Layered Pumpkin Coffee Cake starts with a sour cream coffee cake that is layered with a creamy pumpkin filling and then topped with a crunchy cinnamon sugar and pecan topping.
This is a wonderfully unique pumpkin dessert that’s perfect for any of your upcoming fall and winter gatherings.
Pumpkin Coffee Cake
For any coffee-cake lover who is also a fan of pumpkin pie, there could not possibly be a more perfect dessert. The filling in this coffee cake tastes just like pumpkin pie.
I love the taste and texture of coffeecake. Light and moist insides with a sweet crumb topping is my idea of a perfect treat on any autumn afternoon.
Cinnamon coffee cake loaded with layers of buttery cinnamon brown sugar streusel is something that I can not resist whenever it is in the house.
And pumpkin pie certainly isn’t hurting for publicity this time of year. Spiced creamy pumpkin pie filling brings back so many nostalgic memories of Thanksgivings and Christmases. I just can’t get enough pumpkin desserts this time of year.
The popularity of recipes like Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal with Vanilla Whipped Cream and Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie tells me lots of you feel the same way.
This Pumpkin Coffee Cake came into my life five years ago and I’m so very glad it did. It’s just different enough from the usual pumpkin pie and pumpkin bread fare to be extra exciting but with all the familiar fall flavors you love.
Over the past several years, this cake has been a hit with everyone who tried it. The recipe is a definite keeper.
Temperatures might still be over 100°F in Arizona, but fall has officially been welcomed into our home with the first pumpkin recipe of the season.
The desert has plenty of beauty but come October I’m happy to be somewhere where the seasons change!
When I take a bite of Pumpkin Coffee Cake, I can pretend I’m somewhere cooler, gazing at beautiful foliage out the window.
Pumpkin Coffee Cake Recipe
This recipe was very loosely adapted from one I found at Food.com and it is delicious. I know you’ll love it as much as we did.
This is not just a coffee cake flavored with pumpkin and pumpkin spice; it’s a rich cinnamon streusel coffee cake layered with fluffy pumpkin pie filling.
You’ll be pleased to know that the layered pumpkin coffee cake recipe I’m sharing below is incredibly simple (despite the lengthy ingredients list)!
A basic coffee cake batter is layered with a simple pumpkin pie filling then sprinkled with a cinnamon crumb topping of brown sugar, pecans, and butter.
Each piece of cake delivers the perfect balance of flavors and textures: moist coffee cake, silky pumpkin pie filling and crisp crumbly topping.
Please don’t let the ingredient list overwhelm you. This really is a simple cake to stir together. Just mix together the cake batter, stir the pumpkin mixture together and layer the two in the pan. The topping comes together in just a couple of minutes.
Gluten Free Coffee Cake
When you’re baking for folks who are avoiding gluten, this coffee cake recipe is easy to adapt. I used my go-to substitute blend of brown rice flour, tapioca starch, and potato starch with great success.
Whether you make your Layered Pumpkin Coffee Cake with traditional all purpose flour or with gluten-free flours it’s guaranteed to be a roaring success. I’m having a hard time thinking of anyone who’s tried this cake and not come back for a second piece.
For more gluten-free dessert ideas, check out all of the Gluten Free Dessert Recipes on this website!
Kitchen Tip: I use these mixing bowls and this baking pan to make this recipe.
Pumpkin Coffee Cake
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 9×13 pan and set aside. In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat again. Add the dry ingredients and mix to combine. Stir in the sour cream and then pour half the batter into the prepared pan.
- Stir together the pumpkin, sugar and the spices. Add the eggs and then the cream or half and half and stir to combine. Pour the pumpkin mixture over the cake batter and spread across the pan with the back of a spoon. Drop the remaining cake batter over the pumpkin in small spoonfuls and then smooth it across the pumpkin layer. (Don’t worry about making it look perfect.)
- Stir together the melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans for the topping. Sprinkle the topping across the top of the cake. Bake for 50-55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out mostly clean. Let cool before slicing.
Pumpkin Recipes
Have you noticed that everyone has a little bit of pumpkin fever lately? There’s no shortage of incredible pumpkin dessert recipes to spice up your autumn.
Of course, every coffee fan loves a Pumpkin Spice Latte but there’s no reason why tea drinkers should miss out on the fun. Have you tried this Pumpkin Spice Chai Latte variation? My friend Rebecca shared it a couple of years ago and it’s become a favorite way to enjoy a cup of tea in the fall (or any time of year).
Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice will be your secret weapon for whipping up pumpkin recipes all season long. Along with this coffee cake recipe, be sure to try my ultimate Pumpkin Muffins, and their whole wheat cousins.
