Alice Brown
Experienced and passionate pastry chef with a flair for creative desserts. Adept at crafting delicious treats, utilizing quality ingredients, and maintaining high standards of excellence in culinary artistry.
Experienced and passionate pastry chef with a flair for creative desserts. Adept at crafting delicious treats, utilizing quality ingredients, and maintaining high standards of excellence in culinary artistry.
Pumpkin Coffee Cake is a delicious and heartwarming pastry of American origin, highly appreciated by those who enjoy flavors that evoke the charm of autumn. Made primarily from pumpkin purée, this tender and fluffy dessert is vegan and gluten-free making it a hearty treat for everyone. Most suitable for cozy family gatherings or simply a quiet afternoon with a book, it's the perfect companion to your favorite cup of warm coffee or tea.
This dessert carries the essence of the autumn season in its core flavor, thanks to the pumpkin. Its spiced flavor does a remarkable job of awakening the senses, making it a popular choice for holiday celebrations including Halloween and Thanksgiving. Furthermore, additional ingredients such as cane sugar, almond flour, pumpkin pie spice, and vegan butter elevate the overall taste and delicacy of the cake.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and line an 8 x 8 inch baking pan with parchment paper. Now, take a medium mixing bowl, add the cane sugar and softened vegan butter. Use an electric mixer to beat them on medium/high speed until you achieve a light and fluffy texture. Add the pumpkin purée and vanilla extract to the mix and continue beating until its color turns pale orange and fluffy.
Next, introduce the GF Flour Blend, almond flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and sea salt into the mixture and blend until thoroughly combined. You should now have a very thick batter, somewhat between the consistency of cake batter and cookie dough. Divide the batter evenly into two halves and spread one half onto the bottom of your ready baking pan. Garnish the top with brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice (for the Swirl effect) then spread the second half of your batter on top.
In the same mixing bowl (now emptied), pool in the GF Flour Blend, vegan butter, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Mix at low speed until completely blended. The mixture should have a crumbly texture to it.
As the final step, sprinkle the crumbly mixture evenly over the top of your cake. Bake it for around 38-42 minutes, until a toothpick inserted emerges clean or with just a few crumbs remaining. Allow it to cool in the pan for 15 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack for another 15 minutes. Congrats, your Pumpkin Coffee Cake is ready! Enjoy warm or room temperature.
Pumpkin Coffee Cake tastes best when consumed fresh. However, if you do have leftovers, they can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2-3 days. If needing longer storage, the cake slices can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Just ensure to let it come to room temperature before enjoying again.
Cane sugar is crucial for the structure of the cake. Replacing it with coconut sugar could result in a denser mass which can alter the texture of the cake. Hence, sticking to cane sugar, particularly organic one for vegan preparation is recommended.
Choice of flour herein has a significant role. GF Flour Blend is preferred for a fluffier, lighter result. DIY GF Flour Blend can also work, though results might vary with store-bought blends.
Yes, the recipe recommends a versatile assortment of flours for different dietary needs. If gluten isn't an issue, regular all-purpose flour can substitute the gluten-free blend. Almond flour is used for additional texture and flavor, but if you prefer, it could be replaced with an extra 3/4 cup of your primary flour.
Yes, if you're not specifically aiming for a vegan or dairy-free version, regular dairy butter can substitute the vegan butter in the same quantities. The aim is to achieve the same light and fluffy texture in your cake, regardless of your butter choice.
If you don't have pumpkin pie spice on hand, you can create your own blend by combining cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves or allspice. It gives the same warm, aromatic flavor that makes this cake so appealing during cooler months.
Absolutely! Feel free to add come personal flair to your cake. A handful of chopped pecans or walnuts could add interesting texture to the crumble topping. Alternatively, a layer of thinly sliced apples or pears could provide a pleasant fruity contrast to the rich pumpkin flavors.
Certainly. While an 8x8 inch pan is recommended for a perfectly thick slice, any similar-sized pan will work. A loaf or bundt pan will require adjusting the baking time. Just remember that changing the thickness of your cake will also affect baking times, so keep a close eye to avoid over or under-cooking.