This pumpkin cake is soft, extra moist, and full of pumpkin and a generous dose of spice flavor. Smooth, tangy cream cheese frosting is the perfect finishing touch. Bake the batter as an easy 9×13-inch sheet cake or divide it among round pans for a pumpkin layer cake.
I originally published this recipe in 2017 and have since updated it with new photos and additional success tips.
This is the pumpkin cake I come back to every fall. The batter is easy to mix, the cake stays wonderfully moist, and you can dress it up or keep it simple depending on the occasion. For an easy dessert to transport and serve, bake it in a 9×13-inch pan and spread the frosting right on top. For a birthday or holiday celebration, use the same batter to make a towering layer cake.
Always love options!
Either way, you get plenty of pumpkin, cinnamon, and brown sugar flavor in every bite. And while the cake is delicious on its own, I always look forward to the cream cheese frosting.
Pumpkin Cake Details
Here’s what to expect from today’s recipe.
- Flavor: Pumpkin, brown sugar, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice give this cake its familiar fall flavor. The cream cheese frosting balances the sweetness and complements the spices.
- Texture: This cake is soft and โstick-to-your-fork moist,โ thanks to the pumpkin and oil in the batter. If youโve made these pumpkin cupcakes, you can expect a similar texture… theyโre essentially the same recipe with a smaller yield!
- Ease: You need just 2 mixing bowls to prepare the batter, and no mixer until itโs time to make the frosting. The sheet cake is especially simple because thereโs no stacking or assembly. The layer cake takes a little more time to frost, but starts with the very same batter.
Key Ingredients You Need & Why
- Flour: All-purpose flour gives this moist cake enough structure without making the crumb heavy. Stick with all-purpose flour rather than swapping in cake flour; cake flour is simply too light to support the pumpkin and oil.
- Pumpkin: Youโll use an entire 15-ounce can of pumpkin puree, so thereโs no partial can left over. Be sure to use pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, which already contains sugar and spices. You can use homemade puree, but I prefer the consistent flavor and texture of canned pumpkin in this cake.
- Cinnamon + pumpkin pie spice: A combination of both gives the cake plenty of spice flavor. Use store-bought or a homemade pumpkin pie spice blend, or substitute the individual spices listed in the recipe notes below.
- Oil + eggs: Oil keeps the crumb soft and moist, while eggs help give the cake structure. I use both in these pumpkin bars, too, but with fewer eggs for a less cakey texture.
- Brown sugar + granulated sugar: Both sweeten the cake, but most of the sugar is brown sugar for its light molasses flavor.
You’ll also need to grab baking soda, baking powder, salt, and vanilla.
Prep Your Cake Pans
For the quarter sheet cake, grease a 9×13-inch metal or glass baking pan. For the layer cake, grease three 8-inch round pans, line the bottoms with parchment paper rounds, then grease the parchment. You could also make this a 2-layer 9-inch cake. Lots of options for this versatile batter!
Whisk the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another. Combine the two, mixing just until the batter comes together. Spread it into the 9×13-inch pan or divide it evenly among the round pans, then bake as directed below.
Here is the 3-layer cake version:
Let the cake cool completely before frosting. This is especially important with cream cheese frosting, which softens quickly on a warm cake. After frosting, a little time in the refrigerator helps the cake slice neatly.
Same Pumpkin Cake Batter, 2 Ways
One of my favorite things about this recipe is that you can choose the cakeโs shape without changing the batter.
9×13-inch sheet cake: Bake the batter in one pan, let the cake cool, and spread the frosting on top. This is my go-to option for an easy fall dessert, potluck, or Thanksgiving gathering.
Layer cake: Divide the batter among three 8-inch round cake pans or two 9-inch round cake pans. Once the layers have cooled, stack them with cream cheese frosting between each layer, then frost the top and sides of the cake. If you need help with this part, see my post (with video tutorial!) on How to Assemble a Layer Cake.
A 2-layer and 3-layer cake require different frosting amounts, so see the recipe Notes below for details.
