Description
A tender pumpkin–spiced cake, swirled with a buttery pecan streusel and finished with a sweet maple icing. Ready in about an hour!
Ingredients
Scale
Streusel Layer
- ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar
- ¼ cup (32 g) plain all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (60 g) pecans, finely chopped
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3 Tbsp (43 g) unsalted butter, melted
Pumpkin Cake Batter
- 2 cups (254 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (244 g) pure pumpkin purée
- ½ cup (100 g) neutral-flavored oil (vegetable or canola)
- 4 oz (113 g) sour cream, room temperature
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
Maple Glaze
- ½ cup (63 g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 Tbsp pure maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat & Prep Pan
- Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Lightly grease an 8″ square metal baking pan with nonstick spray.
- Streusel Mix
- In a small bowl, whisk together brown sugar, flour, chopped pecans, and cinnamon.
- Stir in melted butter with a fork until the mixture forms damp crumbs. Set aside.
- Dry Ingredients
- In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices.
- Add both sugars and whisk until evenly distributed.
- Wet Ingredients
- In a separate bowl, whisk together pumpkin purée, oil, sour cream, and eggs until smooth.
- Assemble Batter
- Make a well in the center of the dry mix and pour in the pumpkin mixture.
- Gently stir just until no streaks of flour remain—avoid overmixing.
- Layer & Bake
- Spread half the batter into the prepared pan.
- Scatter half of the streusel mixture over the cake layer.
- Dollop and gently smooth the remaining batter on top, then finish with the rest of the streusel.
- Bake for 35–40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (If using glass or ceramic, you may need an extra 5–10 minutes.)
- Let the cake rest for 15 minutes in the pan.
- Maple Icing
- In a small bowl, whisk powdered sugar and maple syrup until you achieve a thick but pourable glaze.
- Drizzle the warm cake generously with the maple icing.
- Serve & Store
- Slice into squares and enjoy warm or at room temperature.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Notes
Tips & Notes
- Pan Choice: A light-colored metal pan bakes more evenly and yields a better streusel texture.
- Ingredient Temperatures: Using room-temperature sour cream and eggs helps the batter come together smoothly.
- Pumpkin Purée: Be sure to use 100% pumpkin purée—not pie filling.
- Avoid Overmixing: Stir the batter just until combined to keep the cake soft and tender.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Inactive Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Desserts