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 love your website. ALL of it! I am an old lady who has been cooking forever, but I have recommended your website to my grand daughter who is talented but still learning. Thanks.
Thank you so much Annette. Your comment means so much to me. Encouraging young people in the kitchen is one of the main reasons I started this site. You made my day 🙂
Hi Valerie! Seeing this yummy cake really makes me hungry! Thanks for sharing it! Hope you can find the time to visit manilaspoon.com. I have nominated you for the “Lovely Blog Award.” Thanks, Abby.
You are a doll Abby. I’ll stop by and say hello and thank you so much!
I have made this recipe twice and the streusel topping didn’t stay on top it sunk down into the cake, then when I was finally able to get it out of the pans, it left the bottom half of the cake in the pan. It tastes great, but…
I’m so sorry to hear you had this problem. That can be so frustrating. There are several tips to avoid having the cake stick to the pan. First, be sure you have generously coated – and I mean REALLY generously coated the loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray. Also, don’t allow the cake to cool completely in the pan. After it has been out of the oven for about 15 minutes, run a knife around the edges of the cake to loosen it from the the pan and then remove it and allow it to cool completely. If your cakes are sticking it can also be a sign that you need to replace the pan. The non-stick coating can wear down with use and you might have better luck with a new, good quality pan. There are several other tips and tricks in this article from BHG that you might find helpful. I hope this helps!
Oh, I did not know that about pound cakes!
This pumpkin version looks great and I LOVE the added streusel!
This looks ah-mazing… my face like-y very very much!
Okay this is gorgeous. I love the topping. Makes me just want to pull off a piece. A nice big one.
I love this so much! Pumpkin and streusel?! YES!
OMG, this looks heavenly. I want some right now with a cup of tea!
Sounds perfect for this thanksgiving!! My daughter is glutton free – could you use a glutten free flour and get the same results???
I have no experience with using gluten free flour but there is so much information available from some really great bloggers who specialize in gluten free recipes. I did a quick Google search and found lots of useful information like this post from Living Healthy Mom and this post from Gluten Free Goddess. From what I understand, recipes that include fruit or veggie purees and sour cream translate really well to gluten free. If you try it, let me know how it works out for you 🙂
I love pumpkin cake. Yours seems very delicious
I wonder how the original real pound cake tastes like. Maybe too heavy? I love streusel topping… I tell my kids not to pick out chocolate chips from cookies and muffins, but when there is streusel on top, I’m the one who try to get extra bit of it on my share… LOL. This looks so good Valerie!
Traditional pound cake is divine Nami but the seasonal varieties can be much more interesting.
This is the perfect pound cake! It looks so moist and delicious! Love seeing the pecans in the topping.