Cream Cheese Frosting & Decorating Options
Cream cheese frosting is my first choice for this cake, just as it is for carrot cake, hummingbird cake, and banana cake. Itโs smooth and creamy, with just enough tang to balance the sweet, spiced cake.
If youโd like to try a different topping, here are a few options:
- Brown butter cream cheese frosting from spice cake
- Chocolate cream cheese frosting from zebra cake
- Classic vanilla buttercream or chocolate buttercream
- Brown sugar cinnamon buttercream from snickerdoodle cake
You can leave the frosted cake as is, or add little candy pumpkins or fall sprinkles before serving. I got the pictured candy pumpkins from Etsy, and on the layer cake, I added some Biscoff cookie crumbs around the base and on top.
Pumpkin Cake
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours (includes cooling)
- Yield: serves 12
- Category: Cake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This pumpkin cake is soft, extra moist, and full of pumpkin and a generous dose of spice flavor. Smooth, tangy cream cheese frosting is the perfect finishing touch. Bake the batter as an easy 9×13-inch sheet cake or divide it among round pans for a pumpkin layer cake.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons store-bought or homemade pumpkin pie spice*
- 1 cup (226g/240ml) vegetable oil (or avocado oil)
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup (200g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 (15-ounce/425g) can pumpkin puree*
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounces (226g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3 cups (360g) confectioners’ sugar, plus an extra 1/4 cup if needed
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ยฐF (177ยฐC) and grease a metal or glass 9×13-inch baking pan. (For a layer cake, see instructions below.)
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice together in a large bowl. Set aside.
- Whisk the oil, eggs, brown sugar, granulated sugar, pumpkin, and vanilla extract together until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and use a mixer or whisk until completely combined. The batter will be thick.
- Spread batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 30-36 minutes. Baking times vary, so keep an eye on yours. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If you find the top or edges of the cake is/are browning too quickly in the oven, loosely cover the cake with aluminum foil.
- Remove the cake from the oven and set the entire pan on a wire rack. Allow to cool completely.
- Make the frosting: In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together on high speed until smooth and creamy. Add the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and salt. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then switch to high speed and beat for 2 minutes. If you want the frosting a little thicker, add the extra 1/4 cup of confectioners sugar. Spread the frosting on the cooled cake. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving to help set the frosting.
- Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: Prepare cake through step 5. After the cake cools, cover it tightly and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze up to 3 months. Bring to room temperature, make the frosting, frost, and serve. Frosted cake freezes well, up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, bring to room temperature or serve cold.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 9×13-inch Glass Baking Pan or Metal Baking Pan | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Cooling Rack | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand)
- Cupcakes: This batter yields about 24-28 cupcakes. Same oven temperature, fill the cupcake wrappers 2/3 full, and bake 18-21 minutes or until baked through. For 1 dozen cupcakes, use my pumpkin cupcakes recipe.
- Bundt Cake: This batter will fit into a 9.5- or 10-inch Bundt pan. Same oven temperature. But for ease, I suggest using my pumpkin Bundt cake recipe. Same great flavor and texture as this cake!
- Layer Cake: You can make this as either a 2-layer or 3-layer cake. For a 2-layer cake, divide the batter evenly between two greased and lined 9-inch round pans and bake at 350ยฐF (177ยฐC) for 26โ30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. For a 3-layer cake, divide the batter evenly among three 8-inch round pans and bake for 22โ26 minutes. To make enough frosting for a 3-layer cake, scale the frosting above by 1.5x. So you’ll need 12 oz (340g) cream cheese, 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) butter, 4 and 1/2 cups (540g) confectioners’ sugar, 1 and 1/2 tsp vanilla, and a scant 1/4 tsp salt. Before assembling the layer cake, refrigerate the prepared frosting for at least 30 minutes so it’s sturdier and can hold up the layers. I decorated the pictured layer cake with icing pumpkins and Biscoff cookie crumbs.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice: You can find pumpkin pie spice in the baking aisle of most grocery stores or make your own homemade pumpkin pie spice. If you donโt have either and want to use individual spices, use 1/2 teaspoon each: ground allspice, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, and ground cloves. This is in addition to the 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamonโyou will still add that to the batter.
