Brown Sugar Swirl Pumpkin Breakfast Cake

3030-Min MealdfDairy-FreevVegetarian

By Lee Funke

5 from 3 votes

Published 10/7/2023

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Cake for breakfast it is! Pumpkin breakfast cake is a delightful breakfast cake to snack on all season long. It’s made with a delicious brown sugar pumpkin swirl and chocolate chips.

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This recipe was inspired by our new pumpkin muffin recipe and our pumpkin pancake recipe. We wanted to come up with a breakfast bread, er cake, that satisfied our sweet tooth, yet that was naturally sweetened.

Our pumpkin breakfast cake is light and fluffy thanks to all-purpose flour and is extremely moist thanks to pumpkin puree, mashed banana, and coconut oil. The pumpkin brown sugar topping is the bee’s knees and adds a hint of sweet to every bite. Bake it at 350ºF for 40 minutes.

What is in pumpkin breakfast cake?

This recipe calls for pantry staples such as all-purpose flour, pumpkin pie spice, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, vanilla extract, eggs, and coconut oil.

Recipe Variations

• Turn it into muffins: instead of baking this as bread, feel free to fill a muffin tin instead. Bake at 350ºF for 20-23 minutes.
• Use white whole wheat flour: we tested this recipe with white whole wheat flour. While it does come out a bit dense, it’s still delicious.
• Add-ins: if you’re not a chocolate chip for breakfast kind of person, feel free to swap it for a chopped nut.
• Don’t love bananas?: you can use applesauce instead for a less intense flavor.

Storage

Store leftover cake in the fridge for up to 3-5 days.

Freezer Directions

Cook the cake as directed and then let it cool for 1 hour. Remove it from the pan and then wrap it tightly in a piece of tin foil. Freeze for up to 3 months.

Serving Suggestions

Since this is a breakfast cake, we suggest serving this with a hot cup of pour over or French press. I personally topped mine with a scoop of peanut butter (because I’m obsessed) and a drizzle of maple syrup.

5 from 3 votes

Pumpkin Breakfast Cake

Pumpkin breakfast cake is the ultimate fall breakfast made with a brown sugar pumpkin swirl and chocolate chips.

By: Lee Funke

Prep: 20 minutes mins

Cook: 40 minutes mins

Total: 1 hour hr

Servings: 12

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Ingredients 

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Dry

• ▢ 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• ▢ ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Wet

• ▢ 1 medium banana mashed, ~½ cup
• ▢ 1/2 cup unsweetened pumpkin puree
• ▢ 2 large eggs
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 1/3 cup maple syrup
• ▢ 1 cup plain, unsweetened almond milk*
• ▢ 3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

Pumpkin Topping

• ▢ 3 tablespoons pumpkin puree
• ▢ 3 tablespoons light brown sugar

Instructions 

• Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a 9×9-inch pan with parchment paper.
• Add all of the dry ingredients to a bowl and whisk together. Set aside.
• Next, add the banana, pumpkin, and eggs into a large mixing bowl and whisk until combined. Add the vanilla, almond milk, and maple syrup and mix again.
  
• Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix.
  
• Finally, add the coconut oil and mix. The batter should be thicker. A runny batter will result n a mushy center. Transfer the batter to the lined pan.
• In a small bowl, mix the pumpkin and brown sugar. Add dollops of the brown sugar mixture to the top of the batter. Use a knife or toothpick and swirl the pumpkin over the top of the cake. Top with more chocolate chips.
  
• Bake for 20 minutes, turn the pan 180º, and bake for an additional 20 minutes.
  
• Remove from the oven when a toothpick comes out mostly clean. It will continue to bake for a few minutes.
• Gently lift the parchment paper and place the cake on a cooling rack. Allow the cake to cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing.

Tips & Notes

• This recipe was rewritten on October 5, 2023.
• You may need to thin out the batter with 2-4 tablespoons more almond milk if it is not pourable.
• The bake time may vary based on what oven is used and if you are baking at elevation.

Watch It

Nutrition

Calories: 226 kcal, Carbohydrates: 37 g, Protein: 5 g, Fat: 7 g, Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 13 g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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