Description
Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting is a soft, spiced dessert perfect for autumn, offering a moist texture and tangy frosting to complement the flavors.
Ingredients
Scale
- For the Pumpkin Cake:
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 4 large eggs
- 2 cups canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1–2 tablespoons milk (for consistency)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.
- Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger in a large bowl. Whisk until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, mix granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vegetable oil. Beat in eggs one at a time, then add pumpkin puree and vanilla extract. Stir until smooth.
- Gradually add dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring until just combined. Divide the batter evenly between the pans.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
- For the frosting, beat cream cheese and butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar and vanilla extract, mixing until smooth. Add milk if needed to reach desired consistency.
- Once cakes are cooled, frost the first layer, then top with the second cake. Frost the top and sides of the cake with remaining frosting. Garnish with cinnamon or pumpkin spice if desired.
Notes
- Don’t over-mix the batter to avoid a dense cake.
- Use pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
- For a firmer frosting, refrigerate the frosted cake for a couple of hours before serving.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 45g
- Sodium: 240mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 50mg
Keywords: Pumpkin Cake, Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting, Autumn Cake Recipe, Moist Pumpkin Cake, Cream Cheese Frosting