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You guy, you guys! I made a coffee cake!
My very first ever, and I have to say I’m kind of proud of it! 🙂
I mean, I know it’s technically just another cake, but I feel like there’s something kind of fancy about a cake baked in a bundt pan. Is that just me? Probably, but whatever! I’m excited because this is a semi new-to-me cake!!
I’ve made this cake multiple times now…you know, for testing purposes and all. But it’s cool, because this cake is honestly SO good! I wasn’t expecting to like a coffee cake this much, but thanks to these four words – cream cheese, streusel, brown sugar, and brown butter, well, those pretty much sums this cake up!
You know what’s weird though? I’ve only ever had coffee cake once in my life (or at least that I know of), and it was way back during my middle school days. I was at a friend’s house for a sleepover, a super rare event as I was such a homebody. Sleepovers were my worst nightmare and any time a friend asked me to sleepover I practically begged my mom to say NO. I was just a weird kid…
Anyway, I can’t remember why I chose to actually attend this particular sleepover, but what I do remember is the chocolate chip coffee cake my friend’s mom served in the morning! It was SO good, and I remember thinking it kind of tasted like a mix between a cookie, cookie dough and some kind of crumbly pastry. It was both moist and crumbly at the same time and I pretty much thought it was perfection.
I think I even asked my mom to buy one at the store next time, but pretty sure she never did, and that was my last experience with coffee cake. Or well until this cake, which I can tell you is a million times better than the store-bought one I had as a kid.
Like a million.
And you know what? There’s not even any chocolate!
Wait, what? I made a cake without chocolate and loved it?
Craziness, but true!
Okok, so let’s talk details here.
I made this three times in ONE day. Typically when I test out baking recipes I like to try to make all versions in one day so I can compare and then finalize the recipe in one big swoop! At first I wanted this to only be a brown sugar coffee cake with NO pumpkin. And my first test worked great, but I decide that I needed a larger cake, so I made it again. But it still felt like something was missing, and that’s when I added the pumpkin in.
I hesitated to use pumpkin because I have a ton of new pumpkin recipes coming up in the next few weeks (umm, hello! Thanksgiving!), but the flavors happening here just screamed “add pumpkin!”. So I added just a little to bump up the moistness and color of this cake.
Perfecto!
Let’s be real, we all want pumpkin right now anyway…hoping your motto for fall is “never enough pumpkin!”.?
Cream Cheese Swirled Brown Sugar Pumpkin Coffee Cake… yeah, the title is a bit long, but… I can’t leave anything out! The cake itself is a brown sugar, pumpkin, buttery kind of cake, swirled with a layer of cream cheese and a layer of streusel. I mean, that right there is pretty awesome, but since it’s cake, and all cake needs some kind of frosting, I decided to drizzle it with a brown butter and maple glaze.
FOR REAL.
This cake is so fallish, I just can’t help but love it to pieces… and even without the chocolate… it’s still so addicting! That pairing of pumpkin and cream cheese, it’s kind of unbeatable.
Just sayin’.
Cream Cheese Swirled Brown Sugar Pumpkin Coffee Cake.
Ingredients
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 3/4 cup brewed coffee, can use milk or water
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Streusel
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 6 tablespoons cold butter, cubed
- 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
Brown Butter Maple Glaze
- 1/4 cup butter
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a 10 inch bundt pan.
- In a large bowl, beat together the butter, brown sugar and vanilla until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated. Add the pumpkin and coffee, beat until smooth and creamy. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt and mix on low speed until just combined, being sure the batter is completely mixed.
- To make the streusel. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar and cinnamon. Add the butter and use your fingers to mix the butter into the flour until a crumble forms.
- Spoon half the batter into the prepared pan. Gently dollop the softened cream cheese over the batter and spread in an even layer. Sprinkle 3/4 of the streusel over top the cream cheese. Spoon the remaining batter over the streusel and carefully spread in an even layer. Sprinkle on the remaining streusel. Transfer to the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let cool 30 minutes and then invert the cake onto a plate.
- To make the glaze. Melt the butter over medium heat in a small sauce pot until just browned. The butter will melt, foam and froth, then begin to brown along the bottom. Whisk browned bits off of the bottom of the pan. Once the butter has browned, quickly remove from the heat. Stir in the powdered sugar, maple and vanilla until smooth. If needed, thin the glaze with a splash of water.
- Drizzle the glaze evenly over the cake and let set 10 minutes. Serve cake slightly warm or at room temperature. Keep cake stored, covered in the fridge.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Fall Tuesday cake baking session? Yes, lets!
I would love to try this, it sounds yummy! Seems like quite the challenge trying to spread cream cheese on wet batter…any hints on the best technique and the amount of cream cheese to use?
Hi! It’s not as tricky as it may seem, the batter is not super thin and if your cream cheese is spreadable it is really pretty easy. If you are having trouble, just dollop the cream cheese over top the batter in an even layer. Let me know if you have any questions. Thank you so much! 🙂
I’do like to know if you use fresh pumpkin or can , would it make a difference.
HI! I used can, but if you have thick homemade pumpkin puree that will work great too! Let me know if you have questions. Thank you!
OMG yum! this is the perfect fall cake <3
Awh thank you so much Layla!
Tieghan this looks delicious as always! One question…I don’t really like coffee. Is the coffee flavor really strong? Is there something I could substitute?
Hey Linda! You do not really taste the coffee, but you can use water or milk in its place. Let me know if you have any questions. Thank you! 🙂
Omg, Tieghan! This sounds soo incredible! Pumpkin coffee cake with cream cheese in the middle? I can eat these for days!
Right?! Haha thank you Andrea!
I love coffee cakes even more than chocolate cakes, to be honest. Especially if there’s chocolate icing on top of it *hint, hint* I love it even more!!!
https://bloglairdutemps.blogspot.pt/
Haha sounds super delish!! Thanks Ruth!
Can’t wait to make this but how do you spread room temp cream cheese on batter? Doesn’t seem “spreadable”. Dollop maybe.
Hey Patti! I dolloped it onto the batter and then gently spread it in an even layer. The batter is not super thin so it works. If you are having trouble, just use small dollops. Let me know if you have questions. thanks! 🙂
Yes plz I want it all
Haha thank you Sarah!
Your cake looks and sounds ahmaaaaazing! And since it doesn’t include chocolate and you loved it means your taste is maturing. Not like “old” like in old person. But like a fine wine. 🙂 I am definitely pinning and making this at a later date. Have a great day!!
Haha yes definitely! Thank you so much Marisa, so happy you are enjoying this cake!(:
oh my gosh that cake stand is beautiful! I love it!!! the cake looks absolutely to die for!
https://www.searedandshameless.com
Thank you so much Jessica!!
These photos are so gorgeous! I adore the look of Bundt cakes and the swirl inside this one makes it extra special.
Thank you Becky!
I vote pumpkin in anything!
Agreed!! Haha thank you Nancy!
ALL the noms!!!! 🙂
Rebecca
xx
http://www.peppermintdolly.com
Thank you!
O-M-GOODNESSSSSS! This looks to-die-for amazing, Tieghan!
Ahh yay!! So happy you are loving it Tori! Thank you!! (:
This sounds amazing! I absolutely need to try this! Sophie x
sophiehmstewart.com
Yay! Thank you Sophie, enjoy!!