Best Pumpkin Spiced Coffee Cake with Brown Butter

Finding the perfect fall treat that fills your kitchen with cozy aromas while satisfying your pumpkin spice cravings can feel like an impossible task. You want something that’s fancy enough for weekend guests but simple enough to whip up on a random Tuesday morning when you need a little comfort food pick-me-up.

This pumpkin spiced coffee cake with brown butter hits all the right notes: it’s wonderfully spiced without being overwhelming, has that rich brown butter flavor that makes everything taste better, and comes together easily with ingredients you probably already have in your pantry.

What Kind of Pumpkin Puree Should I Use?

For this coffee cake, you’ll want to use plain pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling – there’s a big difference! Pumpkin puree is just cooked and mashed pumpkin with no added spices or sugar, while pumpkin pie filling already has spices and sweeteners mixed in. Since this recipe calls for spice cake mix, you don’t want the extra spices from pie filling competing with those flavors. Look for brands like Libby’s 100% Pure Pumpkin, which is what most bakers swear by for consistent results. If you can’t find canned pumpkin puree, you can make your own by roasting a sugar pumpkin and pureeing the flesh, but the canned version works perfectly fine and saves you time.

Options for Substitutions

This coffee cake is pretty forgiving when it comes to swaps, so here are some easy substitutions you can make:

• Spice cake mix: Yellow cake mix works great too – just add 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon nutmeg, and ¼ teaspoon each of ginger and cloves to get that spiced flavor. Vanilla cake mix is another option with the same spice additions.
• Pumpkin puree: Make sure you’re using pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. If you can’t find it, you can substitute with the same amount of sweet potato puree or butternut squash puree.
• Walnuts: Pecans are a natural swap here, or you can use chopped almonds. If you’re not a nut fan, just leave them out completely or replace with mini chocolate chips.
• Individual spices for glaze: If you don’t have all these spices on hand, you can use 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice instead of the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves combination.
• Milk in glaze: Heavy cream, half-and-half, or even coffee can replace the milk in the glaze. Start with less liquid and add more until you reach your desired consistency.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking

The biggest mistake when making brown butter glaze is not watching it carefully enough – brown butter can go from perfectly nutty to burnt in just seconds, so keep stirring and remove it from heat as soon as it turns golden and smells toasty.

Another common error is adding the pumpkin puree straight from the can without checking the consistency, since some brands are thicker than others and can make your cake dense – if your puree seems too thick, thin it with a tablespoon of water.

Don’t skip the extra flour called for in this recipe, as it helps balance the moisture from the pumpkin and prevents a gummy texture, and make sure to let your cake cool completely before adding the glaze or it will just melt right off.

For the best results, test your cake with a toothpick in the center rather than relying solely on timing, since the pumpkin can make it look underdone even when it’s perfectly baked.

What to Serve With Pumpkin Spiced Coffee Cake?

This coffee cake is perfect for breakfast or an afternoon treat, and it pairs beautifully with a hot cup of coffee or chai tea that complements all those warm spices. I love serving it alongside some vanilla Greek yogurt or a dollop of whipped cream to balance out the rich brown butter glaze. For a cozy fall brunch, try it with some crispy bacon or breakfast sausage links to add a savory element to the meal. You can also serve it with fresh apple slices or a simple fruit salad to brighten up the plate and add some freshness to all those autumn flavors.

Storage Instructions

Store: This pumpkin coffee cake stays moist and delicious when covered tightly with plastic wrap or stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. The brown butter glaze actually gets even better as it sits, soaking into the cake a bit. If you want to keep it longer, pop it in the fridge for up to a week.

Freeze: You can absolutely freeze this cake! Wrap individual slices or the whole cake tightly in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. I like to freeze it without the glaze and add fresh glaze when I’m ready to serve, but it works fine either way.

Serve: Let frozen cake thaw at room temperature for about an hour, or you can warm individual slices in the microwave for 20-30 seconds. If you stored it in the fridge, just bring it back to room temperature or warm it slightly – it tastes amazing either way!

Preparation Time	15-20 minutes
Cooking Time	40-50 minutes
Total Time	55-70 minutes
Level of Difficulty	Medium

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 3400-3800
• Protein: 35-40 g
• Fat: 120-140 g
• Carbohydrates: 540-590 g

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 1 box spice cake mix (duncan hines preferred)
• 6 tbsp flour
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup water
• 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
• 1/2 to 2/3 cup walnuts, chopped

For the brown butter glaze:

• 4 tbsp butter
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar (add more for a thicker glaze if needed)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp milk
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves

Step 1: Prepare the Bundt Pan and Preheat Oven

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

Spray a Bundt pan thoroughly with non-stick cooking spray to prevent the cake from sticking during baking.

Step 2: Mix the Cake Batter

• 1 box spice cake mix (Duncan Hines preferred)
• 6 tbsp flour
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup water
• 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
• 1/2 to 2/3 cup walnuts, chopped

In a large mixing bowl, combine the spice cake mix, flour, eggs, water, and pumpkin puree.

Use an electric mixer set to low speed to mix until just combined, then increase to high speed and beat for 2 minutes until the batter is smooth.

Gently fold in the chopped walnuts using a spatula.

Step 3: Bake the Cake

• Cake batter from Step 2

Pour the prepared batter into the greased Bundt pan.

Smooth the top with a spatula if needed.

Bake in the preheated oven for 40-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for about 10-15 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack to cool slightly.

I like to let the cake cool just enough so the glaze soaks in slightly while still holding its shape.

Step 4: Make the Brown Butter Spice Glaze

• 4 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar (add more for a thicker glaze if needed)
• 2 tbsp milk
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves

While the cake is cooling, prepare the glaze.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat, stirring constantly; continue to cook until the butter turns an amber color and smells nutty, but be careful not to let it burn.

Remove from heat, then stir in the vanilla extract.

Whisk in the confectioners’ sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.

Gradually add the milk until you reach a thick but pourable consistency, adding more sugar for a thicker glaze if desired.

Step 5: Glaze and Serve the Cake

Drizzle the warm glaze evenly over the slightly warm cake.

Allow the glaze to set for a few minutes before serving.

For an extra touch, I sometimes save a few chopped walnuts to sprinkle on top as garnish.