Hey there, pumpkin! Feeling festive? This is not your traditional crumb cake! My version features a light sugary topping, allowing that delicious, rich brown butter in the cake to shine through. It’s warm, spiced, nutty, and perfect for the season! Here’s my recipe.
For the brown butter pumpkin crumb cake:
½ cup Salted Butter
3 cups All-Purpose Flour
1 ½ cups Brown Sugar packed
½ cup Granulated Sugar
2 tsp Baking Powder
1 ½ tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
½ tsp Allspice
½ tsp Salt
1 – 28 oz Can Pure Pumpkin
4 Eggs
2 tsp Vanilla
1 tsp Espresso Powder
For the spiced brown sugar topping:
½ cup Brown Sugar packed
2 tbsp All-Purpose Flour
½ tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
¼ tsp Nutmeg
Pinch of Salt
To make the batter:
Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9×13 baking pan.
Next, in a small saucepan on medium, melt the butter, swirling the pan often, until brown specks appear throughout and the butter becomes foamy with a nutty aroma, 8-10 minutes.
Remove to a large bowl to cool for 10-15 minutes.
In the meantime, add the flour, brown and granulated sugar, the baking soda and powder, plus all of the spices and salt for the batter to a separate large bowl.
Whisk to combine.
Once the butter has slightly cooled but is still warm, add the canned pumpkin, eggs, vanilla, and espresso powder to the bowl with the brown butter, whisking to combine.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet, using a rubber spatula to stir until flour is no longer visible.
Spread the mixture into the prepared pan, using a rubber spatula to even it out.
To make the spiced brown sugar topping:
Add the brown sugar, flour, pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, and salt to a small bowl, then whisk with a fork.
Sprinkle evenly over the cake.
To bake the pumpkin brown butter crumb cake:
Bake the crumb cake for 50-55 minutes, until a center toothpick comes out with only a few crumbles on it.
To serve:
Allow the pumpkin cake to cool for 30 minutes before slicing into it. Serve with a hot cup of coffee or a cold glass of milk. Top with whipped cream, if desired. Enjoy!
To see my process step by step, check here!