Pumpkin Coffee Cake & A Giveaway!

Happy Monday everyone!

My kitchen smells wonderful, the little Humble and I just finished sharing our second piece of pumpkin coffee cake drizzled with brown butter icing and I have a cookbook giveaway for my readers. Pretty good way to start my week.

As I mentioned on Friday, I've been baking from fellow blogger Jane Dorian's cookbook: Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms. She was nice enough to give me a copy and then let me post a couple recipes on the blog. Now she has also offered to give away a copy to one of my readers.

How great is that! A person can never have too many cookbooks... or shoes, or blueberry muffins for that matter.

So, I've read the book cover to cover this weekend, no small feat as it is a substantial book for a blogger. It is packed with family friendly recipes, all the comfort foods my husband and I grew up on. All with details on how to make ahead for future use.

If you're interested in the cookbook, just post below with your email address. Jane will pick the winner next Monday (Feb 15th) and then email you for shipping details.



Now lets get onto the coffee cake!



Okay, so I took a few liberties with this cake. I didn't change the recipe, but I baked it in a different pan. The recipe calls for a tube or bunt pan and I used two 8" rounds and... I kinda... sorta... tripled the streusel topping.

Sorry, Jane! I just love the crumb topping on a coffee cake! That is my favorite part! I'm compelled to maximize the ratio of cake to crumbs in any recipe like this. Sane, reasonable people needn't do this, of course.

Also, I added a drizzle of brown butter icing. Why? Because: Brown butter + pumpkin + spices = love. Obviously.

Make Ahead Meals For Busy Mom's Pumpkin Coffee Cake
From Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
15 oz can pumpkin
3 large eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt

Streusel Topping:
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/3 cup walnuts, chopped

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray the inside of a tube or bundt pan with nonstick spray; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until well blended. Add the pumpkin and eggs and mix thoroughly. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and salt. Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture. Mix on medium speed until combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Prepare the streusel topping: In a small bowl combine the flour, sugars, cinnamon, melted butter and walnuts. Sprinkle the streusel over the cake batter. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for about 15 minutes. Slide a knife around the pan so the cake doesn't stick when removing it. Invert the cake onto a plate. Then invert the cake onto another plate, so that the streusel is on the top. Cool completely. Cover and store at room temperature.

(For two round cakes: coat two 8-inch rounds with non-stick spray and place a circle of parchment in the bottom. Divide the batter between the two pans, top with the streusel (x3) and bake for approximately 35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.)

Not So Humble Brown Butter Icing:
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar
whole milk

In a small saucepan, heat the butter over medium low heat until fragrant and the butter solids are golden brown. Pour the butter into the sugar and combine with a whisk. Continue to mix, adding one tablespoon of milk at a time until you have a pourable icing.

Drizzle over the cooled cake, then abandon all dignity and begin stuffing chunks of it into your mouth.