It seems that I wait all year for pumpkin. Come May, I am already craving pumpkin cookies, pumpkin roll, and pumpkin pie, and can hardly imagine waiting another four or five months to get in on that goodness. And with the recent pumpkin shortages that have been happening around the country, I sort of bought every can at my store. Like, every single can. My downstairs pantry now has a dedicated pumpkin shelf and I couldn’t be happier. And hungrier.
I’ve had Heather’s recipe saved for Pumpkin Coffee Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze since last autumn, so you know exactly what came first on my to-make list. If I’m being honest, it’s the brown sugar glaze that sold me. I have a weird thing for brown sugar and for glazes, so I knew it would be a winner. I could practically taste it through through the screen. And it’s easy too!
You need a can of pumpkin puree, a box of yellow cake mix, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, vanilla extract, heavy cream, flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, butter, eggs and water. Heather’s recipe called for walnuts, and as I much as I love them, I’m a firm believer in nutless baked goods. Feel free to add them if you wish!
Begin by adding the pumpkin, eggs, vanilla extract, water and pumpkin pie spice together in a bowl.
Mix it up until it looks pumpkin-y … or, you know, sort of like baby food.
Add in the cake mix and baking soda, and mix with a spoon until combined and minimal lumps remain. It’s okay if you have a few small lumps left.
Pour batter into a 9×13 greased baking dish.
In a small bowl, mix together half of the brown sugar, flour and melted butter. If you are using walnuts, this is where they would go. Pecans would add a nice touch too.
Crumble the brown sugar mixture over the pumpkin cake batter with your fingers.
It should look like this. Absolutely devour-able.
The cake heads into a 350ºF oven and bakes for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
While the cake is baking, combine heavy cream, brown sugar, granulated sugar and vanilla extract in a small saucepan.
Mix to combine and bring it to a simmer, then remove from heat and continuously stir until all of the sugar has dissolved. Set it aside until ready to use.
It will become all glazy and be nearly impossible to stay away from. I wanted to pour it in a mug and drink it.
Once the cake comes out of the oven, poke holes all over the top with a toothpick. Or in my case, a fondue sticker thingy. You can also use a fork.
Drizzle glaze over cake evenly…
Then let cool for about 20-30 minutes, or until just slightly warm. It tastes best warm, trust me.
Serve yourself (and um, your guests?) a big square slice …
And go to town. Oh man. This cake is unreal.
You won’t believe how delicious it is, and it fits the bill for breakfast and dessert. The crunchy, gooey top is my favorite part and I can’t imagine a better treat for fall.
Thanks so much to Heather for the fabulous recipe! Be sure to check out her blog, Heather’s Dish, where she serves up delectable food with a side of humor and love.
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Description
Light and fluffy coffee cake made the decadent way with a cream-and-butter brown sugar glaze. Feel free to thank me for the sugar coma later.
Ingredients
- ⅓ cups Water
- 1 can Pureed Pumpkin (15 Oz)
- 2 whole Eggs
- 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
- 2 teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice
- 1 box Yellow Cake Mix (18 Ounce Box)
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 cup Brown Sugar, Divided
- ½ cups Flour
- ⅓ cups Walnuts, Chopped
- 4 Tablespoons Butter, Melted
- ¼ cups Granulated Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ¼ cups Heavy Whipping Cream
Preparation Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350F.
In a large bowl mix together the water, pumpkin, eggs, 1 Tablespoon of vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice until well combined. Add the cake mix and baking soda and mix until just combined.
Grease a 9×13 pan with butter and pour batter into pan.
In a small bowl mix together 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 1/2 cup flour, walnuts, and melted butter. Use fingers to sprinkle over the top of the cake. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
For the glaze, combine the other 1/2 cup brown sugar, granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and heavy cream in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and stir until all sugar is dissolved.
When cake is finished baking, poke holes in the top with a toothpick. Pour glaze over the cake, making sure to cover all surfaces. Serve cake warm or at room temperature.
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Jessica Merchant is a personal trainer turned food writer and blogger. Her blog, How Sweet Eats, is where she proclaims her love for all things sweet, all things bacon, and everything else in between. She works her magic in her Pittsburgh kitchen, which she shares with her husband of 2 years.
71 Comments
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ozark gram on 10.13.2011
I too am a pumpkin freak. This sounds delish. Yum! Yum! Another delightful pumpkin treat are Einstein pumpkin bagels with their pumpkin cream cheese shmear.
Tara S on 10.13.2011
Lisa D,
my daughter is allergic as well, try making it with soy or almond milk maybe? i usually substitute most things and it works out, never hurts to try
Aggie on 10.13.2011
Ok, that seriously looks all kinds of good. Wow.
Lisa D. on 10.13.2011
Have you ever made it without the glaze? (My bro-in-law is allergic to milk)
HowSweetEats on 10.14.2011
I didn’t, but you definitely could! The cake is delicious on it’s own… but you could always try making a glaze using some brown sugar, powdered sugar, cinnamon and maybe a non-dairy milk like vanilla almond milk, or maybe even water?
Lois Schultz on 10.13.2011
I’m not a “big pumpkin fan” but I’m sure my husband and kids would love this one, looks so good I may have to try it this weekend !
EatLiveRun on 10.13.2011
Mmmm I want to make this, pronto! Looks so delicious.
Jennifer in Spring, TX on 10.13.2011
Pumpkin is one of my favorite things about fall and this looks super yummy! I think I may try making this with spice cake mix instead of yellow cake…I’m such a rebel
Brooke on 10.13.2011
YUM! Question – do you think would work in a bundt pan?
HowSweetEats on 10.14.2011
Brooke – I’m not positive, I would check on the box of the cake mix you use and see if there are instructions for a bundt pan? I think it would differ on the mix too.
MissyF on 10.13.2011
I have never wanted anything pumpkin more than I do right now!
Cupcake Activist on 10.13.2011
Yum! I grew up on a recipe similar to this, but it didn’t have the glaze topping. This looks way better!
A Cozy Kitchen on 10.13.2011
Good gracious. WANT! I’m the say way. I want pumpkin everything in like July.
carolinagirl on 10.13.2011
Looks like a great recipe to try this weekend! I am a huge pumpkin fan!
Jodie on 10.13.2011
Love LOVE this. Can’t wait to try it. Tis’ the season for pumpkin, just posted my chocolate chip pumpkin loaf!
http://allgoodinmommyhood.blogspot.com/2011/10/chocolate-chip-pumpkin-loaf.html
happy Thursday everyone!
Jennifer Palmer on 10.13.2011
I’m with tinaehb3, I too LOVE everything pumpkin. Anything from Trader Joe’s is fabulous! Slice of heaven here I come!
Clarissa @ bakingintheattic.blogspot.com on 10.13.2011
As I’m sitting at my desk eating a pumpkin doughnut and drinking my pumpkin spiced coffee, you actually got me wanting MORE pumpkin! I guess when it’s cool and rainy out you can never have too much pumpkin! Thanks for sharing!
tinaehb3 on 10.13.2011
I LOVE everything pumpkin. Thanks for sharing. Can’t wait to try !!
Cheryl on 10.13.2011
Pumpkin? Peanut butter? What’s next on the scarce list? OMG, not chocolate.
Brittnee on 10.13.2011
Looks really delicious!
The Mrs @ Success Along the Weigh on 10.13.2011
I’d call that a slice of heaven on a plate right there!