Pumpkin Crumb Coffee Cake

Raise your hand if you LOVE pumpkin as much as I do!!!  This was the perfect weekend for the sweet aroma a fall wafting through the house.  It was storming outside, so I got to baking inside!  I saw this recipe on one of very most favorite blogs, Noble Pig (check it out, you'll LOVE it!) and knew I had to give it a try.  It was certainly a winner.  And if you're lucky, you'll have all the ingredients on hand.  My dearest stated, "Wow babe, I think this might be the best baked good you've ever made for breakfast!"  That's a big, even if I haven't made that many baked goods for breakfast.  Enjoy!

Pumpkin Crumb Coffee Cake

Topping:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
Pinch of salt
1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into pieces

Cake:2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 15 ounce can pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
For the topping, in a bowl, stir together flour, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon. Add butter and combine with fingertips until mixture is crumbly. Refrigerate while making batter.
Preheat oven to 350o F. Butter and flour a 9 x 13 cake pan. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices. In a large bowl, whisk together oil, applesauce, pumpkin, vanilla and both sugars until well mixed. Whisk in eggs. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and stir until just combined; do not overmix. Pour batter into cake pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle with reserved topping.
Bake cake until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 45-50 minutes. Allow to cool in pan on a wire rack at least 20 minutes.