Pumpkin Streusel Cake

I love pumpkin. Pumpkin bread, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin pie...I'll take a helping of each, please. And then seconds.

Since it's autumn, this glorious gourd is popping up everywhere, and not just a jack-o-lantern on your front porch. It seems like every grocery store circular I see features canned pumpkin for a hefty discount. I decided to stock up and start trying pumpkin recipes.

I found the recipe below on Pinterest, and I had to give it a whirl. Even the husband, who does not share my food crush on pumpkin, thought it was fabulous. A streusel topping takes pumpkin cake to the next level, and the buttery glaze makes it downright heavenly. You begin with a box of cake mix, so the recipe is pretty foolproof. And don't be deterred by the multiple steps in the recipe; it comes together very quickly.

And be ready to have a second piece. Or a third. I won't judge.

Pumpkin Streusel Cake
Adapted from Pretty.Good.Food.

Cake:
1/3 cup water
15 ounce can pumpkin
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon*
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger*
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg*
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves*
18 ounce box yellow cake mix
1 teaspoon baking soda

Streusel Topping:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
4 tablespoons melted butter

Glaze:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9" x 13" pan with cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together water, pumpkin, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Stir in cake mix and baking soda. Pour into greased pan.

In a separate medium-sized bowl, stir together the streusel ingredients (brown sugar, flour, and butter). Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the cake batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Meanwhile, combine brown sugar, granulated sugar, and cream in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the sugar is dissolved, 2-3 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the vanilla.

As soon as the cake is finished baking, poke holes evenly over the cake with a toothpick. Very carefully and slowly pour the warm glaze over the hot cake, making sure to cover the surface evenly. (I found it easier to pour the glaze into  a measuring cup with a spout before putting it on the cake.) Serve the cake warm or at room temperature.

*You can substitute 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice for all the other spices.