This pumpkin coffee cake is an autumn version of my favorite sourdough coffee cake. It takes the sweet vanilla batter and incorporates warm spices and creamy pumpkin purรฉe. A buttery cinnamon crumb tops the cake and is generously spread between the layers of batter for a delicious burst of flavor with each bite.

slice of sourdough pumpkin coffee cake on a white plate with a fork. More cake is in the background.

This time of year, our favorite things to make are centered on pumpkin and seasonal fall flavors.

Falling back on one of our favorite coffee cake recipes, it only made sense to bring a pumpkin twist while still incorporating sourdough flavor.

If you generally think of sourdough bagels and sourdough bread when you think of sourdough, Iโ€™ve put together a post of 40 sourdough recipes that arenโ€™t bread so you can visualize how multifaceted sourdough can be. With recipes like puff pastrybreaded chickeneasy dumplingsbaked donuts, and chocolate chip cookies, there are endless possibilities for how to use sourdough starter.

But letโ€™s also consider the versatility of a can of pumpkin or homemade purรฉe! Pumpkin is delicious and nutritious, and itโ€™s easily integrated into recipes: whether sweet, like sourdough pumpkin cobbler, or savory, like this creamy pumpkin pasta sauce.

This pumpkin coffee cake recipe is simple and delicious. Itโ€™s a great way to embrace the seasonโ€™s flavors in a cake that can be served with a hot cup of coffee for breakfast or with a scoop of homemade ice cream for dessert.

Prepared in just over an hour, you can enjoy a moist pumpkin coffee cake this morning or even make it as a last-minute contribution. Thereโ€™s also the option of fermenting the batter for 8-24 hours for easier digestion.

Itโ€™s the perfect treat for the holidays and a great way to use up discard. The sourdough brings moisture and dimension, and with a delightful pumpkin flavor and streusel topping, I think youโ€™ll enjoy this recipe as much as we have!

Why Youโ€™ll Love This Recipe

Delicious fall flavors โ€“ Since weโ€™re already in love with this sourdough coffee cake, it only made sense to add fall flavor. The pumpkin purรฉe and sourdough discard produce a tender crumb with buttery layers of brown sugar and cinnamon. 

Simple to make โ€“ With classic ingredients and straightforward instructions, this coffee cake recipe isnโ€™t complicated or time-consuming. Mix it up, layer the batter and crumbly streusel, bake, and enjoy.

A great sourdough discard recipe โ€“ There are so many ways to incorporate sourdough discard, and this is one of them. We always have discard on hand, and we love the flavor and moisture it adds to recipes.

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    Ingredients

    Sourdough pumpkin coffee cake ingredients spread out on a countertop.

    Pumpkin puree โ€“ You can use canned or homemade pumpkin purรฉe, but not canned pumpkin pie filling. Thatโ€™s very different.

    Sourdough starter โ€“ Use an active starter for a milder flavor or sourdough discard for a stronger sourdough tang.

    A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

    Overhead photo of a sourdough pumpkin coffee cake in a baking dish.
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    How to Make Pumpkin Coffee Cake

    Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9ร—13-inch baking dish. In a medium mixing bowl, prepare the crumb layer by mixing the melted butter, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, and flour until well combined. Set aside.

    Melted butter, cinnamon, and sugar in a stand mixer bowl,

    Step 2: In a separate large bowl, combine the oil, cane sugar, and brown sugar and blending until smooth. 

    Wet ingredients mixed well in a stand mixer bowl.

    Step 3: To the sugar mixture, add the eggs, vanilla, sourdough starter, pumpkin, and milk, then mix well.

    Dry ingredients mixed together with a whisk in a bowl.

    Step 4: In a smaller bowl, stir the flour, pumpkin spice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until combined.

    Batter mixed in a stand mixer with paddle attachment.

    Step 5: Add these dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring until combined and smooth. Donโ€™t overmix the batter.

    Half of the pumpkin coffee cake batter and topped with half of the brown sugar crumble on top in a greased baking dish.

    Step 6: Pour half of the pumpkin batter into the prepared baking dish and sprinkle half of the crumb mixture on top.

    Sourdough pumpkin cobbler topped with a crumble ready for the oven.

    Step 7: Pour the remaining batter evenly over the crumb, then sprinkle the rest of the crumb mixture over the top of the batter.

    Step 8: Bake in the preheated oven for 40-50 minutes. The edges will turn golden, and a toothpick inserted should come out clean. Let the cake cool before slicing and serving.

    A slice of pumpkin coffee cake with a bite on a fork on a white plate.

    Long-Fermented Version

    Note: The batter will be fermented, but the cinnamon filling will not. Keep in mind that a fermented cake batter typically results in a denser, less fluffy cake.

    Step 1: In a large mixing bowl, combine the oil, sugars, eggs, sourdough starter, pumpkin puree, milk, and flour. Cover with an airtight lid or plastic wrap (to prevent a hard crust from forming) and leave at room temperature for 8 to 24 hours.

    Step 2: After the fermentation time, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9ร—13-inch baking dish. Prepare the crumb layer by mixing the melted butter, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, and flour until completely combined. Set aside.

    Step 3: Add the remaining cake ingredients (vanilla, pumpkin spice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt) to the fermented cake batter. Mix briefly, just until combined. Be careful not to overmix. 

    Step 4: Spread half of the pumpkin batter into the prepared baking dish and sprinkle half of the crumb mixture on top. Spread the remaining batter evenly over the crumb, then sprinkle the rest of the crumb mixture over the top of the batter.

