I look forward to Fall mornings when the kitchen is cool, the oven is just starting to warm the room, butter is browning in a pan .. all while the house is still quiet. Brown Butter Iced Pumpkin Coffee Cake is what I bake on those mornings.

It’s a bit of an evolution from my Pumpkin Pecan Coffee Cake, same cozy bones though, but today I’m browning the butter for a deep, nutty flavor underneath my pumpkin pie spice. Instead of using pecans on top, I make a delicious streusel and add a sweet glaze that soaks in just slightly while the cake is still warm.

Iced Brown Butter Pumpkin Coffee Cake will make the whole house smell like the season and keeps beautifully, so bake a second loaf if you’re expecting guests or would like to gift to a friend.

Why brown butter?

If you haven’t baked using brown butter, it’s time to try. You’re simply cooking the butter a little past melted, until the milk solids toast and turn golden at the bottom of the pan. It smells nutty, almost like toffee, and it carries into the cake almost like regular melted butter can’t. Don’t walk away as you are browning your butter. It goes from brown to burnt quickly.

A few notes before you bake

• Pumpkin Puree, not pumpkin pie filling – you want the plain, unsweetened kind.
• Sour cream or yogurt work in this recipe. Both keep the crumb tender.
• Vanilla bean paste is worth the splurge if you have it, but vanilla extract also works.
• I like to use pumpkin pie spice. If you’d rather make your own, here’s my recipe.
• Don’t overmix the batter once the wet and dry ingredients come together. A few folds, that’s it.

Make it your own

If you’d like to bring back the pecan crunch from my original version, stir in a handful of chopped pecans into the streusel before it goes in top.

This one is going in the fall rotation for good! Make sure to comment below if you have anything you’d like to add and don’t forget to tag @lemongrovelane when you bake your first loaf.

Brown Butter Iced Pumpkin Coffee Cake

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The taste of Fall.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour for streusel
• 1/4 cup cold butter for streusel
• 1/4 cup brown sugar for streusel
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon for streusel
• 1 cup powdered sugar for glaze
• 2 tbsp whipping cream for glaze
• 2 tbsp maple syrup for glaze

Instructions

1. In a saucepan, melt 1/2 cup butter over medium heat. Continue cooking swirling often, until it foams, then turns golden and smells nutty with browned specks at the bottom, 4 minutes or so. Pour into a bowl to cool slightly.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9X5-inch loaf pan and the center with parchment paper to help remove your loaf.
3. Whisk wet ingredients together including the cooled brown butter, pumpkin puree, eggs. sour cream, vanilla, and buttermilk.
4. Whisk in brown and granulated sugar.
5. In a separate bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
6. Gently fold dry ingredients in to wet ingredients. Do not over-mix. Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth the top.
7. Make the streusel: In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup flour, 1/3 cup brown sugar, and cinnamon. Cut up cold butter and using a fork, create pea-size crumbs. Scatter evenly over the batter.
8. Bake until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the streusel is golden, About 55-60 minutes.
9. Make the glaze: Whisk powdered sugar, maple syrup and cream together until smooth and desired consistency.
10. Drizzle over warm cake, slice and serve.