Moist Pumpkin Spice Latte Coffee Cake - Easy Fall Recipe! (2024)

FAQs

What is in a Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte? ›

They spent the next three months prototyping the beverage, settling on a recipe that used pumpkin spice sauce with cinnamon, clove and nutmeg – handcrafted with espresso and steamed milk – and finished with whipped cream and a dash of pumpkin pie topping.

The Pumpkin Spice Latte is a coffee drink made with a mix of traditional fall spice flavors (cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove), steamed milk, espresso, and often sugar, topped with whipped cream and pumpkin pie spice. The beverage is most commonly associated with Starbucks, which first offered the drink in the fall of 2003.

Our iconic Pumpkin Spice Latte is handcrafted with signature espresso, combined with a pumpkin flavour sauce and steamed milk, then topped with whipped cream and a spice blend of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves.

Sensory research plays a crucial role in understanding consumer preferences, evoking positive emotions, and ultimately driving sales growth. The success of Starbucks' Pumpkin Spice Latte is a prime example of how sensory research can be used to create a product that resonates with consumers on a deep, emotional level.

Fontana makes Starbucks syrups and sauces. The differences between the Fontana branded and the Starbucks branded syrups and sauces are very minimal, but they are different. It is branded as Starbucks, but it is Fontana. Go to their website they tell you themselves.

Starbucks pumpkin sauce (or what you might know as Starbucks pumpkin spice syrup) is made of pumpkin puree, condensed milk, sugar, and a blend of spices including cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves... just like this one!

10. The iconic Pumpkin Spice Latte (PSL) turns 20 this year! Since its first debut in stores on October 10, 2003, the beloved beverage has sparked a love for all things fall and pumpkin spice.

You're biologically wired to like it.

The sugar and fat interact on our taste buds to boost the flavors and make them “pop” more than either one alone, Fernstrom noted. Meanwhile, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves are particular taste enhancers. “This is a real treat to the taste buds,” she said. Then, there's the salt.

Major Changes

"Apparently it's not the same, like, full pumps, so you're getting technically less [syrup]," Maria said. "And since they changed the recipe, it's going to taste different regardless."

Instead, the flavor we associate with pumpkin is actually a mix of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice as used in a pumpkin pie recipe. Each spice is quite special on its own, but together they epitomize the taste of autumn, evoking cravings for chilly nights by a campfire and cozy flannel shirts.

Why are pumpkin spice lattes so expensive? ›

According to CNN, a stronger storm — inflation — has affected the price of the PSL as well. The cyclone of sweet spices will now be about 4% higher in cost compared to 2021. This has upped the price of a PSL to between $5.45 to as much as $5.95, depending on location.

Pumpkin spice, also known as pumpkin pie spice, is a mixture of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves. Some pumpkin spice mixes might leave out a spice or two, but most consist of at least two or three of the spices listed above.

The major and common ingredient in pumpkin spice lattes include: cinnamic aldehydes for cinnamon, eugenol for clove or allspice, terpenes such as sabinene for nutmeg, and zingiberene for ginger. They may also contain vanillin and cyclotene for the burnt butter or maple notes to round off the flavor.

Know your Audience and Target Them

Starbucks has done an unparalleled job of engaging the community of Pumpkin Spice lovers and accumulating a massive social media following. Posts are marketed towards millennials, the dominators of social media and Starbucks' target audience.

What's included. Our signature espresso and steamed milk with the celebrated flavour combination of pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove. Enjoy it topped with whipped cream and real pumpkin-pie spices.

According to a research study by Johns Hopkins University scientists, people equate the traditional PSL aromas — cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger — with feelings of nostalgia. Even more interestingly, the study adds that without an evocative scent like this, a person's taste perceptions are actually quite limited.

Starbucks' pumpkin spice sauce is made with a base of sugar, condensed skim milk, and pumpkin puree — this gives the sauce its sweet flavor and thick consistency.

At Starbucks, the pumpkin spice latte is usually served with 3 pumps of the brand's signature Pumpkin Spice Syrup, which gives the drink roughly 40 grams of sugar. Ask your barista to opt for 2, or even 1 pump instead to keep up healthy eating habits while maintaining delicious flavor.