Pumpkin Spice Latte Cake

Hi everyone.

By the time you read this, it’ll be my birthday.

I’m officially 37 years old.

Do I feel like I’m 37? Lol absolutely not. There are some days that I still feel like I just graduated from high school or college and that I’m figuring this thing called life out. I thank God that’s not the case, but sometimes it’s still easy to forget.

Here over here on the latter side of my 30’s, things are very, very, VERY busy. Like, some days I-barely-know-what-day-it-is-Busy. But things over here on the latter side of my 30’s things are also good. Despite it’s challenges (and there are many), I like–even love– what I do. I have people that I love and who I know love me in my life. I’m relatively healthy. After thirteen years, I am still, STILL baking and blogging for fun.

I’m very aware that those aren’t necessarily things that everyone can say about their lives. I feel blessed.

If you’ve been following this blog for a while, then you know that every year for my birthday I keep to a tradition of baking a birthday cake for myself. I started doing it over a decade ago for one of my birthdays as an intentional practice of celebrating myself for several reasons.

First, because while outside validation/appreciation is nice, no one can celebrate or validate you like you can. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned in the past 10+ years, it’s that personal validation is important and necessary.

Third, every birthday I always bake a different/new cake that I’ve never had before as a way of signifying my stepping into a new year of life that I’ve never lived before. I’ve come to really like the process of thinking of something new to try and in that sense, look forward to.

Fourth, I’ll be honest with you all: I’ve just never had a store bought cake that I thought tasted better than one I can make by myself lol.

Over the years, this tradition has given me plenty of good memories and good eats to look back and reminisce over.

I’ve definitely got a few favorites (Year 36, Year 30, Year 29, come mind) and I’m pleased to say that I think Year 37 is going to be added to that list.

Pumpkin spice is one of those polarizing topics/tastes where, people typically either love it or they hate it. I can admit that in some cases, pumpkin spice is overused, misused to the point where certain things are given a Pumpkin Spice treatment that had no business getting that Pumpkin spice treatment.

Despite it’s infamous reputation, I do tend to like pumpkin spice and always look forward to this time of year when it comes back out to play. I also love baking pumpkin spice things almost as much as I like to eat them. This cake is one of the first pumpkin spice things I made for the season as my birthday present to myself.

There are a few things I particularly love about this cake, the first (and move obvious) of them being it’s not just pumpkin spice flavored; thanks to a hefty scoop of espresso powder in the batter, it’s pumpkin spice latte flavored, which happens to be another of my fall favorite treats. Second is the fact that you do not need a standing or hand mixer to make this cake; your arm and a wire whisk will do just fine. Third, is the streusel topping, which is thick, buttery, and provides a nice textural element to the moistness of the cake. Fourth, are the ribbons of pumpkin butter that run throughout the batter so that you get a surprise bite of smooth pumpkin butter along with the cake. Last but not least are those warm, nutty and toasty spices that we all know and love at this time of year.

This cake is fall in one bite.

Happy 37th to me 😉

Pumpkin Spice Latte Cake

Recipe Adapted from Bake From Scratch, Southern Living & Nordicware

Ingredients

For the Cake:

1¼ cups canned pumpkin
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
¾ cup granulated sugar
⅔ cup sour cream, room temperature
⅔ cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons espresso powder
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup toasted coconut
2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
1½ teaspoons kosher salt
1¼ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon baking soda

For the Pumpkin Butter Filling

1 cup pumpkin butter
2 tbsp flour

For the Streusel

¾ cup (about 3 1/4 oz.) all-purpose flour
½ cup packed light brown sugar
½ cup softened unsalted butter
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
⅛ tsp. ground nutmeg
⅛ tsp. kosher salt
1 cup chopped pecans

Directions

For the Pumpkin Butter Filling: In a small bowl, combine the pumpkin butter with the flour and set aside.

For the Streusel: Stir together flour, light brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, and kosher salt in a medium bowl until mixture is combined and looks wet. Using hands, squeeze mixture into clumps; stir in pecans, and set aside in the fridge until ready to use.

For the Cake: Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease, flour and line a 10 cup bundt or fluted cake pan and set aside.

In a medium sized bowl combine the all purpose flour, the spices, toasted coconut, the baking powder, baking soda, and the salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, use a large wire whisk to whisk together pumpkin, brown sugar, granulated sugar, sour cream, oil, eggs, espresso powder, and vanilla.

Pour the dry mixture into the liquid ingredients (in two increments) and mix until well combined and no bits of flour remain. (Use a spatula to scrape the bottom of the bowl to be sure no dry bits are sticking)

Pour 3⁄4 of the batter into prepared Bundt or fluted cake pan. Add the pumpkin butter filling in a thin layer across the batter. Use a spatula or the back of a spoon to swirl the filling into the batter using an up and down motion. Do not push the filling to the bottom of the pan. Add the remaining batter on top filling 3/4 full. Sprinkle the streusel topping in an even layer on top of the cake. Tap gently on counter to release air bubbles.

Place the baking pan on a half sheet pan that you’ve lined with aluminum foil.

Bake until a wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean and an instant-read thermometer inserted near center registers 200°F (93°C) to 205°F (96°C), 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Invert cake onto a wire rack, and let cool completely.

Serve immediately. Keep the cake in a sealed plastic container and refrigerated.

Sharing at Fiesta Friday #660.