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Pumpkin Cream Cheese Crumb Cake

Pumpkin cream cheese crumb cake with a cinnamon-brown sugar crumb topping and a visible cream cheese swirl layer. Baked until set, then finished with a light powdered sugar dust for a tender, spiced slice.
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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
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For crumb topping
  • 1.5 cup flour
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.75 cup butter melted
For cream cheese layer
  • 8 oz cream cheese softened
  • 0.25 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla
For 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 eggs
  • 1 cup pumpkin
  • 0.75 cup sour cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla
Finishing
  • 1 powdered sugar for finishing

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep
  1. Preheat oven to 350F and grease a 9x13 pan, then set it aside for later. A thin sheen of grease should coat the entire bottom and sides.
  2. Make the crumb topping by mixing flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon, then stir in melted butter until large crumbs form. The mixture should look uneven and clumpy like thick streusel.
  3. Refrigerate the crumb topping while you prepare the cake layers. It should firm up enough to scatter without fully melting.
  4. Beat the cream cheese layer ingredients (cream cheese, sugar, egg, and vanilla) until smooth. Stop when no lumps remain and the mixture flows like a thick pour.
Assemble and bake
  1. Beat butter and brown sugar until smooth, then add eggs, pumpkin, sour cream, and vanilla and mix until combined. The batter should be thick and glossy with no dry pockets.
  2. Fold in the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt) until just incorporated. Mix only until the flour disappears so the crumb stays tender.
  3. Spread half the batter into the prepared 9x13 pan. The surface should be level enough to support the cream cheese dollops.
  4. Dollop the cream cheese mixture over the batter and spread gently. Create swirls and keep the dollops from mixing completely with the pumpkin layer.
  5. Top with the remaining batter and scatter the crumb topping generously over the surface. Leave some crumb peaks visible so they bake into a crunchy top.
  6. Bake for 50-55 minutes at 350F until done. The center should be set and a toothpick should come out mostly clean; crumbs should look toasted.
  7. Dust with powdered sugar before serving. A light snowfall should sit on top without soaking into the cake.

Notes

Pro tip: scatter the crumb topping generously right before baking so it stays chunky instead of fully melting. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days; rewarm individual slices in the microwave for 10-20 seconds. Freezing is yes—wrap tightly and freeze up to 2 months, then thaw overnight in the fridge. For a lighter option, use low-fat cream cheese and reduced-fat sour cream; the texture remains creamy but the flavor will be slightly less rich.