Bake the best moist pumpkin streusel cake with a buttery brown sugar crumble and spiced glaze. An easy fall dessert recipe by Jessie Daye.
All items used linked here: Pumpkin Streusel Items
Moist Pumpkin Streusel Cake with Brown Sugar Crumble and Spiced Glaze
by Jessie Daye
Ingredients
Streusel
- 1 cup packed / 200 g light brown sugar
- 1 cup / 128 g all-purpose flour
- 1.5 teaspoons pumpkin spice blend
- Pinch of salt
- ½ cup / 113 g unsalted butter cold and cubed
For the Pumpkin Cake
- ¾ cup packed / light brown sugar
- ¼ 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 buttermilk 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
- ⅛ tsp salt
- ¼ teaspoon pumpkin spice
- 4 teaspoons milk
Method
- 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.
- Prepare the cake batter: Heat oven to 350°F (175°C). Spray an 9×9 square or 9-inch round or large loaf 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.
- Add baking powder, baking soda, and flour until just combined (do not over mix).
- 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. **The batter will come up very high and bake to the top. This is correct. The glaze is added after the pumpkin cake is removed.
- Bake for 45-60 minutes (Depending on the size of your pan. My 8x8 and loaf pan both take 50-60 minutes in my oven) until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few crumbs. Allow to cool for ten minutes before removing.
- 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.
Notes
Tips
- 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.
Tried this recipe?
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Hi, I'm Jessie.
Mama to three girls and a lifelong creative who loves making everyday moments feel a little more special. Here, I share whimsical recipes, holiday inspiration, and creative projects designed to bring a little more joy to your day. I hope to inspire you to get creative, celebrate the little things, and make something beautiful. Welcome!
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31 comments
Polly
That looks amazing! I can’t wait to try it! Have you ever tried making it gluten free?
Kellie miller
Has anyone done a sugar free version? I want to make it so bad but my husband is diabetic.
Chrystie DeSmet
I swap out healthier sugar, and flour options, all the time in recipes.
Laurie
Is there a dairy free substitute for the sour cream/buttermilk? Would it work with plant cream?
Nasei Adjei-Kordei
Country crock plant cream works very well for baking.
Bree
Dairy free yogurt! Forager makes a great plain DF yogurt
Jessie Daye
Yes, delicious!
Rosemary Altemus
Thank you for sharing this recipe. It looks scrumptious! I can’t wait to make it for my family and friends. It will be fall before we know it!
Blessings,
Rosemary
EM
Love the recipe, but I’m confused why confectioners sugar in the bread part and more salt in the ingredients but when you read step-by-step, it doesn’t call for that?
Brittany Laub
What is the pumpkin spice blend?
Christina Brown
Pumpkin spice in the spice section of your grocery store
Robyn Ramsey
You can also Google a pumpkin pie spice recipe and make it yourself. It typically contains cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg.
Angie Mcleod
Thanks so much! Can’t wait to try it!
Grandma Donna
Getting ready to make this recipe.letyou know how it turns out .thank you!!
Christy
I’d alive to make this in my beautiful fall loaf mold. Since the bottom becomes the top would it be best to just do all the struesel in the middle? Swirl it in? Or still do half on the top that will be the bottom? Thank you!
Krista
Made it today and it was so delicious!! I feel like some quick bread/loaf recipes don’t always turn out that yummy but this one was so good. My husband is picky about sweets but loves pumpkin bread and he approved!
Jessie Daye
Thank you!
Sharon Anderson
I just baked this cake in an 8 x 8 pan and wonder if it’s a typo? It is almost over the top with no room for the glaze. I had to finish it with a foil tent and cook way longer to get the middle done. It really sounds good so thought I would ask. I will try again in a 9 x 9 or maybe 2 loaf pans. ??
Jessie Daye
Hi Sorry for the delay! We transferred our website to WordPress so I could offer ratings and printable cards and I missed this comment! It does puff up very high in the 8×8, but shouldn’t pour over – a 9×9 absolutely works. It just makes for thick squares in the 8×8.
Tara
Do you think it would work okay with a 1:1 gluten free flour?
Bree
I made this for my office and it was a HUGE hit! Amazing recipe!
Jessie Daye
Aw so happy to hear that!
Tara
Love this recipe! My daughter and I make it all the time now. She’s super picky and actually eats these!
Did the spiced glaze drop off the recipe though? It’s not listed anymore
Heather Mc
Friend was making/bringing a breakfast casserole this morning for the early Eagles in London football game so we made your Pumpkin Streusel Cake…. it was a hit. My husband helped me make it last night and it was an easy recipe to make! My only hitch was not knowing the amounts for the glaze
But yes! #score
Thanks!
Jessie Daye
Aw thank you so much! Eek, when we transferred the recipe cards some of the ingredients disappeared. I will add the glaze now. Thank you!
Clare
I made this in a 8×11 pan and it turned out dense and stodgy. The taste is really nice especially with the yummy streusel bits, but the texture is so hard it almost makes it feel dry.
Jessie Daye
Hi! This recipe should be made in a very narrow loaf pan. An 8×11 would definitely require significantly less cook time (by about half) so perhaps that’s why it was a bit dry. Hope this helps!
Alisha
Perfect recipe! So delicious, saving this one and will be making it quite often. Thank you!
Jessie Daye
Thank you so much!
Tashan Win
This Moist Pumpkin Streusel Cake looks absolutely divine! The combination of brown sugar crumble and spiced glaze sounds irresistible. I can’t wait to try this recipe and bring a bit of autumn magic to my kitchen. Thanks for sharing such a delightful treat!
Jalwa Game
This Moist Pumpkin Streusel Cake looks absolutely delightful! I love the combination of warm spices and the rich brown sugar crumble. Perfect for fall gatherings! Can’t wait to try this recipe. Thank you, Jessie!