Pumpkin Streusel Coffee Cake

My blog quite simply is - My Story - in Recipes.  Everyday, I try and give my readers a little more insight into my crazy life.  Things can get pretty hectic around here while we juggle 2 careers and 2 very social kids and an especially wild dog.  I post pictures and write stories about all the little events that happen throughout the week and of course I write about the big events in my life as well.  Believe it or not, it's therapeutic for me to be able to share these "snapshots" of my life with all of you.

As crazy as my life is some days, I couldn't imagine it any other way - or spending it with anybody else.  Today is my 19th wedding anniversary and I'm reminded of just how blessed I am to have this wonderful person beside me.  My husband fills my story with excitement and adventure and love.  I don't often slow down long enough to tell him just how much I love him so I thought in honor of our anniversary, I would bake him a special anniversary cake. (It should come as no surprise to you that baking is the way that I show my love.)  

I found this recipe on the Williams Sonoma website and I cut it in half.  Instead of making a 9" round cake, I used 3" mini springform pans to make personal sized cakes.  

Pumpkin Streusel Coffee Cake
For the streusel:
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
Pinch of kosher salt
6 Tbs. (3/4 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small chunks
1 cup chopped pecans, lightly toasted (see note below)
For the batter:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
8 Tbs. (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup sour cream
For the glaze:
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 tsp. whole milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

​Preheat an oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 9-inch springform pan or a 9-inch cake pan with 3-inch sides.

​To make the streusel, in a bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt.

​Toss in the butter and, using 2 table knives or a pastry cutter, cut it into the dry ingredients until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.

Stir in the pecans. Set aside.

​To make the batter, in a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt.

​In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat together the butter and brown sugar on medium-high speed until well combined.

​Beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

​Add the pumpkin puree and sour cream and mix with the spatula.

​Stir in the flour mixture. The batter will be quite thick.

​Spread half of the batter in the prepared pan.

​Sprinkle half of the streusel over the batter.

​Dollop the remaining batter over the streusel and spread the thick batter as best you can.

​Top with the remaining streusel.

​Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 50 minutes.  ​Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for about 15 minutes. Remove the sides from the pan and slide the cake onto the rack.

​To make the glaze, in a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, milk and vanilla. Drizzle over the top of the cake. Cut into thick wedges and serve. Makes one 9-inch coffee cake.

​It hardly seems possible that we've been married for 19 years.  You've given me a wonderful story to tell.  Love you.  

​Ciao!

Click here for a printable version of this recipe