This moist and tender Pumpkin Streusel Pound Cake is a delicious way to welcome fall.
Technically, a pound cake consists of a pound each of butter, sugar, eggs, and flour. Over time there have been tons of variations on this classic recipe and most bakers today measure in cups, not pounds. Yet, we still call it pound cake. Once a pound cake, always a pound cake.
Since I’m feeling the pull of all things pumpkin, I decided to take a simple pound cake and dress it up for fall. In my version, the addition of sour cream and pumpkin puree reduce the amount of butter needed and results in a very moist and tender cake. I threw caution to the wind and scaled down the ingredients to fit in a loaf pan. I can be crazy like that. So here is my far from traditional, but absolutely heavenly Pumpkin Streusel Pound Cake.
The grocery list – all-purpose flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, baking soda, butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, canned pumpkin puree (not pie filling-see below), sour cream (light or regular), brown sugar, and pecans.
This is the stuff you want. Libby also makes pie filling and the cans are very similar so make sure you get the 100% Pure Pumpkin which is just basic pumpkin puree with no added sugar or spices.
There are a few simple steps involved in putting together a perfect pound cake. First, allow the butter and eggs to come close to room temperature before starting and get the oven preheating to 325 degrees.
In a small bowl, combine 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon baking soda. Set aside for now.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the room temperature butter on medium low speed until soft. Add sugar and beat for 5 minutes. This may seem like a long time but it will make for a beautifully textured cake so stay with it.
Add the eggs one by one, beating for one minute after each is added.
The mixture will be silky and smooth. In goes the vanilla extract. Beat to combine.
Add in about 1/3 of the flour mixture and with beaters on low speed, beat just until combined. Don’t overwork the batter at this point.
Now add half of the pumpkin puree and half of the sour cream. Beat on low, just till combined.
Repeat this process until all of the flour, pumpkin puree, and sour cream have been added. Only mix it enough to incorporate the ingredients.
Mix the streusel ingredients together in a small bowl. Brown sugar, flour, butter, finely chopped pecans, and cinnamon.
I have found the best way to combine streusel ingredients is to just get in there with your hands and mix it up.
Generously coat a 9″x5″x3″ loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray and transfer the batter to the prepared pan, smoothing the top.
Sprinkle the streusel topping evenly over the batter.
Ready for the oven. Bake at 325 degrees for about 60-65 minutes. Remove from the oven when a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
Allow it to cool in the pan for 15 to 20 minutes.
Remove the cake from the pan and allow it to cool completely before slicing. I commend you if you can wait this long.
Make a loaf, wrap it up pretty and tie it with a bow to deliver to a friend or neighbor. It’s just perfect with a hot cup of tea on a cold, crisp fall afternoon.
Pumpkin Streusel Pound Cake
Ingredients
Pumpkin Pound Cake:
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup butter, 1 stick
- 1 ⅓ cups sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup canned pumpkin puree, not pie filling
- ½ cup sour cream, light or regular
Streusel Topping:
- ¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 tablespoons butter, softened
- ¼ cup finely chopped pecans
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Bring eggs and butter.to room temperature. Generously coat one 9-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- In a small mixing bowl combine 1 ½ cups flour, 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, and ½ teaspoon baking soda. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium low speed till soft. Add sugar and beat for about 3 minutes or until well combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating for about 1 minute after each is added and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the vanilla. Turn the mixer down to low and gradually add the flour mixture alternately with pumpkin puree and sour cream, adding a little of each to the bowl and mixing just until combined after each addition.
- Combine the streusel ingredients in a small bowl until well incorporated.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle with the streusel topping. Bake for 60 to 65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool in the pan for about 10 or 15 minutes then remove from the pan and cool completely before slicing.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.
I making this for Thanksgiving so I don’t have time to wait for an answer, but it looks like you don’t mention exactly how much pumpkin to add. My store has three different size cans, and all I can see on the recipe is half a can. How many ounces? Thanks so much.
Hi Gary. The recipe calls for 1/2 cup (not half a can) pumpkin puree.
Thanks so much. I used half a can. Haha well, it still was marvelous! Everyone loved it. The extra pumpkin gave it the consistency of banana bread, so it was perfect for thanksgiving.
Thank you so much for the delicious recipe.
So glad it worked out! 🙂
First, thank you for making the recipe easy to print. I will make this for our Thanksgiving this week
Question: with only 1/2 cup pumpkin, does give the pound cake enough pumpkin flavor?
Can’t wait to make this… xo
Yes, I think it adds plenty of pumpkin flavor and works best for the texture of the cake.
I made this.. followed the directions to the T but my streusel sank the bread baked and it all went to the middle eventually sinking.. so it’s an upside down streusel pumpkin brean
Sorry to hear that Krystal. I’m not sure what the problem might have been but I hope that it still tasted good!
I know I’m going to sound like a real downer here, and I apologize… but is there any way I could use less butter? It sounds amazing and I really want to try it, but I’d like to make it as healthy as possible. Any ideas? 🙂
You are not a downer Christina! It’s a great question. To be honest, if you reduce the amount of butter in this cake without replacing it with another fat, such as vegetable oil, it will change the texture and I don’t think the result would be very good. However, if you want to find recipes for a cake that calls for almost no fat try Googling “Depression Cake” and you’ll find all kinds of choices. Depression Cake came about during The Great Depression when some ingredients, like butter, were scarce or very expensive. Leave it to resourceful cooks to come up with a way to still eat their cake! I’m sure you could adapt one of these recipes to include pumpkin. Good luck and happy baking 🙂
Thank you so much!! 🙂
Can u omit the sour cream and it not change the pound cake? Or is there something I can substitute (I’m allergic to sour cream)
Yogurt, especially Greek yogurt, would work very well.
HOW WILL THE STREUSEL BE IF THE PECAN ARE NOT ADDED? MY HUSBAND IS SEVERELY ALLERGIC TO ALL NUTS, BUT THE RECIPE SOUNDS HEAVENLY AND I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO MAKE IT. THANK YOU!
JUDY
The nuts are absolutely optional, Judy! Make one all for yourself with nuts and hide it from your husband 🙂
This sounds heavenly! I’ll have to bake up a loaf and soon!