Sourdough Pumpkin Coffee Cake with Streusel Topping
This sourdough pumpkin coffee cake with streusel topping is the perfect fall treat with a melt-in-your-mouth texture made from sourdough discard and warm spices. Enjoy for breakfast, an afternoon snack, or to share at your fall gatherings. You’re sure to want to bake this sourdough treat on repeat this fall.
“Delicious way to enjoy a fall breakfast treat with all the benefits sourdough starter adds (in density, flavor, and digestion).” -Brenda
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The pumpkin coffee cake recipe is so simple to make and full of fall flavors. While testing this cake, my family and friends raved about how soft and tender the cake was. The cinnamon streusel topping is sweet and adds a bit of texture. This delightful treat is perfect to enjoy with a cup of coffee on cool, fall mornings. Plus, there’s a hidden surprise brown sugar and cinnamon layer in the middle of the cake adds extra flavor and makes the cake look beautiful when serving!
New to sourdough? Begin by learning How to Make a Sourdough Starter from Scratch and how to care for it in The Complete Sourdough Starter Guide. Once your starter is established, use it to bake this easy sourdough bread recipe or in any of my discard recipes.
Why Bake with Sourdough?
- The classic sourdough tang can’t be beat and adds a unique depth of flavor.
- Imparts moisture and improves the texture of breads, cookies, and muffins.
- Since the sourdough discard is full of acid, it’s an easy swap for the buttermilk, sour cream, or Greek yogurt in your baking recipes.
- It’s a great way to use up the sourdough discard and reduce food waste.
- Sourdough starter is teeming with lactic acid bacteria, which help break down the phytic acid in the flour during a long ferment. This breakdown helps reduce bloating and can even help those sensitive to gluten enjoy baked goods made with flour.
Fall baking with sourdough is delicious and easy. Enjoy artisan sourdough pumpkin and pecan bread or sourdough pumpkin bagels made with active sourdough and a long ferment. Want something that bakes in the same day? Then turn to pumpkin discard recipes like sourdough pumpkin scones or sourdough pumpkin quick bread. Either way, your fall is going to be delicious!
Important Ingredients
- Sourdough starter – Pumpkin coffee cake with sourdough discard is a great way to use up your sourdough discard. Use freshly fed discard for a light sourdough tangy flavor. You can use active sourdough starter, just be sure to measure by weight since it contains more air.
- Canned Pumpkin – Be sure to use canned pumpkin purée. Avoid pumpkin pie filling, which has added sugar and spices. Homemade pumpkin puree contains more liquid than store-bought canned pumpkin, so be sure to drain it before using.
- Butter – I typically use unsalted butter in my baking recipes since the salt level can vary from brand to brand. If you’re using salted butter, reduce the salt in the recipe by 1/4 tsp.
- Spices – Pumpkin pie spice blend combines warm fall spices, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and clove, making it convenient to add in recipes. You can find it in most stores year-round, but it’s simple to make using the spices you have on hand in your cupboard.
How to Make Sourdough Pumpkin Streusel Coffee Cake
Prep
Preheat the oven to 350°F/177°C.
Grease a 9×9 pan with butter and dust with flour, or line it with a piece of parchment paper.
Streusel Topping
Whisk the flour, cinnamon, brown sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Next, cube the butter and add it to the bowl. Cut the butter in with a pastry cutter or fork until it resembles coarse, wet sand.
Mix the Cake Batter
Whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl.
In a separate bowl, mix the unsalted butter with the sugar and brown sugar. Next, add the sourdough discard and blend.
Finally, add the pumpkin puree, milk, vanilla extract, and eggs, one at a time.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
Assemble
Add half of the cake batter (roughly 560 g) to the bottom of the 9×9 cake pan, spreading into the corners.
Next, crumble half of the streusel topping, roughly 270 g.
Spoon the remaining cake batter into the pan and spread, doing your best to not disrupt the cinnamon sugar layer. Crumble the streusel topping evenly over the top of the cake.
Bake
Place the cake into the preheated oven and bake for 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Place the cake on a wire rack to cool.
Storage
Like all baked goods, pumpkin streusel coffee cake is best the day it’s baked. To store leftovers, allow the cake to cool to room temperature before covering with plastic wrap or transferring it to an airtight container. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days. The crumb topping will soften with time.
Tips
- Use a kitchen scale for accurate and consistent measurements.
- For a tender crumb, don’t overmix the cake batter.
- There can be variances in all ovens, so be sure to test the doneness of the cake 5 minutes before the stated baking time to avoid overbaking.
- Allow the cake to cool to room temperature before cutting to improve the texture and flavor.
FAQs
Can I Freeze Sourdough Discard Pumpkin Coffee Cake?
Yes! It’s a great way to have sourdough fall desserts ready if you have company stop by or want a cozy sourdough breakfast, but don’t have the time. Wrap the cake tightly in layers of plastic wrap or place it in a plastic freezer bag, label and freeze. For the best flavor, use within 3 months, but it can be frozen for up to a year.
For More Pumpkin Sourdough Recipes
- Sourdough Pumpkin Muffins with Streusel Topping
- Sourdough Pumpkin Scones with Cream Cheese Glaze
- Same Day Sourdough Discard Pumpkin Quick Bread
I’d love to hear from you if you made this sourdough pumpkin coffee cake! Leave me a comment and a star rating!
Sourdough Pumpkin Coffee Cake with Streusel Topping
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Equipment
- 9×9 baking pan
- mixing bowl
- kitchen scale
- measuring spoons
- parchment paper optional
Ingredients
Streusel Topping
- 188 g all-purpose flour 1½ cup
- 150 g brown sugar ¾cup
- 50 g sugar ¼ cup
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 1½ tsp cinnamon
- 170 g unsalted butter ¾ cup/ 1½ sticks
Sourdough Pumpkin Coffee Cake
- 250 g all-purpose flour 2 cups
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 1½ tsp pumpkin spice blend
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 100 g sugar ½ cup
- 100 g brown sugar ½ cup
- 113 g unsalted butter ½ cup/1 stick
- 125 g sourdough discard ½ cup
- 250 g pumpkin puree 1 cup
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 60 g whole milk ¼ cup
Instructions
Prep
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/177°C.
- Grease a 9×9 pan with butter and dust with flour, or line it with a piece of parchment paper.
Streusel Topping
- Whisk the flour, cinnamon, brown sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Next, cube the butter and add it to the bowl. Cut the butter in with a pastry cutter or fork until it resembles coarse, wet sand.
Mix the Cake Batter
- Whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl and set aside.
- In a separate bowl, mix the unsalted butter with the sugar and brown sugar. Next, add the sourdough discard and blend. Finally, add the pumpkin puree, milk, vanilla extract, and eggs, one at a time.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
Assemble
- Add half of the cake batter (roughly 560 g) to the bottom of the 9×9 cake pan, spreading into the corners.
- Next, add half of the streusel mixture evenly over the cake batter, roughly 270 g.
- Spoon the remaining cake batter into the pan and spread, doing your best not to disrupt the streusel layer. Crumble the remaining streusel topping evenly over the top of the cake.
Bake
- Place the cake into the preheated oven and bake for 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
- Place the cake on a wire rack to cool.
Storage
- Like all baked goods, pumpkin streusel coffee cake is best the day it’s baked. To store leftovers, allow the cake to cool to room temperature before covering with plastic wrap or transferring it to an airtight container. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days. The crumb topping will soften with time.
Have you ever wanted a little extra crisp in your dessert? This coffee cake is the perfect fall addition to family brunch, or a morning cup of coffee at home! Share how you enjoy it, along with any questions, below! I look forward to hearing from you!