Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Streusel Cake

If pumpkin desserts are your thing, you’re going to love this super moist, ultra delicious pumpkin chocolate chip streusel cake. Perfect as small bars OR served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

It’s officially mid-October, and the cool, crisp weather, leaves piling up in my yard, and cans of pumpkin lining grocery aisles everywhere are screaming at me to post a new pumpkin recipe already.

This will definitely not be the last new pumpkin recipe to hit the ol’ blog this fall, but at the risk of making other pumpkin recipes jealous, it might be my favorite new pumpkin recipe this year.

It is incredible. And it’s 100% guaranteed to make your October worth it.

It’s pumpkin chocolate chip streusel cake. And it is amazing.

Maybe the streusel makes that an obvious statement? I don’t know about you, but I’ve never had the thought to streusel-ize something and have it turn out badly. Wait, I take that back. Green beans and streusel do not mix. Just take my word on that one.

But streusel on almost any dessert? You’ve got my attention.

It was high time that a really fantastic, really easy, really moist and really delicious pumpkin cake got some streusel. And a few extra chocolate chips.

I took one of my favorite pumpkin recipes EVER (these easy pumpkin blondies that often get overlooked in my ancient archives) and kicked it up a notch.

Not only does it get a boost of buttery, sweet streusel scattered atop, but I couldn’t help myself, and another 1/2 cup of chocolate chips or so ended up as a finishing touch as well. I have no regrets.

Chocolate chips dotted throughout the moist, tender pumpkin cake and chocolate chips on top of the streusel…yes, this is a very fine October indeed.

And even though I happen to err on the side of never putting nuts in my desserts hardly ever, I actually think some toasted pecans would be fabulous tossed on there, too, as an extra bit of nutty, crunchy texture.

Try it and let me know what you think, pretty please?

I prefer using a straight-sided metal pan for baking this pumpkin chocolate chip streusel cake, but I’m guessing any type of 9X13-inch pan will work pretty well. Keep in mind that it often helps to reduce the oven temperature by 25 degrees if using a glass pan.

Baked and cooled, this little cake transitions well to being cut into smaller squares, offered as finger food, and being called “bars” instead of “cake.”

But don’t dismiss the idea of serving a gigantic square of this streuselly pumpkin chocolate chip cake ever so slightly warm with a scoop (or two) of ice cream. Vanilla ice cream always comes to mind first, but typing out loud here, what about a really delicious pumpkin caramel ice cream (Trader Joe’s has a flavor like that I think??) or a caramel crunch ice cream.

Be still my heart.

If you’re thinking this loaded pumpkin chocolate chip cake is a bit of a showoff, you are right. It deserves every single bit of attention it gets.

Hello, October and heellllloooo pumpkin desserts. It’s a great time to be alive.

One Year Ago: Instant Pot Cheesy Potato Soup
Two Years Ago: Light and Fluffy Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Three Years Ago: Cheesy Bacon and Garlic Butter Smashed Red Potatoes
Four Years Ago: Stir-Fried Chicken and Vegetable Lo Mein
Five Years Ago: Green Lentil Soup with Curried Brown Butter

Yield: 9X13-inch pan

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Streusel Cake

Ingredients:

Cake:

• 2 1/3 cups (13.25 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice (see note for substitution)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons, 4 ounces) butter, softened to room temperature
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 3/4 cup (5.5 ounces) granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup (5.5 ounces) packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 15-ounce can (about 2 cups) canned pumpkin
• 1 1/2 cups (9 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

Streusel:

• 1 cup (5 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup (5.5 ounces) packed light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons, 4 ounces) butter, cut into tablespoon-size pieces and softened to room temperature
• 1/2 cup (3 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup (4 ounces) toasted pecans (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch metal baking pan with nonstick cooking spray (or you can line with parchment or foil and then grease for easy cleanup).
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl using a handheld electric mixer, cream the butter, applesauce, granulated sugar and brown sugar on medium-high speed until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Add canned pumpkin and mix until combined. It’s ok if the mixture looks curdled.
3. Mix in the dry ingredients, stirring just until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.
4. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.
5. For the streusel, in a small bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add the butter and mix with a pastry blender or your fingers until the streusel is evenly combined and forms small clumps.
6. Sprinkle the streusel mixture over the pumpkin bars followed by the 1/2 cup chocolate chips and toasted pecans (if using).
7. Bake until the edges begin to pull away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs attached, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely in the pan before serving. These bars are delicious at room temp or warm (and super tasty with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!).

Notes:

For a homemade pumpkin pie spice mix use the following: 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ginger, 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg and 1/8 teaspoon cloves. Mix together for the equivalent of 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (you’ll want to triple these amounts for this particular recipe since it calls for 1 tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice). 

All images and text ©Mel’s Kitchen Cafe.

Recipe Source: a streuselized version of this favorite pumpkin blondie recipe