Vegan Whole Wheat Pumpkin Coffee Cake with Cinnamon Pecan Topping
This whole grain pumpkin coffee cake is made with whole wheat flour for a nutrient-rich fall treat! The cake interior is tender and moist, and it’s topped with a sweet and tasty cinnamon pecan topping that adds extra sweetness and crunch to create the ultimate satisfying coffee cake experience. Vegan & 100% whole grain.
What are the first thoughts that come to your mind when you read the words “whole grain baking”? Probably something like “dense”, “dry”, “dirt”, straight up “meh.” If you fall in this camp, it’s not your fault! Somewhere along the way, you probably had a traumatic experience with a whole wheat muffin that tasted something like an archeological excavation. Before you start having flashbacks of that gritty, grainy texture that seems to suck every last drop of moisture out of your mouth and hover your cursor to immediately x out of your browser tab - bear with me! I’m here to rehabilitate your whole grain baking experience.
So here’s the deal. I love pumpkin, I love coffee cake, and I love whole grains - so it was really a no-brainer to create this whole grain pumpkin coffee cake! (Because why not?!) This coffee cake is soft, tender, and moist from the whole wheat pastry flour and pumpkin, and it’s filled with delicious warming spices and vanilla. And finally, to really take it to the next level, it’s covered with a crunchy cinnamon pecan topping that adds extra sweetness, crunch, and spice. IMO, the topping is the key 🔑 reason why this pumpkin cake actually works (and does so quite wonderfully!) as a whole wheat cake!
If you can’t get enough pumpkin flavored treats this fall,I think you’ll also love my classic ultimate pumpkin bread recipe (made with all purpose flour)! (TBH, it’s probably my favorite thing. Ever.) But if you’re looking to experiment or sprinkle in a few more nutrients into your baking, here’s more about this whole wheat pumpkin coffee cake!
Why You’ll Love this Pumpkin Coffee Cake
All the benefits of whole grains! Rather than relying on plain white all-purpose flour that you’ll find in most baked goods, this cake uses whole wheat pastry flour! It’s one of my favorite types of flours because 1) not only is it milled from whole wheat, meaning it’s a complete 100% whole grain flour so it contains all the extra fiber, minerals, and other nutrients found inside the wheat grain, but 2) it also gives cakes a really soft and tender texture! Basically think: all the nutrition of whole wheat flour, but milled much finer than standard whole wheat flour to yield that ultra satisfying, dreamy soft-textured crumb you want in a coffee cake. 😍
Delightful flavors. 🎃 The whole reason you’re here, isn’t it? Rest assured, this cake’s got plenty of pumpkin along with warming vanilla and *the* essential spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, and cloves to give it that classic “pumpkin” flavor. Since it’s made using a whole grain flour, the base of the cake itself is a bit more earthy than a standard pumpkin bread that uses plain flour. But because it’s a coffee cake, it’s got that crispy top layer made of cinnamon, brown sugar, and pecans which enhances the coffee cake with extra sweetness, making it indulgent enough to be a “cake” all while being made with whole grains!
Textures! While flavor is important, the key to a coffee cake that truly *bangs* lies with the textures. This coffee cake has a super fluffy, tender, and quite moist interior, and it’s topped with a slightly crispy, sweet brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecan layer for a bit of crunch and extra sweetness. Tender cake + crunchy topping = ideal coffee cake textures!
Easy to make. This is a super simple cake that you can whip up in almost no time! And if you’ve never made a coffee cake before, let me assure you that it (probably) looks more complicated than it actually is. All you need to do is mix up the two main components: 1) the topping and 2) the batter. Then add the topping onto the prepared batter, swizzle it through gently with a toothpick, and transfer it into the oven to bake. That’s it! As long as you measure the ingredients correctly (more on this in the Tips section), and avoid overbaking the cake, it should turn out perfect!
Ingredient Overview
Whole wheat pastry flour. The base flour, which makes the cake 100% whole grain! Just like regular whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour (or WWPF, for short) is entirely a whole grain flour, so it amps up the nutrition of the cake by adding in all the fiber, vitamins, and minerals found inside the whole grain! But unlike regular whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour is milled much more finely, so it creates much fluffier baked goods. So by using WWPF, we’ve got all the added benefits of whole grains and a fluffy texture - can’t beat it!
Baking soda, baking powder, and salt. The leaveners, plus salt for texture and flavor balance.
Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, and cloves. To give the cake its “pumpkin spice” flavor!
Vanilla extract. For warmth.
Non-dairy milk. To add some moisture into the batter. Any non-dairy milk works here, but I like using soy milk as it’s got a bit more protein and curdles when combined with the apple cider vinegar to form a thick vegan “buttermilk.”
Apple cider vinegar. Adds enough acid to ensure the baking soda (a base) can react so the cake can rise!
Pumpkin purée. To give the cake its pumpkin flavor, while also adding in moisture and contributing to the cake’s soft, tender texture. I used the Farmer’s Market brand pumpkin purée, which is a bit thinner in texture than other brands, so if you use a different brand, you may need to add an extra splash of milk to thin out the batter.
Light brown sugar. To sweeten the cake! Light brown sugar pairs wonderfully with pumpkin as it adds a hint of earthy molasses.
Neutral oil. To add moisture! If possible, I recommend using avocado oil or “high-oleic” sunflower oil as these have a much higher content of monounsaturated fats (i.e. more healthful fats) than other neutral vegetable oils.