- Oil: Instead of 1 cup of oil, try 1/2 cup (90g) unsweetened applesauce and 1/2 cup (113g/120ml) oil. The cake is just as moist.
- Pumpkin: I strongly recommend using canned pumpkin puree over homemade in this recipe, though 2 cups of homemade would work just fine in a pinch. If using fresh, blot out as much excess moisture as you can using a clean towel. Overall, I found the flavor better with canned. I prefer Libby’s brand for this cake.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Do you think taking out 1 cup of batter and stirring in 4 oz. of melted bittersweet chocolate (like for your Marble Cake) and then using that to make a chocolate swirl would work!
Hi Beth! We have not tested this specific batter with chocolate added, but here’s our chocolate marble pumpkin bread recipe you can reference!
I would be sending to a workplace. So it could be sitting out for up to 8 hours. Which frosting would it be better to use ?
Hi Pam, you could use any of the frostings listed in the post if the cake will be at room temperature for only about 8 hours or so, especially if it will be refrigerated prior. If you’re concerned about the cream cheese, you can make one of the buttercream options listed instead.
May I use almond flour ?
Hi Tersha! We donโt recommend almond flour as it has very different baking properties and is not always a 1:1 swap. We havenโt tested it, but you might have success experimenting with a gluten-free all-purpose flour like Bobโs Red Mill or Cup4Cup. If you give anything a try, weโd love to know how it goes for you!
Hi! I am interested in making this but as cake pops… do you think that would be feasible? I was also looking at the Pumpkin Bars recipe, would that be more translatable to cake pops? Please let me know what you think, thank you!
Hi Emily, absolutely! For cake pops, you can cut this recipe in half and bake in one 9-inch round cake pan. Same oven temperature, bake for 25 minutes or until baked through.You can read this post on Cake Pops for instructions on assembly, but since half of this pumpkin cake is smaller than the cake pop recipe you will need less frosting. Remember when making cake popsโ you need less frosting than you think to get that cake pop consistency. Let us know if you try it!
this recipe is definally the best one I have ever had! I make one every fall and this surpasses anyother I tried. I saw the brown sugar in the recipe and was sold. I like how you inculed all the details. I bought your book and love it! Thank you for sharing all your wonderful recipes! I have not found any that I didn’t like.You are my go to when baking everytime.
Should there be any changes made to make this in a bundt pan?
Hi Lori, here’s our pumpkin Bundt Cake recipe!
I would love to make this but i need to use gluten free flours. Is there one you would recommend?
Thanks
Hi Michelle, we havenโt tested this cake with gluten free flour, but let us know if you do!
Would it work to make the frosting a day in advance too and just put the frosting on before serving?
Sure!
I donโt usually bother commenting on, or rating, online recipes but this one is too good. Itโs fluffy and light but not too crumbly. The batter is resistant to over mixing and tolerant of minor mistakes.
Changes I made:
Doubled the recipe
Used fresh pumpkin instead of canned
Melted butter instead of oil
Individual spices because I couldnโt find my pumpkin pie spice
Best pumpkin spice cake recipe I have ever made!
Love this!
Hi, I want to make this into three 9 inch pans and I want the cake layers to be thicker, should I make 1.5x recipe ?
Hi Haneen, that should work!
Just lovely! Used 1/2 avocado oil, half applesauce. Will surely be making again!
I love the cute little pumpkins and saw them on etsy. Are they the small or tiny that you use on the cake squares? Can’t tell from the picture!
Hi Lori, they’re the small ones, I believe!
I made this for my husbandโs church potluck, and everyone absolutely loved it! This will definitely go on my โfavorite fall recipesโ list. (I will confess, thoughโI substituted a browned butter cream cheese frosting.)
Is this a spicy pumpkin cake or more mild? Think starbucks pumpkin spice being spicy vs dunkin more mild?
Hi Kevin, it’s not spicy, just spiced.
