×9-inch baking pan with vegetable cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl combine the butter, oil, granulated sugar and brown sugar. Using an electric mixer blend on medium speed until lightened and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs and mix on low until incorporated. Add the pumpkin puree, vanilla and half the flour mixture. Mix on low until all ingredients are incorporated. Pour in the remaining flour and blend again to combine. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula and beat on high for 2 minutes.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Using your hands, squeeze together clumps of the crumb topping. Pinch off large pea size pieces and spread in an even layer over the batter starting around the edges working toward the center until all crumb-topping is distributed.
- Bake until the crumbs are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.
- Cool for 30 minutes before serving. Crumb cake can be served warm, cold or room temperature. Top with whipped cream, ice cream or a sprinkle of powdered sugar as desired.
Recipe Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for longer storage.
- Rewarm individual pieces in the microwave for about 20 seconds or leave out until room temperature before serving.
- Don’t be tempted to use all-purpose flour as both the cake and crumbs may turn out dry and not as tender.
Nutrition
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