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Pumpkin Cream Cheese Crumb Cake

Pumpkin cream cheese crumb cake is a tender pumpkin layer with a thick cinnamon-butter crumb topping and a visible cream cheese swirl layer. Bake at 350°F until set in the center, then dust with powdered sugar for a bakery-style finish.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

crumb topping
  • 1.5 cup flour
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.75 cup butter melted
cream cheese layer
  • 8 oz cream cheese softened
  • 0.25 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla
pumpkin cake
  • 2 cup flour
  • 1.5 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 0.5 cup butter
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 2 egg
  • 1 cup pumpkin
  • 0.75 cup sour cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla
finishing
  • powdered sugar for serving

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep the oven and pan
  1. Preheat oven to 350F, then grease a 9x13 pan so the cake releases cleanly.
Make crumb topping and cream cheese layer
  1. Stir flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter together until large crumbs form, then refrigerate for thicker topping.
  2. Beat softened cream cheese with sugar until smooth and creamy, then beat in the egg and vanilla until fully combined.
Mix pumpkin cake batter
  1. Beat butter and brown sugar until smooth, then add eggs one at a time and mix until the mixture looks slightly lighter.
  2. Beat in pumpkin, sour cream, and vanilla until the batter is cohesive and evenly orange.
  3. Fold in flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt until no dry streaks remain.
Assemble
  1. Spread half the batter in the pan, then dollop the cream cheese layer over the batter and spread gently.
  2. Top with remaining batter, then scatter the refrigerated crumb topping generously so it covers most of the surface.
Bake and finish
  1. Bake 50-55 minutes, until the center is set and a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
  2. Dust with powdered sugar before serving for a lightly sweet, bakery-style finish.

Notes

For the best crumb texture, refrigerate the crumb topping long enough to firm up before baking; it should feel like coarse crumbles, not paste. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days. Freezing is yes: wrap tightly and freeze up to 2 months, then thaw overnight in the fridge. For a dairy-light swap, use reduced-fat cream cheese and sour cream (texture will be slightly softer but still works).