Just made this recipe and oh my goodness. It delicious and it’s so moist. I love this recipe!!
Can I cut the recipe in half?
Hi Cheryl! You could halve the recipe for an 8ร8 pan.
Can you had nuts to pumpkin cake recipe
Hi Jackie, yes, you can add chopped nuts to the batter. We recommend keeping the amount of add-ins to between 1-1.5 cups. Let us know what you try!
So delicious, after I made a cake to take for our homeschool co-op snack table, I had to make another for us at home. I did use 1/2 c less sugar (as I always do) and it was plenty sweet (esp. with the maple glaze ๐), but used a whole cup less for the 2nd one (and no glaze) and it was still delicious (but I do like that glaze). Oh, also used whole wheat flour and sucanat and melted coconut oil (those are my usual healthier ingredients I always use). And frozen pumpkin puree from last year’s farm visit.
Turned out great & will definitely be making again!!
Made this earlier this week, and it did not last long! It was so good! Have you tested this with any sugar substitutes? My favorite part of baking is sharing it with people, and my roommate requires a diabetic friendly sweetener.
Hi Rhea! We’d love to help but we are not trained in baking with sugar substitutes. For best taste and texture (and so you don’t waste your time trying to adapt this recipe since it may not work properly), it may be more useful to find a recipe that is specifically formulated for sugar substitutes. Thank you!
Hi,
My apologies if someone asked, but would it negatively affect the cake if mini choc chips were added?
Thank you : )
Hi Kim, yes you can! We suggest between 1 and 1.5 cups of chocolate chips (or mini chips) with no other changes to the recipe.
I’m not a huge pumpkin fan, but I bought the cutest pumpkin baking dish, so naturally I had to do it. The only adjustment I made was to the oil, I did 1/2 cup and 1/2 melted butter. I had a lot of batter after my pumpkin was full so I did 3 mini loaves and added walnuts to those. Omg….the cake is perfect, not too sweet, super moist and very easy to work with. Thank you so much
Can you use self rising flour instead of APF
Hi Janice, we don’t recommend it, as other ingredients (leavener and salt) would need to change as well. Best to stick with AP flour here!
it tastes amazing, i jut need to bake it longer next time, ive made a cake with a pumpkin pie center-
Hi Sally, I have the Fat Daddio 3″ pans with removable bottoms. Could I bake this batter in those pans? If so, how long do you recommend them to be in the oven?
Hi Amy! Here is everything you need to know about converting recipes to different Cake Pan Sizes. We’re unsure of the bake time needed!
Hi Sally,
Can I use a Bundt pan for this recipe? I donโt want a dense cake like your pumpkin recipe for a Bundt pan. I made you pumpkin cookies and got great reviews on the taste and the light fluffy texture. Iโd love that for my Bundt pan cake.
Thank you
KevinB
Hi Kevin, yes, this batter will fit into a 9.5- or 10-inch Bundt pan. Same oven temperature. The bake time will be longer. Hope it turns out great!
Excellent cake. The guests loved it!
.
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Can you turn this into a layered cake?
Hi Linda, see recipe Notes for details on making as a 2-layer cake. Enjoy!
Hello! Would this work to do in two 9 inch round pans to make a marble cake with chocolate cake and this pumpkin recipe? Open to most chocolate cake recipes or any ideas tips and tricks thank you so much
Hi Brittany! We haven’t tested a pumpkin and chocolate marble cake and that would definitely take some testing to get right. Here’s our favorite chocolate cake recipe – let us know if you try anything!
Interested to know how this would be with your coffee buttercream from the espresso chocolate chip cake?
Sounds fabulous!
Hi Sally – if I want to serve this not in the pan, how long should it cool before flipping out of the pan? Thanks.
Hi Kathi, You can cool the cake in the pan set on a cooling rack for about 1 hour before inverting it onto a cooling rack to finish cooling. You may wish to line the pan with parchment to make sure it can be removed cleanly.
Crazy Pumpkin Head: Pumkin pieces topped with mixture topping containing whip cream, honey, brown sugar, cinnamon, sour cream, coconut juice