Sunday, October 21, 2012

Pumpkin Coffee Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze


It's that time of year.  I'm stuck in the land of 85ยบ days and never ending palm trees, but my heart is in New England.  I'm missing the beautiful reds and golds that blanket the hills and the crisp, cool smell of Autumn...if you've ever visited New England in the fall, you know what I mean.  Even though the weather here in Florida is still very summer-like, I spend a lot of time trying to recreate just a little of my favorite season in my home.  Autumn leaves and pumpkins are scattered around the house, fall scented candles burn here and there... and then there's this.  This wonderful pumpkin coffee cake made the house smell SO GOOD this afternoon and was just what I needed to give me a little taste of home.  As I'm writing this... I'm pretty sure the cake is disappearing quickly, I left it alone with the kids... so here's the recipe, I'm going to go try to save my cake!


 ⅓ cups Water
1 can Pureed Pumpkin (15 Oz)
2 whole Eggs
1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
2 teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 box Yellow Cake Mix (18 Ounce Box)
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 cup Brown Sugar, Divided
½ cups Flour
4 Tablespoons Butter, Melted
¼ cups Granulated Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
¼ cups Heavy Whipping Cream


Preheat the oven to 350F.

In a large bowl mix together the water, pumpkin, eggs, 1 Tablespoon of vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice until well combined. Add the cake mix and baking soda and mix until just combined.

Grease a 9×13 pan with butter and pour batter into pan.

In a small bowl mix together 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 1/2 cup flour and melted butter. Use your fingers to sprinkle over the top of the cake. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

For the glaze, combine the other 1/2 cup brown sugar, granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and heavy cream in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and stir until all sugar is dissolved.

When cake is finished baking, poke holes in the top with a toothpick. Pour glaze over the cake, making sure to cover all surfaces. Serve cake warm or at room temperature.

Makes 18 servings