Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Streusel Cake

This cake recipe, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Streusel Cake, leans on pumpkin pie spice, ground cinnamon and baking soda. It makes 15 Servings (9X13-inch pan) and takes about 55 minutes.

• Yield 15 Servings (9X13-inch pan)
• Ready in 55 minutes
• Prep 15 minutes
• Cook 40 minutes

Ingredients

Cake

• 2 ⅓ cups ( 331 g ) all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup ( 113 g ) salted butter , softened to room temperature
• ½ cup ( 113 g ) unsweetened applesauce
• ¾ cup ( 159 g ) granulated sugar
• ¾ cup ( 159 g ) packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin , (about 2 cups)
• 1 ½ cups ( 255 g ) semisweet chocolate chips

Streusel

• 1 cup ( 142 g ) all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup ( 159 g ) packed light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch of salt
• ½ cup ( 113 g ) salted butter , cut into tablespoon-size pieces and softened to room temperature
• ½ cup ( 85 g ) semisweet chocolate chips
• ½ cup ( 57 g ) toasted pecans (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch metal baking pan with nonstick cooking spray (or you can line with parchment or foil and then grease for easy cleanup).
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl using a handheld electric mixer, cream the butter, applesauce, granulated sugar and brown sugar on medium-high speed until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Add canned pumpkin and mix until combined. It's ok if the mixture looks curdled.
3. Mix in the dry ingredients, stirring just until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.
4. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.
5. For the streusel, in a small bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add the butter and mix with a pastry blender or your fingers until the streusel is evenly combined and forms small clumps.
6. Sprinkle the streusel mixture over the pumpkin bars followed by the 1/2 cup chocolate chips and toasted pecans (if using).
7. Bake until the edges begin to pull away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs attached, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely in the pan before serving. These bars are delicious at room temp or warm (and super tasty with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!).

Cool the layers before you stack them.