Nothing says pumpkin season like this easy pumpkin cake recipe! Soft and moist pumpkin cake topped with a luscious cream cheese frosting, the perfect fall dessert.
Check out all my other delicious pumpkin dessert recipes!
PUMPKIN CAKE RECIPE
If you love pumpkin spice season and fall baking, then you need to try this delicious pumpkin cake! Soft and moist pumpkin cake that comes together in no time and then topped with an easy cream cheese frosting. This pumpkin spice cake gives you all the fall flavors in one cake. Make this pumpkin dessert for your next gathering, over the weekend or to enjoy during the week!
WHAT YOU NEED-
PUMPKIN CAKE
- Flour– Be sure to use a high quality all purpose flour for this cake. I love using Bob’s Red Mill All-Purpose flour.
- Baking Soda & Powder- What gives you a fluffy pumpkin cake is the baking soda and powder. Be sure to use fresh baking powder and baking soda to ensure your cake rises.
- Salt– Adding a little salt to this cake batter doesn’t make it salty, but enhances the flavors of the other ingredients.
- Pumpkin Spice– You do not want to skimp out on the pumpkin spice flavors! You want to use pumpkin pie spice seasonings.
- Cinnamon– I love adding ground cinnamon also for additional spiced flavors in this cake. You can only use pumpkin pie spice if desired.
- Oil– Either canola oil, vegetable oil, or even olive oil can be used in this pumpkin sheet cake batter. The oil is what helps give you moist and soft cake.
- Eggs– Fresh eggs work as a binder in the cake batter.
- Sugars– This recipe calls for both granulated sugar and brown sugar. Be sure to use both, for the brown sugar, you can use either light or dark brown sugar.
- Pumpkin Puree– An entire can of pumpkin puree is called for in this cake. Be sure to use pumpkin puree NOT pumpkin pie filling. I love using Libby’s pumpkin puree.
- Vanilla– Vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste can be used for this recipe. It adds additional flavors to this cake!
FROSTING
- Butter– You can use either salted or unsalted butter for the frosting! Be sure the butter is softened before making the frosting.
- Cream Cheese– The key ingredient for this frosting is cream cheese! You can use either regular or low fat cream cheese. Be sure the cream cheese is also softened.
- Powdered Sugar– To sweeten the frosting, use powdered sugar, also known as confectioners sugar. I keep my frosting on the less sweeter side, but if you like sweeter frosting, just add more sugar.
- Vanilla– You can use either vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste for the frosting.
HOW TO MAKE PUMPKIN CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
Have this soft and fluffy pumpkin spice cake ready in no time!
- Preheat the oven and line a 9×9 baking pan with parchment paper.
- Sift together the dry ingredients, set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients until well combined. Add the dry ingredients to the wet batter and mix just until combined.
- Pour the cake batter into the lined baking pan. Bake until the top is firm and the toothpick comes out clean.
- While the pumpkin cake bakes, prepare the cream cheese frosting.
- Once the cake is baked, cool for a couple minutes in the pan, then transfer to a cooling rack and fully cool the cake.
- Transfer the fully cooled cake to a platter and top with the cream cheese frosting, spread all over the cake.
- Top with dusted cinnamon or chopped nuts and slice into squares and serve.
QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE:
Yes! You can totally bake this pumpkin cake in a 9×13 baking pan. The cake will just be a little thinner and the bake time will be about 25-30 minutes.
You can totally turn this pumpkin cake into a round layered cake! Bake the cake in 8 or 9 inch round baking pans, dividing the batter into 3 pans. You can also double the frosting for more frosting if desired.
To check if the cake is done, you can do the classic toothpick test. Stick a toothpick to the center of the cake and if it comes out clean it’s done. You can also carefully touch the top of the cake and if it bounces back, leaving no indent, it is done.
Yes! You can swap the classic cream cheese frosting for my brown sugar frosting if desired.
Yes! You can make this cake ahead of time for 3-4 days! Keep it covered and in the fridge. Just remove from the fridge 15-25 minutes before serving to soften the cake and frosting.
You want to store this pumpkin sheet cake, covered and in the fridge for longer freshness due to the diary frosting.
OTHER PUMPKIN DESSERTS-
Check out all my other delicious pumpkin desserts perfect for fall baking!
Easy Pumpkin Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Pumpkin Cake-
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 cup canola vegetable, or olive oil
- 4 large eggs
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 15 oz pumpkin puree 1 can
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Frosting-
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened (1 stick)
- 2 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- chopped pecans for décor optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a 9×9-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a little extra hanging over the sides to make the cake easier to remove later. Lightly spray the parchment paper with baking spray.
- In a small bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. Set the bowl aside.2 cups all purpose flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, ½ tsp salt, 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice, 1 tsp cinnamon
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients until smooth and well combined.1 cup canola, vegetable, or olive oil, 4 large eggs, 2/3 cup granulated sugar, 1 cup brown sugar, 15 oz pumpkin puree, 1 can, 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Whisk just until everything is combined. Be careful not to overmix the batter.
- Pour the pumpkin cake batter into the prepared baking pan. Use a spatula or the back of a spoon to spread the batter evenly into the corners.
- Bake at 350°F for 38–40 minutes, or until the top of the cake feels firm and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- While the cake is baking, make the cream cheese frosting. With a stand mixer or a hand mixer, beat the softened butter and cream cheese until smooth and creamy.8 oz cream cheese, softened, 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (1 stick)
- Add the vanilla extract and powdered sugar. Mix again until the frosting is smooth and fully combined. (If you prefer a sweeter frosting, add a little more powdered sugar until it reaches your desired sweetness.)**2 ½ tsp vanilla extract, 1 cup powdered sugar
- Once the cake is finished baking, remove it from the oven and let it cool in the pan for about 5 minutes. Carefully use the parchment paper to lift the cake out of the pan and transfer it to a cooling rack. Let the cake cool completely before adding the frosting.
- Once the pumpkin cake is completely cool, carefully transfer it to a serving dish. Spread the cream cheese frosting evenly over the top, making sure the entire cake is covered.
- Sprinkle the top with chopped pecans or walnuts, or lightly dust with cinnamon.chopped pecans, for décor optional
- Slice the cake into squares and serve.
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