Crunchy top layer. The crunchy top layer is what makes coffee cake coffee cake! Think about it: if you left out the crunchy topping, you’d be left with… a cake. A tasty cake, perhaps, but it certainly wouldn’t have that quintessential coffee cake aura. To make it, simply mix together brown sugar, whole wheat pastry flour, cinnamon, pecans, and oil, then add it onto the cake batter before baking. For reference, I kept this top layer relatively “light” by minimizing the amount of extra fat and flour. While it’s not quite as rich as a traditional “crumb” topping, it really works here!
Tips for Baking this Coffee Cake
Use a scale to weigh the ingredients. For the best results, use the gram measurements wherever provided in the recipe as they’re more accurate, so they’ll yield the most consistent results!
Don’t have a food scale? Use the tips below to approximate the closest measurements for the brown sugar and flour. (PS - I highly recommend investing in a food scale - they’re cheap and incredibly useful for both baking and cooking!)
To measure the brown sugar, pack your measuring cup very lightly.
To measure the flour, use the “spoon and level” method to avoid using too much flour (you don’t want super dense or dry muffins!). To do this, “fluff” the flour to aerate it. Then, spoon the flour into a measuring cup until it overflows slightly, and use the back of a knife to “level” the excess flour off the top.
Don’t overmix! Overmixing can create tunneling (those annoying air pockets!) or a tough-textured (i.e. not fluffy!) cake. To avoid that, once you add in the dry ingredients, use a silicone spatula to mix them with the wet ingredients just until the dry ingredients have been incorporated enough to form a batter - and stop there!
Swirl in the crunchy top layer before baking. After adding the topping onto the batter, don’t forget to use a toothpick or knife to swirl the topping in gently.
Don’t overbake! I know this sounds incredibly obvious, but it’s relatively easy to overbake coffee cakes as they simply don’t take very long to bake, and they can dry up quickly if overbaked! To avoid that, I recommend checking your cake after about 35 minutes of baking (just insert a toothpick near the center and see if it comes out clean or with a couple of TINY dry crumbs!). Everyone’s oven is different, so your exact baking time will vary (somewhere between ~35-41 minutes), but for reference, this cake was perfect at 40 minutes of baking in my oven.
Let cool before eating. I know it’s tough to let a warm baked good cool before digging into it! However, not only does this allow its crumb to finish forming, it also really enhances the cake’s flavors. Totally worth the extra wait!
Now that you’re practically a coffee cake expert 🤓, it’s time to bake!
Whole Wheat Pumpkin Coffee Cake with Cinnamon Pecan Topping
Vegan, Whole Grain
Serves 9
Ingredients
For the topping:
½ cup raw pecans, chopped
64 grams / ⅓ cup (lightly packed) light brown sugar
15 grams / 2 tablespoons whole wheat pastry flour
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons neutral oil
For the cake:
240 grams / 2 cups (spooned & leveled*) whole wheat pastry flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
⅓ cup non-dairy milk (soy, oat, etc.; I used soy)
1 ½ teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 cup canned pumpkin purée**
144 grams / ¾ cup (lightly packed) light brown sugar
⅓ cup neutral oil*** (such as sunflower, avocado, grapeseed, etc.)
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Directions
Pre-heat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8″ baking pan with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, mix together all the dry topping ingredients (chopped pecans, brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon). Add in the oil and mix until thoroughly combined. Set aside for now.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the whole wheat pastry flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves).
In a large bowl, add the non-dairy milk and apple cider vinegar and mix together. (Depending on what type of milk you use, it may curdle a little or a lot - this is normal and expected!) Add in the pumpkin, brown sugar, oil, and vanilla extract and use a rubber spatula to mix everything together until thoroughly combined.
Add in the prepared dry ingredients (flour, spices, etc.) and use the rubber spatula to fold them in just until the dry and wet ingredients are incorporated, being careful not to overmix. The batter will be thick (you can see the texture of the batter for reference in the Instagram reel above)!
Transfer the prepared batter to your prepared baking pan.
Sprinkle on the prepared topping evenly onto the batter. Use a knife to gently swirl the topping into the top of the batter (don’t go too deep).
Transfer to the oven and bake until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out nearly clean (a couple tiny crumbs are ok), about 35-41 minutes. (Mine took 40 minutes, but since everyone’s oven is different, I recommend checking the cake at the 35 minute mark to avoid overbaking as that will dry the cake out!)
Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool inside the pan for 15 minutes. Then transfer the cake to a cooling rack (use the parchment paper to easily lift it out of the pan!) and allow it to cool fully (about 1 ½ hours) before eating/cutting.
Leftovers can be stored wrapped tightly at room temperature for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
Notes:
*If you don’t have a food scale, measure the flour using the “spoon and level” method. To do this, “fluff” the flour to aerate it, then spoon it into a measuring cup until it overflows slightly, and use the back of a knife to “level” the excess flour off the top.
**I used the Farmer’s Market brand pumpkin purée, which is a bit thinner in texture than other brands. If you use a different brand, you may need to add an extra splash of milk (about 1 tablespoon) to thin out the batter.
***Any neutral oil will work, but whenever possible, opt for a “high oleic” variety as these have a much higher content of monounsaturated fats than other neutral vegetable oils.
Fancy this whole wheat pumpkin coffee cake? 🎃 Please take a moment to leave a review in the comments below or share the recipe with a friend - I always appreciate your support in making my recipes more accessible and visible to everyone! And don’t forget to follow along on Instagram for more plant-based inspo.