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Pumpkin cake topped with cream cheese frosting is the kind of dessert that tends to disappear one small slice at a time. It’s soft and warmly spiced, with just enough tang in the frosting to balance the sweetness. Bake it in a 9 × 13-inch pan and bring it straight to the table for everyone to help themselves.
Pumpkin Cake Worth Sharing
Enough to go around: The 9 × 13-inch cake is easy to slice and share, whether you’re taking it to a gathering or keeping it at home for afternoon coffee.
Plenty of spice: Cinnamon leads the way, with ginger, nutmeg, and cloves rounding out the flavor.
Soft, moist crumb: Pumpkin purée and oil give the cake its tender texture.
Cream cheese frosting: A little tang balances the sweet, warmly spiced cake. If you love this combination, try our pumpkin cake roll, which wraps a similar cream cheese filling inside the cake.
Ingredient Notes
Pumpkin purée: Use plain canned pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling contains added sugar and spices.
Spices: Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves give the cake its warm, spiced flavor. Using individual spices lets you adjust the blend to your taste.
Cream cheese: Full-fat block cream cheese gives the frosting its rich flavor and creamy texture.
Recipe Tips
Measure the flour carefully: Weigh it if you have a scale. Otherwise, fluff the flour, spoon it into the measuring cup, and level it off. Scooping straight from the bag can pack in extra flour and make the cake heavier.
Check for doneness: Start checking the cake at 28 minutes. Insert a toothpick in the center; it should come out clean. Check early so the cake doesn’t spend longer in the oven than it needs.
Cool completely: Let the cake cool all the way before adding the frosting. If the cake is still warm, the frosting can soften and slide.
Soften the cream cheese: Cut the cream cheese into chunks and let it soften until you can press into each piece easily with your finger, with no firm center. It may take longer in a cool kitchen. Add a few chunks at a time, beating until smooth and scraping down the bowl as needed.
If you want a larger batch of frosting, see my cream cheese frosting recipe.
More Pumpkin Cakes to Try
For another take on pumpkin cake, try our pumpkin caramel cake or our pumpkin spice latte cake, layered with espresso whipped cream and caramel.
Pumpkin Cake and Cream Cheese Frosting
Cut the cake into generous squares and serve it with a cup of coffee or a cold glass of milk. The tangy cream cheese frosting and warm spices make a good case for coming back for another slice.
If you’d like to change up the frosting, our cinnamon maple cream cheese frosting would be delicious on this cake, too.
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Pumpkin Cake
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Ingredients
For the pumpkin cake
- 2 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour, 280 grams
- 2 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ¼ teaspoons salt
- 1 ⅔ cups granulated sugar, 333 grams
- 1 cup vegetable oil, 200 grams
- 4 large large egg
- 1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree, 425 grams
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
For the cream cheese frosting
- 8 tablespoons butter, softened, 113 grams
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar, 170 grams
- 8 ounces cream cheese, cut into 8 chunks and softened, 227 grams
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and position the oven rack in the center. Grease and flour a 9 × 13-inch baking pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the sugar, oil, and eggs. Beat on medium-high speed for 3 to 5 minutes, until the mixture is thick and fluffy.
- Reduce the mixer speed to low. Add the pumpkin purée and vanilla extract and mix until combined.
- Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed for about 1 minute, just until incorporated. A few small lumps of flour are fine.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and spread it evenly. Bake for 28 to 33 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the cake cool completely before frosting.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter and powdered sugar on medium-high speed for about 2 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- Add the softened cream cheese a few chunks at a time, beating until smooth after each addition. Scrape down the bowl as needed. Add the vanilla extract and salt and mix until the frosting is smooth and creamy.
- Once the cake has cooled completely, turn it out onto a wire rack, then invert it onto a serving platter so the top faces up. Spread the cream cheese frosting evenly over the top of the cake.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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