We’ve Already Got Pumpkin Spice on Our Mind With this Crumb Cake

Crumb cake
Image by congerdesign from Pixabay

The temperatures are still sky-high, but in our minds, we are already picturing the coziness of fall and the pumpkin spice that comes with it. If you can’t wait for the season change either, this pumpkin spice crumb cake will hold you over. 

Ingredients:

  • 1½ sticks unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 large eggs 
  • 1 cup pumpkin purée
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 ½ cups light brown sugar
  • ½ cup oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon ground ginger 
  • ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Allow the paper to hang over on all sides. 
  2. Whisk together 2 cups of all-purpose flour, ⅔ cup light brown sugar, 1½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, and ¼ teaspoon ground cloves in a medium bowl. Add in the melted butter that has been slightly cooled, stirring with a spoon until most of the floury streaks are gone. Then, set the streusel aside.
  3. Whisk 1 cup of all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, and ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon in a large bowl.
  4. Whisk 2 large eggs, the pumpkin purée, ½ cup of granulated sugar, ¼ cup of light brown sugar, ½ cup of vegetable oil, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until smooth and creamy. Add the pumpkin mixture to the dry ingredients and gently stir until just combined. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, spreading all the way to the edges, and smooth the surface.
  5. Using your hands, squeeze the streusel into big clumps and evenly distribute them over the batter.
  6. Bake the cake for 35-40 minutes, until a thin knife inserted into the center comes out mostly clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the cake cool until the pan is no longer hot to the touch. Using the parchment paper, lift the cake out of the pan and onto the rack and cool completely.