Recipe for pumpkin cake with cream cheese and streusel – the perfect autumn bake
The warm, golden colors of autumn practically beg to be brought into the kitchen – and the best way is with pumpkin cake with cream cheese and a crunchy streusel. It’s a dessert that combines the creamy delicacy of cream cheese, a moist pumpkin interior, and a sweet, buttery topping that’s hard to resist. Preparing it doesn’t require complicated techniques or long hours spent in the kitchen – it’s a simple recipe that will successfully turn out even for less experienced bakers. It’s perfect with a cup of hot tea or coffee, bringing a cozy, autumnal atmosphere into your home. Try it, and you’ll see that it’s one of those cakes that quickly becomes a favorite autumn bake.
Why bake pumpkin cake in autumn?
Late summer and autumn often bring very changeable weather, with rainy and windy days. That’s when I most like to serve a simple and aromatic cake with hot coffee or tea. That’s why in autumn and winter, cinnamon most often reigns supreme in my bakes. I love all cakes, cookies, and more baked with the addition of this incredibly aromatic and warming spice. And cinnamon combines incredibly deliciously not only with apples but also with pumpkin! Pumpkin cake with cinnamon and a touch of nutmeg is pure heaven. What’s more, this cake is incredibly simple and quick to prepare, so everyone will surely manage it. Even those with less kitchen experience.
Ingredients needed for pumpkin cake with cream cheese
To bake this delicious autumn cake, you will need a few basic ingredients that are easily available in any store. Below I provide a condensed list of the products used and possible substitutes.
- pumpkin – I highly recommend hokkaido pumpkin or butternut squash here; you need to bake it beforehand, mash it into a puree, and cool it. If you don’t know how to do it, you’ll find tips in the post below.
- cream cheese – I used Farm Milk cream cheese from Stokrotka; any thick cream cheese will work well – e.g., Almette, but you can also use cheesecake curd from a tub.
- sugar – I used brown sugar here, which has a richer flavor than regular sugar, but if you don’t have it, use regular granulated sugar.
- oil – I used rapeseed oil; you can also use another mild-flavored oil.
- butter – for the crumble, you will need 60 g of butter; you can also replace it with a butter blend or even vegetable butter.
- baking soda – if you don’t have baking soda, you can use more baking powder; in this case, it’s good to use 3 teaspoons of powder so that the moist cake rises well and doesn’t become dense.
How to make pumpkin puree for pumpkin cake?
You can make puree in two ways – either bake the pumpkin or boil it. I personally prefer baking pumpkin because it’s less problematic and probably even faster. I recommend cutting the pumpkin in half and removing the seeds and “fibers”. Then place the pumpkin on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, cut-side down. This will prevent the flesh from burning. Bake the pumpkin for about 40 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius. You can check with a fork if the flesh is soft. Then remove it from the oven, cool it, and peel off the skin. Mash the flesh thoroughly (e.g., with a potato masher) or blend it with a blender. You can also check out my post on preparing pumpkin puree – you’ll also find a short video there.
If you prefer to boil the pumpkin, prepare it like potatoes – peel it, cut it into larger cubes, and cook until soft (do not salt the water), then drain it and blend or mash it.
How to enhance the flavor of autumn pumpkin cake?
If you’re not fond of cakes with cream cheese, or you simply don’t have any and can’t buy it, you can omit it from the cake. In that case, you can add, for example, a handful of chopped nuts, chopped chocolate, or chopped dried fruits – such as plums, apricots, or raisins – to the cake itself. You’ll get a delicious pumpkin cake somewhat resembling a Polish fruitcake :)
How to store pumpkin cake with cream cheese and crumble?
To keep this moist pumpkin cake fresh for a long time, it’s worth transferring it to a container with a lid or covering it with a cake dome. If it’s not too hot at home, the cake can stay out for about 3 days. If you want it to last longer, you can put it in the refrigerator. Pumpkin and cream cheese cake can also be frozen for about 3 months.
Mam nadzieję, że ten przepis na łatwe i szybkie dyniowe ciasto z serkiem i kruszonką przypadnie do gustu tobie i twoim bliskim i będziesz chętnie dzielić się przepisem ze swoimi znajomymi. Będzie mi miło jeśli potem zostawisz komentarz pod przepisem.
A inspirację do tego jesiennego ciasta dyniowego z kruszonką znalazłam na blogu Julie Marie Eats :)
Recommended pumpkin cake recipes
If you love pumpkin cakes as much as I do, or if you’re just starting your baking adventure with them, you should definitely try my other recipes as well. There is quite a selection on the blog, and here are three recipes I highly recommend:
