PUMPKIN STREUSEL CAKEfeatured

I love country music. I always have. Something about it takes me back to the open plains of growing up in Nebraska and it just feels comforting to me. Old country, new country, I like it all. Growing up I always pretended like this was uncool and super lame. My brother would be in the backseat of the station wagon on family road trips listening to Guns and Roses (also completely awesome) with his head phones on and I would stare out the window while Dad’s favorite Willie Nelson’s 8-track played on repeat while singing the songs word for word in my head. Outwardly I would pretend like this was the absolute worst. Deep down I knew, even at that age, that is was actually the absolute best. To this day I can play those same albums, sing all of the words by heart and instantly have those same comforting feelings of family road trips and growing up in the Midwest.

Similarly, there is something oddly comforting about pumpkin things. I know. This makes no sense and probably seems ridiculous. Maybe it has something to do with pumpkin being a Fall thing and for me Fall means crisp air, big sweaters, fires, bowls of warm soup and cozy nights wrapped up in blankets. All things completely comforting and completely awesome. So maybe that’s why pumpkin feels this way to me. Who knows, but whatever it is, I’m cool with it. Which is exactly how I feel about my long standing love of country music.

This cake can easily be made in a few different types of pans depending on what you want: 9×13, jelly roll pan (is more like a bar), or a 10 inch round.. all work. Additionally, the cake can be made without the streusel filling. It’s great either way if you are feeling lazy and want to skip that step. Nothing wrong with feeling lazy sometimes.

Recipe: Pumpkin Streusel Cake  |  Soundtrack: Forever Country

• STREUSEL
• 3/4 cup flour
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
• CAKE
• 4 eggs
• 1 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup oil
• 1 15oz can of pumpkin
• 2 cups flour
• 2 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• FROSTING
• 8 oz cream cheese room temperature
• 4 tbsp room temperature butter
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2- 3/4 tsp cinnamon
• 3-4 cups powdered sugar

Directions:
Grease a 10 inch round pan and set aside. Preheat your oven to 350º

To make the streusel: Put the flour, sugar, salt and cinnamon in a food processor and pulse for 5 seconds to mix. Add the butter and pulse until combined. The mixture will look like course sand. If you don’t have a food processor, you can use a hand held pastry blender to cut in the butter. Cover and put in the refrigerator.

To make the cake: Using a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or a hand held mixer, beat the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin together until smooth. Add the flour, cinnamon, salt and baking soda and mix until combined. So easy.

Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan. Using a spatula, spread it evenly. The batter is thick so you’ll need to really spread it. Depending on which pan you decided to use (round, 9×13, jelly roll pan), sprinkle the streusel filling over the batter generously. If you use the circle pan, you probably won’t use all of the topping. Cover the streusel topping with the other half of the cake batter. Again, you will have to use a spatula to make sure it’s all covered.

Place the cake into the preheated over and bake for 45 minutes (if you are using the jelly roll pan the time will be less, more like 15-20 minutes and in a 9 x 13, start checking to test doneness around 20 minutes).

** You can leave out the streusel part and pour the batter into the prepared pan. It still tastes awesome. Baking time is the same as above.

To make the frosting: In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the cream cheese, butter and vanilla until completely combined and smooth. Add the cinnamon and powdered sugar until the frosting is a stiff consistency. Keep mixing on high and it will all come together and be smooth.

Once cake is completely cool, frost the cake. Frosting makes enough to be a thick layer piled on the top of the cake or a very thin layer covering all of the cake. Keep in the refrigerator until ready to eat!

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