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sour cream pumpkin coffee cake with pecan streusel

(5 ratings)
Heavenlybliss avatar
Blue Ribbon Recipe by
Lisa Myrick
@Heavenlybliss
Wilmington, NC

I admit there are a few steps to this, but if you like coffee cake and enjoy pumpkin, it is well worth the time because you are in for a real treat with this recipe! From the pumpkin and spices to the pecan streusel, it screams fall and cooler weather. The cake is moist and buttery, while the pumpkin is flavorful but not overpowering. The pecans in the streusel give it a nice crunch. It always gets one of the highest bids at our annual Christmas auction for charity at our church. It is perfect with a piping cup of hot, fresh coffee!

Blue Ribbon Recipe

This is the ultimate coffee cake for fall and the holiday season. The cake is buttery, tender, and moist. Pumpkin is layered in between the cake and streusel. It is not an overpowering pumpkin flavor. There's a hint of pumpkin spice but, thanks to the streusel throughout the cake, cinnamon is the more dominant flavor. Once baked, the streusel sprinkled on top is buttery, sugary, crunchy, and delicious.

— The Test Kitchen @kitchencrew
(5 ratings)
yield 24 (cut 4 x 6 rows)
prep time 30 Min
cook time 45 Min
method Bake

Ingredients For sour cream pumpkin coffee cake with pecan streusel

  • PECAN STREUSEL
  • 1 c
    brown sugar, firmly packed
  • 1/3 c
    cold butter, cut into small pieces
  • 2 tsp
    ground cinnamon
  • 1 c
    chopped pecans
  • PUMPKIN MIXTURE
  • 1 can
    pumpkin (not pie mix) - 15 oz.
  • 1 lg
    eggs, slightly beaten
  • 1/3 c
    sugar
  • 1 tsp
    pumpkin pie spice
  • CAKE BATTER
  • 1 stick
    butter, softened
  • 3/4 c
    sugar
  • 1 tsp
    vanilla extract
  • 3 lg
    eggs
  • 2 c
    all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp
    baking powder
  • 1 tsp
    baking soda
  • 1 c
    sour cream

How To Make sour cream pumpkin coffee cake with pecan streusel

  • Mixing brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, and pecans in a bowl until crumbly.
    1
    Streusel Mixture: Combine the brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, and pecans, working in the butter until the mixture is crumbly.
  • Diving the streusel in half.
    2
    I simply do this with my fingers. Divide it in half right inside the bowl and refrigerate until needed.
  • Pumpkin, beaten egg, sugar, and pumpkin pie spice combined in a bowl.
    3
    Pumpkin Mixture: In a separate bowl, combine the pumpkin, beaten egg, sugar, and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside.
  • Butter, sugar, and vanilla creamed together.
    4
    Cake Batter: In a large bowl cream together butter, sugar, and vanilla for about 5 minutes. It won't look like much at this point.
  • Slowly adding the eggs.
    5
    Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, until light and fluffy.
  • Flour, baking powder, and baking soda in a bowl.
    6
    In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Measure out your sour cream.
  • Dry ingredients and sour cream added to the butter mixture.
    7
    Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture alternately with the sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture. I do this with a wooden spoon so that I don't over beat the batter and make the cake dry and tough.
  • Two cups of batter dropped into a baking dish.
    8
    Drop 2 cups of batter in dollops in the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking pan (note: if not using a non-stick pan grease the pan before adding the batter). It will look as though there isn't going to be enough batter for two layers, but it IS plenty.
  • Batter spread out into a layer.
    9
    I use an offset spatula then to spread the batter into an even layer.
  • Half the streusel sprinkled over the batter.
    10
    Sprinkle one half of the streusel (about 1 cup) over the batter.
  • Pumpkin layer spread over the streusel layer.
    11
    Dollop all of the pumpkin mixture onto the streusel and gently spread it into an even layer with an offset spatula. Here again, it will look like there isn't enough but there IS plenty. Just do it in the dollops like I did the batter and spread it out.
  • Remaining batter dropped onto the cake.
    12
    Drop the remaining 2 cups of cake batter in dollops over the pumpkin mixture.
  • Batter spread over the pumpkin.
    13
    Carefully spread the batter over the pumpkin mixture with an offset spatula.
  • Remaining streusel sprinkled over the batter.
    14
    Sprinkle remaining streusel over the batter.
  • Sour Cream Pumpkin Coffee Cake baking in the oven.
    15
    Bake in a 325 degree oven for 50 minutes to 1 hour. In my own personal, it has taken as few as 45 minutes but in other ovens that I have baked it in it took about 52. If your oven tends to cook hot, begin checking around the 40 minute mark. A tester inserted to the center should come out clean, with maybe a slight crumb clinging.
  • Slice of Sour Cream Pumpkin Coffee Cake With Pecan Streusel on a plate.
    16
    Also, I use a non-stick pan so I do not grease it and I have never had a problem with it sticking and I have made this MANY times. If yours isn't non-stick, I would suggest you lightly spray your pan with a little non-stick cooking spray.
  • Last Step: Don't forget to share! Make all your friends drool by posting a picture of your finished recipe on your favorite social network. And don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes so we can see it too!
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