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 “stick-to-your-fork moist,” thanks to the pumpkin and oil in the batter. If you’ve made these pumpkin cupcakes, you can expect a similar texture… they’re essentially the same recipe with a smaller yield!
- Ease: You need just 2 mixing bowls to prepare the batter, and no mixer until it’s time to make the frosting. The sheet cake is especially simple because there’s 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: You’ll use an entire 15-ounce can of pumpkin puree, so there’s 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 cake’s 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. It’s smooth and creamy, with just enough tang to balance the sweet, spiced cake.
If you’d 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 350°F (177°C) 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 350°F (177°C) for 26–30 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 22–26 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 don’t 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 cinnamon—you 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
This was fantastic! Made it as a birthday cake, frosting with maple cream cheese frosting, and everything body loves it. We are at almost 5000 ft elevation, so I reduced the baking powder to 1 1/2 tsp. And it was perfect.
I loved it! I family and friends loved it too. I added a cup of walnuts with cake mix and sprinkled some on top of frosting. Wonderful!
Wow this cake was INCREDIBLE. So easy to put together, and was perfectly moist at exactly 36 minutes for me! Everyone was blown away, and this was my first time making a sheet cake ever. Thank you!
I am a 46yo dude. I’ve never made a cake before. I did this and it was awesome. Like even my dumb a made a good cake following this recipe.
I have made this cake so many times for so many occasions! It is just wonderful! I always add a bit of spice to my cream cheese frosting as well. The texture is beyond perfect!
Can I use pumpkin oil instead of canola oil?
Bonjour ! Ce gâteau à la citrouille est mon favoris entre toutes vos recettes d’automne que j’adore! Juste une question : je ne trouve malheureusement pas de purée de citrouille en conserve… Savez vous sur quel site je peux en commander ? Et de quelle marque? Je vous remercie.
Bravo pour vos recettes!!!
Hi there,
Just wondering if this recipe would work in a 12×17 jelly roll/sheet pan. Trying to feed a larger group. If not, I see that I can make it into cupcakes. Thanks so much!
Hi Shannon! Here is everything you need to know about converting recipes to different Cake Pan Sizes.
Hi Sally! Could you use Mexican vanilla instead of pure vanilla extract?
Absolutely!
Wondering if I could use this recipe to make cake pops?
Hi Anna! 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 pops– you need less frosting than you think to get that cake pop consistency. Let us know if you try it!
I just brought this to a work event and multiple people told me that this was the best pumpkin cake they have ever had! Followed the recipe exactly as written. Delicious (and easy)!
I stumbled upon this recipe this morning and decided to make it because my aunt LOVES everything “pumpkin spice”. She (and the entire family!) loved it and they all asked if I could make it again. Super moist cake and I decided to add 1 tsp cinnamon to the cream cheese frosting, delicious!
Since I am German -we use the metric system- I am very grateful that you included the “Gramm and Milliliter”. This is one of my new favorite recipes!
Can I make this in 8×8 square and use excess for cupcakes? Do cupcakes freeze well? I am assuming I just follow layer cake in tips section
Hi Jennifer! You could halve the recipe for an 8×8 pan, or make a full batch and use the extra batter for pumpkin cupcakes.
Made today ~ exactly as indicated and we loved it !! Just delicious
This is one of my new favorite recipes!
I did make it in a Bundt pan and it turned out moist and so flavorful.
This cake disappears at my house! I have made this several times as it has amazing pumpkin spice flavor that I enjoy anytime. It is also easy to make in one bowl if needed with or without a mixer. I only frost it about half the time as my kids are usually ready to cut it as soon as it’s cool enough.
Just like Barbara Jean’s, a recipe I’ve been looking for….
I made this for one of my best friend’s birthday and we really enjoyed it! Do you happen to have nutritional info on it? Thank you! ❤️
Hi Lace, so glad it was a hit! We don’t usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients. Plus, many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients listed. However, there are many handy online calculators where you can plug in and customize your exact ingredients/brands. Readers have found this one especially helpful: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
The best pumpkin cake I have ever made!! Great taste and lovely texture!
I loved this recipe. I made it for a very picky friend and she loved everything, the cake and the icing!
This is the best pumpkin anything! I used gluten free flour and monk fruit sweetener and it turned out perfectly! It took a little longer than recommended but it worked! This is very moist and flavorful! Thank you!
Hi, what brand of gluten-free flour did you use?
Just made this cake and it was easy and delicious. I mixed everything by hand which was a nice treat too and less clean up. Will definitely make again. Family loved it.
Absolutely the best! Made it for thanksgiving and it was requested for Christmas!
Cake was absolutely delicious. Not too dry or moist!! Family loved it so much I had to make it three times
I made this cake for a party last weekend. Turned out great!
I followed suggestion and used applesauce sauce for half the oil. Don’t need all that oil. I also increased the cinnamon a little and added a dash of ginger too. Baked mine in the recommended glass rectangle pan. Tried convection bake at 335 degrees, and it was almost done in 30 min, so I turned it down to 315 for 5 more minutes.
Perfect! Toothpick clean but super moist.
I reduced the cream cheese frosting to 6oz, cream cheese, 1/4c butter, 2 c powder sugar, and it was still more than enough for top only frosting. I also added a couple T of bourbon to frosting for added dimension. Cut into squares and finished with a candied pecan on top of each piece.
This was simple to make and especially easy to take to a potluck party. Lots of good reviews too!
Whenever I’m looking for a new cake recipe, I always check Sally’s first! Excellent recipes!!!
Truly the best pumpkin cake, soooo good!!
Absolutely delicious! Moist and flavorful cake, and I baked it for the maximum recommended time of 36 min. The cream cheese icing pairs perfectly with this cake and is not overly sweet.
I never really baked, but during a pandemic I found a recipe for pumpkin cake with homemade cream cheese frosting that everyone loved. I printed the recipe, but I’m missing a page. I would love to get that recipe again. The date says December 12 and I think it was 2020 but I’m not sure
Hi Irene! Was it this recipe? You can print this recipe using the orange “print the recipe” button in the recipe card.
Can I make this cake but use the crumb topping from the Pumpkin Coffee Cake? Okay, I know that I *can* but is there a reason I shouldn’t?
Hi Jenine, if you prefer a crumb timing, you can definitely try that!
I have made this evry week since the pumpkin harvest, using 500g of well roasted
pumpkin blitzed to a pulp. it is so moist and tasty.
I have a can of Pumpkin Purée left in the pantry from Christmas. Been wanting to make something. Thanks!!!