Buttery Glazed Pumpkin Coffee Cake

Finding the perfect fall treat that works for both breakfast and dessert can feel impossible. You want something that captures those cozy autumn flavors without being too heavy for morning coffee, but also satisfying enough to serve guests after dinner.

This glazed pumpkin coffee cake solves that problem perfectly. It’s moist and flavorful with warm spices, easy enough for a weekend baking project, and that sweet glaze makes it feel special whether you’re enjoying it with your morning cup or serving it at your next get-together.

What Kind of Pumpkin Should I Use?

For this coffee cake, you’ll want to stick with canned pure pumpkin puree rather than trying to make your own from scratch. The canned version has a consistent texture and moisture level that works perfectly in baking, plus it saves you tons of time. Make sure you’re grabbing “pure pumpkin” and not “pumpkin pie filling” – the pie filling already has spices and sugar added, which will throw off your recipe. Libby’s is a popular brand that works great, but any pure pumpkin puree will do the trick. If you do want to use fresh pumpkin, you’ll need to roast and puree it yourself, but honestly, the canned stuff is so good that most bakers prefer it anyway.

Options for Substitutions

This coffee cake is pretty forgiving when it comes to swaps, so here are some options if you’re missing ingredients:

• Cake flour: Don’t have cake flour? You can make your own by removing 2 tablespoons from 1 cup of all-purpose flour and adding 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. Sift it together and you’re good to go.
• Pumpkin pie spice: Missing pumpkin pie spice? Mix together 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ginger, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, and 1/8 teaspoon allspice for each tablespoon needed.
• Pure pumpkin: You can substitute with the same amount of sweet potato puree or butternut squash puree. Just make sure it’s not pumpkin pie filling, which has added spices and sugar.
• Brown sugar: If you’re out of brown sugar, mix 1 cup white sugar with 1 tablespoon molasses for each cup needed. Light corn syrup also works in a pinch.
• Oats: Old-fashioned oats work best for the topping, but quick oats will do if that’s what you have. You could also try chopped pecans or walnuts for extra crunch.
• Butter: For the cake itself, you can use vegetable oil (use 3/4 the amount), but keep the butter in the topping since it’s key for that crumbly texture.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking

The biggest mistake you can make with pumpkin coffee cake is overmixing the batter once you add the flour, which leads to a tough, dense cake instead of the tender crumb you’re after – mix just until the ingredients are combined and you still see a few streaks of flour.

Another common error is using warm or melted butter for the streusel topping, when cold butter is essential for creating those perfect crumbly pieces that won’t sink into the batter during baking.

Don’t skip the step of checking your cake with a toothpick inserted into the center – it should come out with just a few moist crumbs, not wet batter, and remember that pumpkin cakes often look underdone even when they’re perfectly baked.

For the best glaze consistency, add the milk gradually to your powdered sugar mixture rather than all at once, which gives you better control over the thickness and prevents it from becoming too runny.

What to Serve With Pumpkin Coffee Cake?

This spiced pumpkin coffee cake is perfect with a hot cup of coffee or tea – the warm spices pair beautifully with both! I love serving it alongside some vanilla Greek yogurt or a dollop of whipped cream, especially if you want to make it feel more like dessert. For a cozy fall brunch, try it with some crispy bacon or breakfast sausage to balance out all that sweet, spiced goodness. You could also serve it with a glass of cold milk or even a warm chai latte to really play up those autumn flavors.

Storage Instructions

Keep Fresh: This pumpkin coffee cake stays moist and delicious when covered tightly with plastic wrap or stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. The glaze might absorb a bit into the cake over time, but that just makes it even more flavorful!

Refrigerate: For longer storage, pop your coffee cake in the fridge where it’ll keep well for up to a week. I actually think it tastes even better after a day or two because all those warm spices have time to meld together. Just cover it well so it doesn’t dry out.

Freeze: You can freeze individual slices wrapped in plastic wrap and then placed in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. This is perfect for portion control or when you want to save some for later. The whole cake freezes well too if you wrap it tightly before glazing.

Serve: Let frozen slices thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes, or warm them in the microwave for 20-30 seconds. If you froze the whole cake, let it thaw completely before adding the glaze for the best results.

Preparation Time	20-30 minutes
Cooking Time	50-60 minutes
Total Time	70-90 minutes
Level of Difficulty	Medium

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 3500-4000
• Protein: 30-40 g
• Fat: 200-250 g
• Carbohydrates: 450-500 g

Ingredients

For the pumpkin cake batter:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 can (15 oz) pure pumpkin
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup cake flour
• 1 tbsp plus 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda

For the streusel filling and topping:

• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup old-fashioned or quick oats
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter

For the glaze:

• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tbsp milk

Step 1: Prepare the Oven and Bundt Pan

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

Grease a bundt pan thoroughly to ensure your cake releases easily after baking.

Step 2: Make the Cake Batter

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 can (15 oz) pure pumpkin
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup cake flour
• 1 tbsp plus 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the softened unsalted butter, granulated sugar, and 1 cup packed brown sugar until smooth.

Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Mix in the milk, pure pumpkin, and vanilla extract until fully incorporated.

In a separate bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, cake flour, pumpkin pie spice, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, baking powder, and baking soda.

Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and mix everything until just combined.

At this stage, avoid over-mixing to keep the cake tender.

I like to gently fold the dry ingredients in by hand for the final mix to preserve the cake’s lightness.

Step 3: Prepare the Cinnamon Streusel

• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup old-fashioned or quick oats
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter

In a food processor, combine the second 1 cup packed brown sugar, oats, 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon.

Pulse a few times to mix.

Add the cold unsalted butter in small chunks, then pulse until the mixture becomes crumbly and holds together when pinched to form a streusel.

Step 4: Layer Cake Batter and Streusel in Pan

• cake batter (from Step 2)
• streusel (from Step 3)

Sprinkle about 1/2 cup of the streusel mixture onto the bottom of the prepared bundt pan.

Pour half of the cake batter (from Step 2) evenly over this streusel layer.

Add another generous layer of streusel (from Step 3) over the batter, saving about 1/2 cup of streusel for the top.

Pour the remaining cake batter over this layer and smooth it out.

Finish by sprinkling the reserved streusel over the top.

This layering creates a delicious swirl of spice and crunch throughout the cake.

Step 5: Bake the Cake

Bake the assembled cake in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes.

It’s ready when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan before attempting to remove it.

I like to leave it for at least an hour – this prevents the streusel from sticking to the pan and helps the cake hold its shape.

Step 6: Make the Cinnamon Glaze

• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tbsp milk

In a bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, ground cinnamon, and milk until smooth and pourable.

If your glaze is too thick, add a splash more milk – I always add a little at a time until I get just the right consistency for drizzling.

Step 7: Glaze, Serve, and Enjoy

Flip the cooled cake out of the bundt pan onto a serving plate.

Drizzle the cinnamon glaze (from Step 6) generously over the top of the cake, allowing it to run down the sides.

Slice, serve, and enjoy your pumpkin streusel bundt cake!