Desserts tend to get ALL the pumpkin attention this year but there are plenty of savory pumpkin recipes that deserve your attention, too. You can get your pumpkin fix with this Beef Pumpkin Stew from The Thirsty Feast and this Pumpkin Alfredo with Butternut Squash Ravioli from Tidy Mom.
Pumpkin Coffee Cake
Ingredients
Cake Ingredients
- ½ cup butter softened
- ¾ cup sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour*
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup sour cream
Pumpkin Filling Ingredients
- 15 ounces canned pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup half and half or ¼ cup heavy cream plus ¼ cup milk
Topping Ingredients
- ⅓ cup butter melted
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 cup pecans chopped small
*Gluten-Free Alternative
- 1¼ cup brown rice flour
- ½ cup potato starch
- ¼ cup tapioca starch
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease a 9×13 pan and set it aside. In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat again.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix to combine. Stir in the sour cream and then pour half the batter into the prepared pan.
- Stir together the pumpkin, sugar, and spices. Add the eggs and then the cream or half and half and stir to combine. Pour the pumpkin mixture over the cake batter and spread across the pan with the back of a spoon.
- Drop the remaining cake batter over the pumpkin in small spoonfuls and then smooth it across the pumpkin layer. (Don't worry about making it look perfect.)
- Stir together the melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans for the topping. Sprinkle the topping across the top of the cake.
- Bake for 50-55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out mostly clean. Let cool before slicing. Enjoy!
Nutrition
{originally published 9/10/13 – recipe notes and photos updated 10/6/21}
Nancy says
Has anyone tried the GF version of this cake?
Mary Duflo says
I’m going to try this and take it to church tomorrow,
Shannon says
I made this last night, and similar to another commenter my pumpkin layer was way too runny so the cake base sunk in and the crumble disappeared into the muck. Not sure what happened there as i double checked that i added all the ingredients.
So now i have a nice smelling albeit not very impressive looking cake – i can’t say crumble as there isn’t any!
Side note – pour the pumpkin layer very slowly cause i am pretty sure it made a hole in the base of my cake. Hope it still taste good.
Sharon clair says
The receipe was great. But I was out of pumpkin so I used cherry pie filling and it was great.
Deborah Kaczor says
Is the pumpkin pie filling or purée?
Mary says
This is pumpkin puree, not pie filling.
Joanne Runions says
what happened my pumpkin coffee cake pumpkin and topping went to bottom of pan not in middle layer
Jen says
Mine did the same! I checked the recipe 3 times and did everything right but the pumpkin mixture was really runny and sunk to the bottom.
Carol says
I blotted the pumpkin beforehand so it wasn’t so runny.
Joyce Dinkmeyer says
I find it very difficult trying to pin your recipes. I click on a recipe that looks interesting then I go to pin it & I have to try & figure what board it might be on, it never takes you directly to the recipe that you’re trying to find. I am able to write the recipe out, but I would much rather just pin it.
Mary says
Hi Joyce, if you click the “pin it” button that is on every photo when you hover over it, that should create the pinterest pin for you. I hope that helps!
Margaret Hall says
Made this today exact as written except I left out the nuts in the topping. Absolutely INcREDIBLE. Devoured. Insanely delicious. Raves. 1000% a keeper. Thanks so much……absolutely lovely be this. Looked almost identical, perhaps a shade darker due to not using the pecans. Nonetheless RAVES all around. Thank you for posting!
Kathy K says
Is it possible to make this in a bundt pan? Or does it work best in a 13×9 size pan.
Mary says
I’ve never tried this in a bundt pan. I’m not sure it would hold together that way.
Sharon says
Its in the oven! Smells awesome! Taking it to a function tomorrow. Will update once I taste it! It was easy to make too.
Caroline says
This looks wonderful. Cannot wait to try it, I am going to use fresh cooked pumpkin instead of can and hope that doesn’t change the recipe too much, nice pictures..has me drooling
Diane Miller says
even with half and half do you add the milk also or just with the cream
Chrissy says
Can you split this recipe between two 8×8″ baking pans?
Gloria says
Cannot print recipe
Mary says
That might be an issue with your printer. I just printed it using the print button on the recipe card and it worked fine.
Linda Stewart says
This looks amazing, gotta try this soon.
Carol Morrow says
Can you please add nutritional values with your recipes. I am on a low sodium diet
Kathy Jones says
Do you use pumpkin purée or regular pumpkin?
Mary says
Either one will work as long as it is pureed and not “pumpkin pie filling.”
Holly says
the recipe says half n half but the instructions say sour cream…..which is it?
Mary says
There is sour cream in the cake layer and heavy cream or half and half in the pumpkin layer. Happy baking!
Rita Howard says
Mine was perfect! thank Youo for the recipe took to a family gathering yesterday October 14, 2018