    Step 5: Bake in the preheated oven for 40-50 minutes. The edges will start to turn golden, and a toothpick inserted should come out clean. Let the cake cool before slicing and serving.

    Tips

    • Make this right away or start the day before to allow it to ferment. Fermentation not only helps break down the grain and reduce the phytic acid, but it also adds flavor. Keep in mind that fermentation will generally produce a denser cake, so the texture wonโ€™t be quite the same.
    • If making homemade pumpkin puree, drain any excess liquid before adding it to the bowl.
    • A stand mixer with a paddle attachment makes this recipe a breeze, particularly with the fermented version!
    • Add chopped walnuts or pecans to the crumb mixture for a fun variation!

    Recipe FAQs

    How is coffee cake different from regular cake?

    The only real difference is the topping. Coffee cake usually has a crumb or streusel topping, whereas cake recipes are frosted.

    How should leftover coffee cake be stored?
    Why did my cake sink in the center?
    Can this be made dairy-free?

    More Fall Recipes from the Farmhouse

    If you try this recipe and love it, I would love it if you could come back and give it 5 stars! Tag me on Instagram @farmhouseonboone.

    Sourdough Pumpkin Coffee Cake

    5 from 15 votes
    This pumpkin coffee cake is a sweet vanilla crumb seasoned with warm spices and creamy pumpkin puree, topped with a buttery cinnamon crumb.
    Prep: 15 minutes
    Cook: 40 minutes
    Servings:
    A slice of pumpkin coffee cake with a bite on a fork on a white plate.
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    Equipment

    Ingredients 

    • 3/4 cup butter , 171 grams melted
    • 1 cup brown sugar, 160 grams
    • 1 tablespoon cinnamon , 15 grams
    • 1 cup all-purpose flour , 140 grams

    Cake

    • 1 cup oil, 216 grams
    • 1 cup sugar, 201 grams
    • 1/2 cup brown sugar, 106 grams
    • 3 large eggs
    • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 8 grams
    • 1/2 cup sourdough starter, active or discard, 113 grams
    • 1 cup pumpkin puree
    • 1/2 cup milk, 145 grams
    • 3 cups all-purpose flour, 420 grams
    • 1 tablespoon pumpkin spice
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda, 17 grams
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • 1 teaspoon salt, 7 grams
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    Instructions 

    • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9ร—13-inch baking dish. In a medium mixing bowl, prepare the crumb layer by mixing the melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour until well combined. Set aside.
    • In a separate large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, add the oil, cane sugar, and brown sugar, blending until smooth.
    • To the sugar mixture, add the eggs, vanilla, sourdough starter, pumpkin, and milk, then mix well.
    • In a smaller bowl, stir the flour, pumpkin spice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until combined. Add these dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring until combined and smooth.
    • Pour half of the pumpkin batter into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle half of the crumb mixture evenly on top. Pour the remaining cake batter over the top, then sprinkle the rest of the crumb mixture evenly.
    • Bake in the preheated oven for 40-50 minutes. The edges will turn golden, and a toothpick inserted should come out clean. Let cool before slicing and serving.

    Notes

    • Make this right away or start the day before to allow it to ferment. Fermentation not only helps break down the grain and reduce the phytic acid, but it also adds flavor. Keep in mind that fermentation will generally produce a denser cake, so the texture wonโ€™t be quite the same.
    • If making homemade pumpkin puree, drain any excess liquid before adding it to the bowl.
    • A stand mixer makes this recipe a breeze, particularly with the fermented version!
    • Add chopped walnuts or pecans to the crumb mixture for a fun variation!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 473kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 54mg | Sodium: 331mg | Potassium: 124mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 34g | Vitamin A: 2709IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 65mg | Iron: 2mg

    Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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    5 from 15 votes

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    Recipe Rating




    21 Comments

    1. Courtney says:

      5 stars
      Delicious! I might do a little glaze on too next time after it is baked. Will definitely be making this again.

    2. Juliette Lewis says:

      5 stars
      So yummy! I needed to use up my last bit of home made pumpkin purรฉe from the season and this was a lovely way to do it. I subbed white wheat flour and did the long ferment (about 10-12 hours). I did a bit extra baking powder and baking soda (~1/4 tsp extra each) to help it fluff up more and it was superbly light and fluffy! Excited to try with einkorn and kamut next.

    3. andrea lunde says:

      My sister made this today and gave me a piece to try. She is a skilled and experienced baker and I told her this is the best baked good Iโ€™ve ever had!
      So moist but crunchy on the outside. The inside is not extra sweet which makes the cinnamon sugar crumble a perfect compliment!

      Have you every tried to make muffins with this recipe?

    4. Sara says:

      5 stars
      Sooo moist and delicious. My go to cake for sure. My mom loved it who usually โ€œhatesโ€ pumpkin anything. Going to make again today and forgot to rate it the first time!!

    5. Jassmine says:

      Is it possible to make this recipe egg free?

      1. Lisa Bass says:

        Yes! Just use an egg replacer.

    6. Paula says:

      5 stars
      Fantastic recipe and new Thanksgiving staple for our family.

      I will say, I think it was better on the day after baking. And on day 2, it was equally declicious. I think this will be a โ€œmake a day aheadโ€ recipe for me.

    7. Michaela says:

      5 stars
      Very light beautiful crumb! I might try adding more pumpkin spice and the rest of the 15oz can of pumpkin puree next time. I appreciate that the cake part is not too sweet, and if you wanted it more sweet you could do a icing drizzle.

    8. Cortnee says:

      5 stars
      So stinkinโ€™ delicious. Make it. And make it again. Itโ€™s that good.