Pumpkin Streusel Coffeecake (King Arthur Flour)

A little treat I made for my parents when they came to visit in late October.

One late Saturday afternoon, I shook the rain off my umbrella and walked into CTB. I couldn't choose between the chocolate chip muffin and the pumpkin coffee cake (typical). There was only one muffin left, so it had to be good, right? But if you know me, I'm nearly as picky about my muffins as I am with my chocolate chip cookies, and I hate ordering "wrong." There was one slice taken out of the pumpkin coffee cake, so I questioned if it was good or not. I trusted the barista's recommendation, and she did not steer me wrong.

This coffeecake is the product of my peaked interest, thanks to CTB. It's not what I had there, but it's a solid recipe anyways, and it'll make your house smell better than any pumpkin-spiced candle for sale. I didn't realize how much the cake would rise, so when I poured half of the batter into the prepared pan, I decided to double the recipe. I ended up with a massive cake, but that meant more to surprise friends and family with, and that's never a bad idea.

Recipe: Pumpkin Streusel Coffee Cake 
Adapted from: King Arthur Flour

Streusel Topping:*
75 g granulated sugar
75 g rolled oats
82 g flour
1 tsp cinnamon
28 g chopped pecans
pinch of salt
57 g melted butter (4 tbsp)

Filling: 
71 g brown sugar**
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder

Cake: (recipe for 1 batch; make 2 batches for a double layered cake)
67 g olive oil
2 large eggs
150 g granulated sugar
227 g pumpkin puree (about 1/2 of a 15-oz can)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
177 g all-purpose flour

Preheat the oven to 350*F. Grease and line a 8x8" square pan with parchment paper.

Toss all of the dry ingredients for the streusel in a bowl. Mix in the melted butter. Set aside.
Toss all of the ingredients for the filling in a separate bowl. Set aside.

Single layer cake: Mix all of the ingredients except for the flour in a large bowl. Once well combined, mix in the flour, whisking only until the lumps are gone (don't over-mix). Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan. Evenly sprinkle the filling. Gently spoon the rest of the batter over the filling. Sprinkle the streusel. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool for 20-30 minutes before cutting.

Double layer cake: Make 1 batch of the cake batter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Evenly sprinkle the filling. Make another batch of the cake batter and pour over the filling. Sprinkle the streusel. Bake for 60-75 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Once the 60-minute mark is reached, start checking for doneness every 15 minutes. Cool for 30-40 minutes before cutting.



*I didn't use up all of the streusel - the extra can easily be baked on the side for 5 minutes or until golden brown. I'm lazy and toast it in a dry pan on the stove-top! This makes for a great yogurt/ice cream topping.
**I make my own by mixing granulated sugar with molasses, erring on the side of extra dark brown sugar. 71 g refers to the cumulative weight of molasses + sugar.