pumpkin crumb coffee cake

I've been in the "working world" for a good four months now and I think it will officially hit me that I'm no longer a student when Thanksgiving break rolls around.  Let me re-phrase: when the week rolls around that students, not working people, get off from school.  Since I'm not taking any time off around Thanksgiving this means no week-long cooking and baking marathon, no traveling, and no Black Friday shopping.  Growing up is the pits.  Don't feel too bad for me - I will still be able to cook, bake, and spend time with some friends and family, which is really what Thanksgiving is all about, right?  


This crumb cake would be a great addition to a Thanksgiving breakfast.  Along with some fruit salad, it would be perfectly filling, tiding you over until the big meal.  Not to mention, it's only appropriate to fit in as much pumpkin as possible into your Thanksgiving day.  You can start your day with this pumpkin breakfast cake and then end it with pumpkin pie.  Or maybe you want to save room for pecan pie but still want a little pumpkin on Thanksgiving.  Or maybe you want a little festive snack that you can nibble on throughout the day.  


Really, there is no wrong reason for baking this coffee cake - it is delicious!  The cake is dense, moist, and packed with flavor, but the brown sugar and butter combo in the crumb topping is the best part.  It definitely tasted best the day after it was baked, so you can bake it ahead of time - one less thing to worry about on Thanksgiving day!  

Pumpkin Coffee Cake with Crumb Topping
adapted from The Noble Pig


for the crumb topping:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
pinch of salt
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
8 tbsp unsalted butter, cold, cut into pieces


for the cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground ginger
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk


Directions:


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line a 9x9" pan with foil and spray with cooking spray.  Set aside.


To make the crumb topping:  mix together flour, oats, sugar, salt, and cinnamon.  Add butter and combine with fingertips until mixture is crumbly.  Set aside.


To make the cake: In large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.  In small bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, oil, vanilla, and milk.  Stir into flour mixture until just combined and pour into prepared pan.  


Top with prepared crumb topping, lightly pressing into cake batter.  Bake in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted 2" from the edge comes out clean.  Cool in pan and enjoy!!