Pumpkin Spice Cake for the Perfect Fall Brunch or Breakfast

- November 10, 2011

Even though our pines don’t give a show of brilliant sunset colors, and our air gets damp and salty, rather than autumn-crisp, there is nevertheless a feeling of coziness and warmth, of homecoming and housewarming, when fall comes around each year. I’m so happy to have the opportunity to share one of my recipes that captures the sweetness and spice of this special season! MY PUMPKIN SPICE CRUMB CAKE is an autumn inspired spin on a classic New York crumb cake – a delicate and tender cake topped with loads of delicious, buttery crumbs with just the right amount of pumpkin and spices. It can be baked days in advance, and is the perfect breakfast or brunch item for a quiet morning after the big feast.

Pumpkin Spice Crumb Cake

For the crumb topping:

1 cup (two sticks) melted butter

2/3 cup granulated sugar

2/3 cup dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

½ teaspoon salt

1/3 cup rolled oats

3 ½ cups cake flour

For the cake:

2 ½ cups cake flour

1 cup granulated sugar

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

12 Tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) butter, softened

and cut into cubes

2/3 cup pumpkin puree

2 large eggs

1 egg yolk

2 Tablespoons sour cream

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Nonstick Cooking Spray

Powdered Sugar, for dusting

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F

Step 1: Prepare the topping by stirring the butter, sugars, salt and spices in a medium bowl to combine. Add the 3 cups of cake flour and rolled oats and stir to bring mixture together into a dough. Add remaining cake flour. Using your hands, mix flour into dough and begin to crumble into small, pea sized piece. Set aside.

Step 2: Prepare the 9x13 pan by spraying with nonstick cooking spray. Trim a sheet of parchment paper to a width of 12.5” and length of 15”. Lay parchment in the pan so the edges overhang the long sides of the pan. Spray parchment with nonstick cooking spray.

Step 3: In bowl of a standing mixer, mix flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice on low speed to combine. With mixer on low, add the butter cubes one at a time and continue beating until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Add the pumpkin puree, eggs, yolk, sour cream and vanilla. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl as needed.

Step 4: Transfer batter to the prepared pan. Spread batter evenly in the pan. Using your fingers, crumble the topping evenly over the batter.

Step 5: Bake for 40-45 minutes -- until the crumbs are golden and a wooden skewer inserted into center comes out clean. Cool. Remove cake from pan by lifting by the overhanging parchment. Dust with powdered sugar and cut into squares.

Note: I created this recipe for my guest-chef spot at U-create foods last year.