Pumpkin Coffee Cake
For a quiet fall afternoon lunch with friends… or all for yourself.
As I flipped through my course catalog at the end of sophomore year, I knew I had to enroll in Food Science (requirements? Not necessary). So, my eleventh grade schedule had not one, not two, but three science courses. In the beginning of Food Science, we hardly spoke about food. Instead, we learned where food comes from: the ground. Months of soil science and composting - though more interesting than I anticipated - made me impatient to learn food science.
After a school year studying everything from complex molecular structures to components of milk, our end of the year “celebration” project tasked us to create and market our own product and accurately calculate the nutrition labels. My contribution to supermarket shelves: pumpkin coffee cake. Confident that my vegan, gluten free, and allergen friendly square cake could outperform traditional competition (we see you, Entenmann’s), my classmates, however, were skeptical. Though known for my baked goods around holidays and special occasions, people were hesitant to try anything labeled “free”- dairy, gluten, soy, egg, refined sugar, etc..
Thankfully, this pumpkin coffee cake won them over. An autumn orange color and a spiced stripe across the middle caught their eyes. The fluffy, moist, tender crumb contradicted the belief that gluten free goods are dense. This cake captures the flavor of fall in a square portion (or the entire square cake).
How to make Pumpkin Coffee Cake
In just a few simple steps with the help of a couple of mixing bowls, this recipe is as easy to make as it is to eat.
Prepare the spiced-sugar mixture.
Mix together the spices and sugar to sprinkle in between the batter and on top.
2. Prepare the batter.
Whisk the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another. Add the dry to the wet and mix until just combined. Over-mixing (though there is not gluten) can create a dense, gummy cake.
3. Layer the coffee cake.
Scoop half the batter in the bottom of the prepared pan. Next, sprinkle half of the spiced-sugar mixture (this creates the distinct line in the center). Add the remaining batter and, finally, the remainder of the spiced-sugar. Pour melted butter over the top.
4. Bake and enjoy!
Though a warm pumpkin coffee cake fresh from the oven is tempting, let the cake cool. The flavor is best when served warm or cooled completely.
Can I use pumpkin spice in the spiced sugar?
Throughout this blog post and the recipe, I refer to the mixture of warm spices and sugar as “spiced sugar.” This combination of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and sugar adds the traditional “pumpkin spice” flavor to accompany the pumpkin puree in the cake. The typical blend of spices in pumpkin spice include cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and allspice. Therefore, one tablespoon (1 Tbsp) of prepared pumpkin spice in your spice cabinet can replace all of the spices in spiced sugar. You can find pumpkin spice down the spice aisle in the grocery store
Note: It is important to keep all of your spices in a cool, dark place. Make sure your spices are fresh for the best flavor.
How do I serve Pumpkin Coffee Cake?
After the pumpkin coffee cake has cooled, simply cut the cake into squares. Cut the cake into 16 squares for smaller portions or 9 for larger pieces. Serve this cake after an afternoon fall lunch with tea, or enjoy for breakfast with coffee, of course!
Pumpkin coffee cake can serve as a Thanksgiving morning treat or add a non-pie dessert at the Thanksgiving table. You can also bring this crowd pleaser to a Friendsgiving feast for all to enjoy since it is easy to make and accommodates all the gluten free, dairy free, and vegan friends you are celebrating during the holiday season.
1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease an 8”x 8” pan with vegan butter or cooking spray and line with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. In a small bowl, mix spices and sugar. Set aside.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, coconut sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together melted butter, pumpkin, water, milk, vinegar, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Add the dry ingredients into the wet and whisk until smooth.
5. Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan and use an offset spatula to spread it evenly. Sprinkle half of the spice-sugar mixture over the batter.
6. Pour the second half of the batter on top and spread. Sprinkle the last of the spiced sugar. Drizzle the melted butter across the top.
7. Bake for 25 to 32 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool.
+ To make Pumpkin Coffee Cake gluten free, simply swap the all-purpose flour with an equal amount of gluten-free measure-for-measure all-purpose flour. Make sure your gluten-free flour mix contains xanthan gum!
+ Use 1 Tbsp of your favorite pumpkin spice in place of all of the spices in the spiced sugar.
