Autumnal Pumpkin Cake with Pecan Crisp Topping

1. Preheat Oven

Begin by preheating your oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan to ensure your cake doesn’t stick.

2. Prepare Pecan Streusel

To make the pecan streusel, mix together the all-purpose flour, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, and ground allspice in a small bowl. Drizzle the canola oil into the mixture and use your fingertips to combine until you achieve a crumbly texture. Finally, fold in the chopped pecans and set the streusel aside.

3. Mix Wet Ingredients

In a large mixing bowl, combine the pureed pumpkin, soy milk, canola oil, granulated sugar, light molasses, and pure vanilla extract. This step is crucial as combining the wet ingredients first helps in achieving an even distribution, which is key for the cake’s texture.

4. Add Dry Ingredients Part 1

Next, add half of the all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground ginger, ground allspice, and ground cloves to the wet mixture. Use a fork to gently fold these dry ingredients into the wet mixture.

5. Add Dry Ingredients Part 2

Once the first half is mixed in, add the remaining all-purpose flour and continue to fold until the batter is smooth but not overmixed.

6. Pour Batter and Add Streusel

Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan, spreading it evenly. Scatter the pecan streusel over the top of the batter, ensuring it’s well-distributed for a crunchy topping.

7. Bake the Cake

Place the pan in the oven and bake for 45 to 50 minutes. The cake is done when a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

8. Cool and Serve

Allow the cake to cool in the pan before cutting it into squares. Enjoy your Autumnal Pumpkin Cake with Pecan Crisp Topping!