Pumpkin Cake

Finally, fall baking is here! Lots of pumpkin dessert recipes are available to help celebrate the season, but who can say no to a pumpkin cake recipe that also includes a from-scratch cream cheese frosting? When a pumpkin cake this autumnally fragrant is baking in your oven, you won’t even need to light that fall scented candle.

Ingredients for Pumpkin Cake

• Canned pumpkin: We love using a good, store-bought canned pumpkin for baking. Compared to homemade pumpkin puree, canned saves time and effort while delivering more consistent results.
• Sugar: We use granulated sugar to sweeten this pumpkin cake recipe.
• Canola oil: A neutral-flavored oil, like canola oil, adds moisture to the cake without imparting any unwanted flavors.
• Eggs: Before starting this recipe, safely bring the eggs to room temperature. Room-temperature eggs make a difference in the batter’s emulsion and the overall volume of your baked cake.
• All-purpose flour: We use all-purpose flour in this recipe for its perfect mix of hard and soft wheat that translates into a soft yet tender cake.
• Cinnamon: A little bit of sweet cinnamon does a whole lot in this pumpkin cake recipe. If you want the cake even spicier and warmer, sprinkle in nutmeg, cloves, allspice or pumpkin pie spice.
• Baking soda: With the help of baking soda, the pumpkin cake will have a lovely rise.
• Salt: A tiny bit of salt is needed so the cake isn’t overly sweet.
• Pecans: You can skip the pecans in this cake, but we love the crunchy texture and nutty flavor they impart.
• Frosting: Cream cheese and pumpkin form one of the best fall recipe ingredient duos, so a cream cheese frosting for this pumpkin cake just makes sense.

Directions

Step 1: Beat the pumpkin mixture

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Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat together the canned pumpkin, sugar, oil and eggs until well blended.

Step 2: Whisk together the flour mixture

In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.

Step 3: Make the batter

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Gradually add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Then, fold in the pecans if you are using them.

Editor’s Tip: Avoid overmixing the batter or your cake will come out tough, dry and a little flat.

Step 4: Bake the cake

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Grease a 13×9-inch baking pan and pour in the batter. Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes. Cool the cake to room temperature in the pan on a wire rack.

Editor’s Tip: When pouring the batter, use a spatula or butter knife to evenly disperse the batter, making sure it reaches all four corners.

Step 5: Create the frosting

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With a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat the softened cream cheese and butter in a small bowl until the mixture is light and fluffy. Pour in the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla, and beat until the frosting is smooth.

Editor’s Tip: When adding the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla, start your mixer on the lowest speed first so the sugar does not escape from the bowl. Once it’s all combined, turn the mixer to high and beat until smooth, three to four minutes.

Step 6: Frost the cake

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Evenly frost the cake. Then, store it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve.

Editor’s Tip: If you find yourself baking a lot of cakes, we recommend investing in a mini offset spatula to make spreading on frosting easier. In fact, it’s one of the kitchen tools we can’t live without. Once your cake is beautifully frosted, cover it with storage wrap so the frosting doesn’t absorb any funky fridge smells.

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Pumpkin Cake Variations

• Dust with cinnamon: For a quick decoration, simply finish this cake with a light dusting of cinnamon.
• Sprinkle with nuts: Chop up your choice of nut (candied pecans work great here!) and sprinkle the pieces on top of the frosting.
• Use whipped cream frosting: Want something lighter than cream cheese frosting? Our sweetened whipped cream recipe makes a great alternative.
• Try a browned butter glaze: If you want a topping that has a little more nuttiness, substitute the browned butter glaze in our cranberry cookies recipe for the cream cheese frosting.

How to Store Pumpkin Cake

The best way to store pumpkin cake is by wrapping the pan in storage wrap and keeping it in the fridge for up to three days. You can also slice the pumpkin cake into squares and store them in an airtight container in the fridge.

Can you freeze pumpkin cake?

Yes, you can freeze pumpkin cake for up to two months. In fact, you can freeze almost any cake, whether it’s frosted or not. Freeze your pumpkin cake by wrapping the cake in two layers of storage wrap followed by a layer of aluminum foil. When you’re ready to enjoy it, thaw the cake in the fridge overnight or on the kitchen counter for an hour. Just don’t leave the cake out at room temperature for longer than two hours.

Pumpkin Cake Tips

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What other pans can you use to bake this pumpkin cake?

According to our baking pan conversions chart, this pumpkin cake recipe can be baked in two 9-inch round cake pans or one 12-inch skillet.

What else can you make with canned pumpkin?

While pumpkin is the star of this dessert, canned pumpkin can be used in savory recipes too. We love it in our pumpkin alfredo sauce and curried pumpkin soup.