Best Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
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Best Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting starts with a super moist cake and is topped with the best cream cheese frosting. This easy fall dessert is full of all the pumpkin flavors and is the perfect treat to enjoy with a cup of coffee.
Other pumpkin cakes for you to enjoy next include this Pumpkin Streusel Cake and these Mini Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cakes. Or try some moist and delicious Pumpkin Oatmeal Pancakes!
The Best Pumpkin Cake Recipe
Because we ALL need a Best Pumpkin Cake in our lives. Am I right?
Y’all know by now that I love everything pumpkin. Pumpkin cookies, pumpkin scones, pumpkin muffins, and BEST pumpkin cake. 😀 And then there are those PSLs at Starbucks during pumpkin season that I can’t resist.
Pumpkin Spice Lattes means fall is here (or coming) and the holidays are next. My favorite time of year starts in October and goes through my hubby’s birthday at the end of December. The thought of all of this plus cooler weather definitely has me smiling. 😀
Why We Love This Perect Pumpkin Cake:
- SUPER MOIST – This easy pumpkin cake is moist and delicious and makes the perfect fall dessert.
- FULL OF PUMPKIN FLAVORS – We love pumpkin flavor during the fall season and any time of year. Why not enjoy this moist pumpkin cake any day of the year?
- IMPRESSIVE FOR GUESTS – This homemade pumpkin cake is a sure hit for guests. Impress your family and friends with this easy cake full of warm spices!
Ingredients Used for Pumpkin Spice Cake:
While we call this pumpkin cake, you might call them pumpkin bars. You do you!
- Pumpkin Puree – Use canned pumpkin puree – NOT pumpkin pie filling.
- Canola Oil – or vegetable oil
- Large Eggs – at room temperature
- Sour Cream
- Sugars – both brown sugar and granulated sugar
- Vanilla Extract
- All-Purpose Flour
- Kosher Salt
- Baking Soda
- Cinnamon
- Pumpkin Pie Spice
- For the tangy cream cheese frosting – A combo of softened butter, cream cheese, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar.
How to make Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting:
Step 1
Combine wet ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, combine the wet ingredients – the pumpkin, oil, eggs, sour cream, sugars, and vanilla. Use a wire whisk to combine well.
Feel free to use an electric mixer to make this cake instead.
Step 2
Combine dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to a separate bowl – the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice.
Step 3
Combine wet and dry ingredients. Combine the dry ingredients with the wet, and stir to mix until just combined.
Step 4
Add batter to a pan. Spray a 9×13 cake pan
with baking spray, and pour cake batter evenly in the prepared pan, smoothing with a rubber spatula.
Step 5
Bake cake. Bake until toothpick comes out clean in the center of cake, approximately 20-22 minutes. (Baking time my vary.) Let cool on the countertop.
Step 6
Make cream cheese frosting. Using a medium bowl, combine softened cream cheese, softened butter, and vanilla. Use a hand mixer to combine well.
Gradually add the powdered sugar, a cup at a time, and mix until well combined and fluffy.
Step 7
Add frosting to cooled cake. Use a spoon to spread the frosting on the cooled pumpkin cake. Cut into slices and serve.
Step 8
Slice pumpkin cake. Use a plastic knife to slice the cake into 15 equal pieces. Serve with a cup of cold brew coffee or a pumpkin spice latte!
Storing: If you aren’t serving this cake right away, it’s best to store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Other Pumpkin Desserts:
Enjoy even more pumpkin treats that show off the flavors of fall!
- Iced Pumpkin Cookies or Pumpkin Spice Sugar Cookies – Tied for our favorite pumpkin cookies.
- Pumpkin Streusel Cake – The streusel layer is everything!
- Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies – Oops – more of our favorite cookies!
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins– A healthy-ish muffin, with some chocolate sprinkled in for good measure.
Kitchen Tools Used: (affiliate links)
xoxo ~Sue
Best Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
For the Pumpkin Cake:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (240 grams)
- 2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 cup pumpkin
- ⅔ cup canola oil
- 2 large eggs – at room temperature
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- ⅔ cup brown sugar (145 grams)
- ⅓ cup sugar (66 grams)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 8 oz. cream cheese – softened
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter – softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar (360 grams)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
For the Pumpkin Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9×13 cake pan with baking spray.You could also add parchment paper to the pan to help lift it out of the pan, or just slice the cake right in the pan.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice. Stir to combine.
- In another bowl, combine the pumpkin, oil, eggs, sour cream, both sugars, and vanilla. Whisk until well combined.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, and stir to combine. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and smooth it out evenly. Place pan in oven, and bake for approximately 18-20 minutes, or until it's done in the middle. You can test doneness with a toothpick.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- Combine the softened cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl. Using a hand mixer, combine until well blended.
- Add vanilla and one cup of powdered sugar. Mix until absorbed, and then continue adding powdered sugar, one cup at a time.
- When the cake is cooled completely, spread cream cheese frosting over the top, smoothing it out evenly.
Notes
- If you aren’t serving this cake right away, it’s best to store it in the refrigerator. Leftovers should also be stored in the refrigerator.
I only have fresh pumpkin puree so how much pumpkin is in 1 can?
This recipe calls for one cup of pumpkin.
Can you bake this in a 9×13 casserole dish?
Yes, a casserole would work fine too. Please let me know how it turns out for you!
Oh my goodness! This was such a wonderfully moist cake! Loved it and the cream cheese frosting was the bomb!
This recipe is amazing! Take the pro tip and eat with a cup of coffee…… More please!
Pumpkin cake goes perfectly with coffee, for sure! 🙂