Cream Cheese Pumpkin Coffee Cakes with Streusel
These little streusel cakes are made with the base of my Pumpkin Bars; they bake up moist and flavorful, and pair beautifully with the cream cheese and pecan streusel.
Servings 8 (4-inch) cakes
Equipment
- Eight or nine 4 by 2 inch [10 by 5 cm] Springform Pans (see notes)
Ingredients
Pecan Streusel
- ¾ cup [180 g] toasted pecans
- ¾ cup [107 g] all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup [65 g] granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup [65 g] light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 5 tablespoons [70 g] unsalted butter, melted
Pumpkin Cake
- 2 cups [284 g] all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Pinch cloves
- 15 ounces [425 g] unsweetened pumpkin puree
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup [240 g] vegetable or canola oil
- ¾ cup [150 g] granulated sugar
- ¾ cup [150 g] brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Filling
- 8 oz [227 g] cream cheese at room temperature
- ¼ cup [50 g] granulated sugar
- 1 large egg at room temperature
Instructions
For the streusel
- In the bowl of a food processor, combine the pecans, flour, both sugars, cinnamon, and salt. Pulse a few times until combined and the pecans are broken down, 5 or 6 pulses. Pour the melted butter over the top and pulse again until the butter is incorporated, 3 or 4 more pulses.
For the cake
- Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350F [180C]. Grease eight or nine 4 in [10 cm] springform pans or cake pans, and line the bottom with parchment (if using 4 inch cake pans, or if you'd like to make it in a 9x13 pan, see note). Place the pans on a large sheet pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, mix together the pumpkin, eggs, canola oil, sugars, maple syrup, and vanilla until combined. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low until completely combined, making sure to check for any flour pockets in the batter. If needed, whisk the batter to get rid of any lumps; about 30 seconds.
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans (see note), using an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to smooth the top.
For the filling
- In the stand mixer bowl in which you just mixed the cake batter, beat together the cream cheese and granulated sugar on low speed until smooth and creamy. Add the egg and mix until incorporated, scraping down the sides as needed.
To Assemble
- Divide the cream cheese mixture among the pans and smooth the tops with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon, getting as close to the edges as you can (the cream cheese filling will not want to spread beautifully, but it's okay if it gets into the pumpkin batter somewhat.) Divide the streusel between the cakes and sprinkle evenly over the tops.
- Place the cakes on the sheet pan into the oven and bake the cakes until a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into the center comes out with no pumpkin cake crumbs (see note), 26 to 40 minutes (less time if making 9, more time if making 8). Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the cakes cool until barely warm or at room temperature.
- Remove the cakes from their pans and serve. Alternately, the cakes can be covered in plastic wrap after cooling and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Warm just slightly before serving.
Notes
*The only thing tricky about these cakes is making sure they are done; the cream cheese filling will still be a little wet throughout baking (and that is okay). Stick a skewer down far enough into the cake to make sure the pumpkin cake comes out with no crumbs.
*You can make 8 or 9 cakes; I usually make 8. If making 8 the cakes will bake up a little taller. I haven't ever had them leak out of the pans, but they do puff up quite a bit over the top of the pan when just making 8, so make sure you have at least 2 in [5 cm] sides (they will fall a bit as they cool). Making 9 distributes the batter a little better, and the cakes will bake a little faster, but you won't have as much cream cheese filling per cake. You could increase the cream cheese to 10 oz [283 g] if you want a more substantial filling (you can keep the sugar and egg the same measurements).
*I prefer springform pans over the cake pans – the edges bake up smooth and neat. It is also easier to release the cakes from them.
*To make in a 9x13 inch pan, recipe works as written. But for a more substantial cream cheese layer as this photo shows, use 12 oz [340 g] cream cheese and 1/3 cup [65 g] granulated sugar, along with the 1 large egg. Bake 40 to 50 minutes.
