Pumpkin Streusel Cake with Brown Sugar Crumble and Spiced Glaze

This moist pumpkin streusel cake layered with brown sugar crumble and topped with a spiced glaze. An easy fall dessert perfect for holidays or a crisp day. Best served with coffee.

Tips for the Best Pumpkin Streusel Cake

Don’t overmix the batter: Fold in the flour gently so the cake stays tender and fluffy.

Double-layer the streusel: Adding half in the middle of the batter and the rest on top gives you sweet crunch in every bite.

Let the cake cool before glazing: If the cake is too warm, the glaze will melt instead of setting beautifully on top.

Swap spices: Cinnamon, nutmeg, or ginger can be adjusted to taste if you don’t have a pumpkin spice blend on hand.

Moist Pumpkin Streusel Cake with Brown Sugar Crumble and Spiced Glaze

Yield: 9 servings

1 (8-inch square or 9-inch round) cake

Ingredients

Streusel

1 cup (packed) / 200 g light brown sugar

1 cup / 128 g all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons pumpkin spice blend

Pinch of salt

½ cup / 113 g unsalted butter, cold and cubed

For the Pumpkin Cake

3/4 cup (packed) / light brown sugar

1/4 cup white granulated sugar

2 large eggs, room temp.

1 cup / 230 g canned pumpkin purée

¼ cup / 56 g unsalted butter, melted

¼ cup / 60 g sour cream ** you can substitute vegetable oil as well

1 tsp vanilla paste (or extract)

1 tablespoon pumpkin spice blend

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 ½ cups / 190 g all-purpose flour

For the Glaze (optional)

¾ cup / 75 g confectioners’ sugar

Pinch of salt

1/4 teaspoon pumpkin spice

4 teaspoons milk

Directions

1. Make the streusel: In a medium bowl, combine brown sugar, flour, pumpkin spice, and salt. Cut in the cold butter with a pastry cutter or your fingers until crumbly. Refrigerate while you prepare the cake.

2. Prepare the cake batter: Heat oven to 350°F (175°C). Spray an 8-inch square or 9-inch round pan with nonstick spray. In a large bowl, whisk together the brown and white sugar and eggs until smooth. Add pumpkin purée, melted butter, sour cream, pumpkin spice, vanilla, and salt. Mix well. Sprinkle baking powder and baking soda over the mixture, whisk to combine, then gently fold in flour until just combined (do not overmix).

3. Assemble: Spread half of the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with half of the streusel. Add the remaining batter and top with the rest of the streusel.

4. Bake: Bake for 35–45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

5. Glaze (optional): In a small bowl, whisk together confectioners’ sugar, pumpkin spice, salt, and just enough milk to reach drizzling consistency. Drizzle over cooled cake.