Pumpkin Coffee Cake with Streusel Topping

I  made this beautiful and delicious coffee cake for Thanksgiving morning.  Since Matt and I traveled to his parent's house to celebrate the holiday, I wanted to make something that would travel well and this cake definitely held up.  It would also be the perfect thing to make on a chilly weekend or when you are expecting company because you can easily make the cake the night before and it will stay fresh for a few days.

It's great for breakfast or a snack-I can attest to this because Matt and I might have broken into this cake the night before Thanksgiving (hey-we were hungry from traveling!).  The streusel topping really takes it up a step and then the frosting takes it over the top! The cake itself is quite dense and I think the topping and frosting would go great with the Velvet Pumpkin Bread I posted last week!

I love pumpkin anything, and I love baking with it well into the Christmas season-this cake has a really nice hint of spice that is very seasonally appropriate for the holidays!  I can't believe that the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats Blog Hop hosted by Meal Planning Magic is coming to an end-I've had a great time seeing all the goodies that everyone has been sharing!

Pumpkin Coffee Cake with Streusel Topping

For the Cake
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
15 ounces pumpkin puree
3 large eggs
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

For the Streusel Topping:
1/4 cup flour
1/4  cup sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/3 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

For the Icing
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Milk (I used skim)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9x9 inch cake pan.  Set aside.

Prepare the streusel:
In a small bowl, combine all streusel ingredients (flour through walnuts).  Set aside.

Prepare the cake:
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice and salt.  Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until well combined.  Add the pumpkin puree and eggs; mix thoroughly.  Add in the flour mixture and mix until incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Sprinkle the streusel over the cake batter.  Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Allow cake to cool before topping with icing.

Prepare the Icing: 
In a small saucepan, heat the butter over medium low heat until fragrant and golden brown.  Pour the butter into the sugar and whisk until combined. Gradually add milk (one tablespoon at a time), whisking constantly, until the icing is pourable. Drizzle over cooled cake.


Source: Bakerstreet, originally from Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms