This simple pumpkin spice cake is moist, loaded with warm spices, and pumpkin flavor and topped with the best cream cheese frosting. Join the hundreds of families that have made and love this easy pumpkin cake!
Mar Says “Made this cake twice already and it’s a hit! Everyone loves it, even the ones who aren’t pumpkin lovers! It’s so good, it is worthy of making it a two layer round cake. Excellent recipe.”.
As the crisp autumn sets in, the smell of warm pumpkin spice wafting through the kitchen is so comforting. This pumpkin spice cake is a huge win, and you’ll have a delicious dessert to take to your next Thanksgiving dinner, fall party, or anytime you need a sweet, easy, fall dessert!
Pumpkin Spice Cake Recipe Ingredients
- eggs – these make the cake fluffy
- sugar
- vegetable oil – this keeps the cake nice and moist
- pumpkin puree
- flour
- cinnamon and other seasonings
- baking powder and baking soda – this gives the cake lift, and makes it fluffy
- butter
- cream cheese
- powdered sugar
- vanilla extract
Can I use pumpkin spice in this Pumpkin Spice Cake?
If you’d like to use pumpkin pie spice instead of the combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves you can. I would add about 2.5 tsp of pumpkin pie spice. Or if you like the stronger cinnamon flavor like I do you can add 1.5 tsp of pumpkin pie spice and 1 tsp of cinnamon.
The flavor may be slightly different, but it should be close enough to the same if you don’t already have all the individual spices and don’t want to buy each of them just to make this recipe.
How to make Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Mix the wet ingredients. You’ll mix everything together for the cake. You’ll start with mixing together the sugar, oil, and pumpkin puree in a large bowl till nice and smooth. Stir in the eggs.
- Mix the dry ingredients. You’ll mix all your dry ingredients together in a separate bowl. That means your flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Slowly add the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients you’ve already combined until everything is mixed together.
- You’ll pour the cake batter into a greased 9×13 pan. Test the crumb with a toothpick to make sure it is done.
- After the cake is baked you’ll want to let it cool completely before frosting it. Otherwise the frosting will melt and will not spread nicely. Whip up your best cream cheese frosting ever and spread it all over the top of the cooled cake.
The cream cheese frosting is super easy to make and is only 4 ingredients. The tangy sweet frosting is the perfect contrast to the sweet moist pumpkin cake.
Best Pumpkin Cake Recipe Tips
- Use Pumpkin Puree. Use pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling has other ingredients in it and the cake won’t turn out. The only ingredient on the can should be pumpkin. You can also make your own pumpkin puree with a fresh pumpkin.
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Room temperature ingredients. Let the eggs, butter, and cream cheese sit at room temperature for about 1 hour before baking. This will ensure better mixing in both the cake, and cream cheese frosting.
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Don’t over mix. Mix the batter of the cake until just combined. Over mixing the batter will lead to a dense cake.
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Add texture. Add about 1 cup of chopped nuts, raisins, or chocolate chips to the cake batter before filling the pan for a nice texture and flavor burst.
- Try a cinnamon cream cheese frosting instead of a regular cream cheese frosting, by adding 1 to 1.5 TBS of ground cinnamon to the frosting.
How to serve Pumpkin Spice Cake with Cream Cheese?
The cake is delicious topped with the smooth cream cheese frosting, but if you want to skip the frosting you can also dust the cake lightly with powdered sugar.
If you’d like to garnish the cake, here are some of my favorites:
- chopped nuts
- caramel sauce or chocolate sauce drizzle
- cinnamon sprinkle
- fresh berries
- candied ginger
- mini chocolate chips
Moist Pumpkin Cake Recipe storage
Because of the cream cheese frosting this cake needs to be stored in an airtight container in the fridge, or by wrapping the pan in plastic wrap. It can be stored for up to 5 days.
You can also make it an unfrosted cake, it’s delicious without the creamy frosting. Powdered sugar sprinkled on top would also be delicious. If the cake is unfrosted it can be stored at room temperature.
I love pumpkin desserts like pumpkin pie, pumpkin muffins, and pumpkin ice cream but this delicious pumpkin cake might be one of my new all time favorites. The cinnamon and seasonings pair perfectly with the pumpkin puree to give this cake the perfect fall flavor.
The cream cheese frosting on top of the moist spiced pumpkin cake, is amazing. It all comes together as the perfect combination and when you take a bite full of cake that you won’t be able to stop at one bite.
More favorite pumpkin recipes
- Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Pumpkin Cheesecake
- The Best Pumpkin Pie
- Pumpkin Bars
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The Best Pumpkin Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 2/3 cup sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil (or canola oil)
- 1 3/4 cup pumpkin puree (about 15 oz)
- 4 eggs (large)
- 2 cups flour
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 8 oz cream cheese (softened)
- 1/2 cup butter (1 stick, room temperature)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Equipment
- Large Mixing Bowl
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large bowl, whisk together your sugar and oil and pumpkin until well combined.
- Add in the eggs and stir till smooth.
- Combine your flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl and whisk together.
- Slowly add your dry ingredients to the wet ingredients while mixing.
- Pour mixture into a greased 9×13 baking pan.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes (mine took 32) or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Let cake cool completely before spreading the frosting over the top.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- Beat your cream cheese in a large bowl over medium speed until smooth.
- Add in the butter and continue mixing till well blended.
- Add in the vanilla and powdered sugar and continue to mix until the frosting is completely smooth.
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Melissa Davidson says
One of the best desserts I’ve ever had! Ah so moist, full of warm spices and that icing is absolutely delicious! Making it a yearly traditon now everyone loves it!
Shenoa says
Absolutely beautiful, I don’t think we get enough variation out here in Australia.
This is more an American type of cake, they make pumpkin pie pumpkin cakes pumpkin everything over there, this was absolutely delicious I’ve cooked it at least 10 times now since I found the recipe and it’s lovely and moist and I’ve made it for people’s birthday cake because they liked it so much , I would absolutely not add any other ingredients just have it as the recipe is it’s absolutely 10 out of 10 and I am a good cook, so I don’t know why anybody would say let’s throw nuts in there or let’s change the recipe I have no idea why anybody would change it when it’s already perfect.
Thankyou , Great recipe.
Aimee says
Thank you so much Shenoa! I love when you find a recipe like that, and I’m so glad this is one for you 🙂
Sandy Gotter says
Hi, could I used this recipe for pumpkin muffins ? This cake looks delicious !!!!! Thanks Sandy
Hermes says
Made this for the family on a gloomy January day and boy was it a hit! Rave reviews. Next time I’ll add some chopped walnuts to the batter, which is the only thing I can think to improve it.
Aimee says
So glad you loved it. I love adding nuts, or chocolate chips 😉
Michelle Hughes says
Made this with Monk Fruit granulated sugar and powdered sugar and it turned out amazing!
Mar says
Made this cake twice already and it’s a hit! Everyone loves it, even the ones who aren’t pumpkin lovers! It’s so good, it is worthy of making it a two layer round cake. Excellent recipe.
Kimberly Garcia says
i lost my recipe i have been using for years to make this cake! found this recipe and tried it in 2022 for thanksgiving and it was a hit! i added some pecans to my frosting! definitely hope i dont lose this one. thank you!
Aimee says
So glad you loved them one Kimberly! Hope you don’t lose it, too
Jen says
Best pumpkin spice cake ever!! I literally have people begging me to make this & have special orders for it. I make it Gluten Free with a 1-1 flour alternative. Thanks so much!
Aimee says
That’s fantastic! So glad it worked for you!
Stephanie says
The cake was amazing and easy to make. However the frosting was way too buttery. Needed almost triple the confectioners sugar. Read other frosting recipes and most had 3-4 cups sugar. Would make cake again but use different frosting recipe.
Aimee says
Glad you liked the cake! Sorry you didn’t like the frosting (cream cheese frosting gets stringy with more powdered sugar, so while many recipes do I have more, that’s why I prefer less – so it stays more creamy)
Odeman Brad says
Make sure your butter and cream cheese are at room temp! Put in kitchen Aid mixer on high (after it gets mixed with powdered sugar) and it will be 100% creamy 😁
Belinda says
Made this cake for a church fellowship. It was a huge success. Everyone loved it even those who said they dont like pumpkin. Made it as written only I doubled the recipe. My new favorite cake!!
Aimee says
Yay! So glad you loved it!
Vicki says
My family loves this cake! I’m not a frosting lover, but my husband is, so I just threw a chunk of butter, maybe 2 to 3 ounces of cream cheese and about one and three quarters cup of powdered sugar in abowl plus vanilla and a dab of cream to make a thinner layer of icing. We cut a square of cake, then cut it in half horizontally..I get the bottom, he gets the top…we’re both happy!
Aimee says
That sounds like a perfect solution. I’m so glad you love this cake as much as we do!