With 400,000 pageviews and counting, this pumpkin cake with cake mix has been made in hundreds of homes. It’s the easiest pumpkin cake recipe you’ll ever make, and will be your new favorite pumpkin dessert.
Reader Elaine Says “I make this cake recipe all the time now. It is the most delicious pumpkin cake recipe I have found. It is extremely moist and flavorful. I use a bundt pan and put non melting confectioner’s sugar on the top.” ★★★★★
You’ll Love this Super Easy Pumpkin Cake Recipe!
There are hundreds of pumpkin cake recipes, and this one is perfect when you need something quick and easy, or if you’re nervous to make a homemade cake for the first time.
It’s a simple cake that starts with a yellow cake mix with a few extra ingredients added in, to make an amazing moist, warmly spiced, pumpkin cake. Take it to your next event and no one will ever guess it started with a yellow cake mix from the store.
Why You’ll love this Easy Pumpkin Cake Recipe:
- Quick and Easy – Only a few ingredients, and starting with a dry cake mix, this cake couldn’t be easier to make!
- Soft and Moist – The fluffiest, softest pumpkin cake you’ll ever have
- Warm Spices – With the addition of pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon, this cake is bursting with a perfect blend of warm spices in every bite.
- If you love simple fall desserts, try our Pumpkin Bars or Pumpkin Bread next — both are reader favorites too.
Easy Pumpkin Cake Ingredients:
- dry yellow cake mix – this is the bulk of the recipe. This keeps you from needing flour, baking soda, salt, etc. You can also substitute a white cake mix, or a spice cake mix. If you use a spice cake mix, you can reduce or leave out the extra pumpkin pie spice for a milder flavor.
- granulated sugar – this adds just a little extra sweetness since we are adding extra ingredients, it can be skipped
- vegetable oil – this adds more moisture to the cake.
- water – this adds moisture the cake. You can also substitute milk, if desired.
- large eggs – these will hold your cake ingredients together, give it moisture, and help give the cake a little lift.
- pumpkin puree – this gives the cake moisture, and the best pumpkin flavor. Don’t use pumpkin pie filling as that has other ingredients mixed in, and not just pumpkin.
- pumpkin pie spice and ground cinnamon – these add flavor and seasoning to the cake, giving it that true fall flavor.
How to Make Pumpkin Cake with Cake Mix
- This cake starts with a dry yellow cake mix. You’ll add in oil, water, and eggs, like you would with a normal cake mix, but the amounts are a little different.
- Then you’ll also add in pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling), a little sugar, and cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice to give the cake the full pumpkin flavor.
- You’ll bake it up just like you would if you were making the cake mix according to the package.
- Top it with your favorite frosting, I recommend cream cheese frosting – because it pairs perfectly with pumpkin and voila.
A delicious pumpkin cake, and no one will ever know that it started with a cake mix.
This pumpkin cake is so easy to make, and can be whipped up in just minutes. It’s the perfect fall dessert, and might just become your new favorite!
How to Store and Freeze Pumpkin Cake
If you add cream cheese frosting to this cake then the cake needs to be stored in the fridge. It can store in the fridge for up to 4 days, to maintain its peak flavor and texture.
If you leave the frosting off the cake, it can be stored in a container at room temperature for up to 4 days. This pumpkin cake stays moist for days, which makes it an excellent make-ahead dessert for holidays or busy fall weekends.
The unfrosted cake can also be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil and stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge, then slice it up and serve.
Pro Tip:
For the softest crumb, let the cake cool completely before frosting — pumpkin cakes stay tender even after chilling.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve warm with cream cheese frosting.
- Add a scoop of vanilla or cinnamon ice cream.
- Dust with powdered sugar for a simple finish.
- Pair with hot chocolate, apple cider, or chai for a cozy fall dessert.
Pumpkin Cake with Yellow Cake Mix Recipe FAQs
A cake can be too moist if there is a wrong ratio of wet to dry ingredients. That should not be an issue in this recipe, because it has been tried and tested to get the best results.
If your cake is baking up and is still moist in the middle after the required bake time in the recipe, you can bake it in additional 5 minute increments, until a toothpick comes out clean from the center of the cake, or only with a few crumbs.
A 15 oz can of pumpkin is just shy of 2 cups of pumpkin puree. Two full cups would be 16 oz, so that means a 15 oz can is about 1 cup and 3/4 cup + 2 TBS of pumpkin, or 2 TBS shy of 2 cups.
Canned pumpkin and a canned pumpkin puree are the same. The only ingredient listed on the canned pumpkin or pumpkin puree should be pumpkin. That is what you want to use in this recipe.
If you see canned pumpkin pie mix, that will have other ingredients in the mix and will be seasoned for pumpkin pie, and is not what you want to use for this recipe.
Take this delicious cake to a fall party, or have some friends over for dinner. Every one will be impressed by your delicious cake and will never guess that it all started with a yellow cake mix from a box.
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Pumpkin Cake Recipe (with Cake Mix)
Ingredients
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 15 oz pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2 cup oil
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray your cake pan with nonstick spray.
- Mix together the cake mix, pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, sugar, water, pumpkin spice, and cinnamon. Stir for 2 minutes until the batter is super smooth. 1 box yellow cake mix, 15 oz pumpkin puree, 4 large eggs, 1/2 cup oil, 1/4 cup white sugar, 1/4 cup water, 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice, 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- Pour the batter into a greased cake pan and bake until a toothpick comes out mostly clean.
- For a 9×13 pan, bake for 25-30 minutes.
- For a 10inch bundt cake, bake for 30-40 minutes.
- Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes then carefully remove from the pan to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Top with powdered sugar, vanilla icing, or cream cheese frosting.
Video
Notes
- Works with spice cake mix; reduce pumpkin spice if using.
- Can be baked in 9×13 or bundt with similar cook time.
- Zero-sugar cake mix works great; omit added sugar.
Nutrition
What Our Readers Are Saying
Here are a few helpful tips and variations straight from readers who’ve made this pumpkin cake again and again.
- Several readers bake this cake in a Bundt pan and say the moisture and texture stay perfect — some even top it with a simple vanilla glaze.
- One reader has made this recipe multiple times and loves using it for mini cakes filled with cream cheese frosting.
- This recipe works beautifully with zero-sugar cake mix — even when skipping the additional sugar — and still turns out rich and flavorful.
- Consistent 5-star feedback highlights how reliable and easy this cake is no matter the pan or variation.
Kathy says
Hi! Would golden raisins be ok in this recipe?
Aimee says
You can definitely add some golden raisins! I’d add about 1 cup