Pumpkin season is coming to an end next week after Halloween (well… at least for me), so I wanted to make sure that I use all the pumpkin cans I bought since July, I thought it would be good to make something to go with our morning coffee for the weekend. This coffee cake has 2 parts: the cake packed with spices, pumpkin, chocolate chips and walnuts. The crumb topping is a mixture of flour, cinnamon, brown sugar and walnuts.

What is a coffee cake?

Coffee cakes contain zero coffee itself. A common theme of coffee cakes is the addition of streusel on top.  Most of the time, it means a rich yellow cake spiced with cinnamon and topped with as much crumble as the cake can take. You can add different spices, extracts, nuts, chips, you can make your own version of coffee cake.

Let’s start with the recipe and if you would like to see how I made it, watch my Reel on Instagram @pastry_tales

Yield one rectangular pan 9 by 13

For the streusel/crumb

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup of chopped walnuts

1/2 cup unsalted butter cold and cut into small pieces

For the cake

2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature

1/2 cup white granulated sugar

3/4 cup light brown sugar

1 large egg at room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 can of 15 oz pumpkin puree

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

For the streusel/crumb

In a bowl mix flour, sugar and cinnamon. Add the cold butter and using a fork or a pastry blender mix until the mixture looks like small clumps. Add in walnuts, mix. Set the bowl into the fridge while you make the cake batter.

For the cake

Preheat your oven to 350 F. Grease your pan bottom and sides with butter, set aside.

1.- In a medium bowl and using a mixer, beat butter for 1 minute. Then, add butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and mix in medium high speed until smooth. Add in egg, keep mixing. Add in vanilla and pumpkin puree and beat until everything is well combined.

2.- Sif the dry ingredients on top of the wet ones. Flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt and using a spatula fold all these dry ingredients until you don’t see any white streak.  Mix in chocolate chips and walnuts, give it a couple of stirs.

3.- Pour your cake batter into your prepared pan. Take the crumb out from the fridge, give it a stir and carefully sprinkle it on top the batter. Using your hands press the streusel down.

4.- Place the pan into the oven and bake for about 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. You should know that ovens work differently so, I suggest that you check your cake after 40-45 minutes and see how is doing. If you think it’s getting too dark on top, grab a piece of foil and cover the top (without take the pan out of the oven). Keep baking until done.

5.- Let it cool completely before serving.

Enjoy!!