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
Delicious, moist and dense. My grandkids- aged 3 and 4 loved it as well.
I made a dairy free buttercream icing with maple syrup for some flavour.
I live a little above sea level, so I baked it at 355 F for 38 minutes
when the toothpick came out dry. Honestly, at 33 minutes it was still wet – the 5 minutes made
a huge difference. I would add more spice next time, but that is just me. It’s lovely.
I made this pumpkin cake tonight and it is heavenly! Everything that I have tried from Sally’s recipes has been wonderful and delicious!
I made cupcakes with this recipe, using the new method of 425 degrees F for 8 minutes, then 350F for 16 munutes, in the middle of the oven, they turned out beautiful, very light and fluffy, tasted amazing!
Thinking about making the cake for my mom’s nurses at the skilled nursing facility, but using the large foil pan, do I need to adjust the baking temperature?
Also, do you always bake the cakes in the middle, or middle lower of the oven?
Thank you Sally! You are amazing!❤️
Hi Sophia! Things can bake quicker in those foil pans, so keep a close eye on it while baking. We recommend using the middle to lower third of your oven in most cases. Happy baking!
For anyone curious, I have made this recipe a few times with a cup for cup gluten free flour blend and it turns out amazing!! 🙂
This was the best pumpkin bars recipe! I even made your home made pumpkin spice blend.
Thank you!
Hi, This is the same recipe that I received from a friend 22 years ago. It’s so delicious, I’ve made it several times each fall ever since. The one thing that makes my friend’s cake extra special is pomagranate seeds. She (and I) sprinkle them generously on top of the cream cheese frosting and it gives each bite of this rich, sweet cake an added sweet/tart vibe. It’s truly an excellent addition to an already exceptional cake.
What other frosting would be good? I don’t care for cream cheese frosting
Hi Rhona! Vanilla buttercream or chai spice buttercream would be fabulous here as well.
The name of this recipe is correct! For sure the best pumpkin cake I ever had. I made it for an October birthday celebration and all the guests agreed, perfect name for a very delicious cake. I used the cream cheese frosting and it got raves too.
Hi, can I use butter instead of oil in this recipe?
Hi Wanda, For the best results and texture we recommend sticking with oil, but the same amount of melted butter should be fine in a pinch. The cake may be slightly drier.
Have you ever substituted apple sauce in this recipe
Hi Marsha! See recipe notes: Instead of 1 cup of oil, try 1/2 cup (90g) unsweetened applesauce and 1/2 (120ml) cup oil. The cake is just as moist.
Great recipe
THE best pumpkin cake I ever had
YOU never cease to amaze me. I am so loyal to you and your recipes that I only bake from your recipes, with my added flare!
Also the easiest cake to make. I much rather making my own frosting this cream cheese frosting was easy, the amount was abundant, and it set to perfection
The right amount of spices, and “stick to your fork moist”
She just might show up on the thanksgiving day table
Thanks for the recipe. I don’t eat dessert but I had to try it and ended up eating 3 slices. The only issue I had was a very thin dense layer on the bottom of the cake (about an 1/8 inch)? Not sure what happened but thankfully it wasn’t rubbery ans it didn’t taste different.
Hi Serenity, we’re so glad you enjoyed the pumpkin cake! It sounds like the cake may have needed an extra minute or two in the oven to completely bake through to the bottom. An easy fix for next time!
I made this pumpkin cake tonight and it is heavenly! I also had a thin layer of density on the bottom. I wondered if maybe I had mismeasured the oil and used a little too much. Everything that I have tried from Sally’s recipes has been wonderful and delicious!
I made this for thanksgiving this year, I followed the recipe exact, and it was amazing!! Dense, but not to much, moist, and super flavourful. I will definitely be making this again.
This is an excellent recipe. I made it for my son’s anniversary and they loved it! And the icing was perfect to balance with the cake! They said “keep this recipe!”
Absolutely delicious!! My work colleagues devoured this cake
I have made them as cup cakes worked great
I forgot to add the oil. I remembered half way through baking. I thought it was ruined but it turned out just fine. Topped it with your Brown Butter Icing! Delicious. All your recipes are.
Sally, y oldest daughter introduced me to your website about a year ago and I have been religiouly baking your creations ever since. I recommend you to anyone that asks about something I’ve baked. Thanks for you recipes and tips and tricks!
We’re so happy to read this, Kristy! Thank you for making and trusting our recipes—and sharing them with others!
I made this cake this weekend for our Canadian Thanksgiving. It was FABULOUS. It is moist, dense with the perfect amount of richness and a terrific rich pumpkin colour. I think pumpkin pie is on the way out in this house. There were fun spirited arguments over the last couple of slices.
Ce gâteau est un délice !!!
Toutes ces saveurs mélangées c’est juste excellent !!! J’adore !!!
Merci beaucoup pour cette recette.
Hi Sally, I only have 8 inch round pans. Would that work?
Hi Sonya, this cake works great as a layer cake; see recipe Notes for instructions.
I followed the recipe ‘exactly’ … it just occurred to me that I forgot the pumpkin pie spice. Poo! I’m not a fan of powdered sugar, the frostings taste metallic to me. I was going to make a powdered sugar free frosting, but I didn’t have time, so I bought the whipped buttercream canned and that was a good frosting for the cake (I tasted it and scraped the rest off my slice).
I have a new gas oven and I’ve had to calibrate it a few times, so this was a test cake. I used my air bake 9×13 pan.
The cake turned out perfectly, nice rise, good texture and moist. The flavor is very pleasant. My husband dislikes pumpkin anything, so I told him that it’s a spice cake and he loved it. I sometimes tell culinary fibs, I don’t cotton to picky eaters.
I have to make a cake for the Trunk or Treat cakewalk and I’m going to make this cake in a 3-D pumpkin shape.
I’m also going to make this cake and add a little bit of white pepper to it. It just feels like a good perk-up. I’m also going to make it and use a coconut-pecan frosting/topping on it.
Thank you for the recipe!
You were right! The best pumpkin cake I ever made! So moist and the frosting was light and creamy. Thank you!
Had to say that I’ve made this cake many times, exactly as written, and it’s come out perfectly every time. It might be my family’s very favorite cake of all, and has basically replaced carrot cake in our household repertoire — the texture is perfection, and the cream cheese frosting is fabulous. Thank you for the recipe!
I’ve made this twice now. It is so freaking good. I had medium eggs so I used one more. I also tried whipped cream cheese which worked great. Sprinkled it with pre mixed cinnamon & sugar. #chefskiss
Delicious and easy. We have a lot of squash so I used squash instead.
Can I bake these in circular cake pans and if so do you know how long for?
Hi Matt, absolutely. See recipe notes for round cake instructions. Enjoy!
Can I use this recipe to make a pumpkin Smith Island cake?
Hi Lynee, we haven’t tested it, but let us know if you do! Round pan instructions can be found in the recipe Notes.
Can I make the frosting a day ahead? I would bake the cake the day before I frost it.
Hi Gil! Yes, cream cheese frosting can be made ahead of time. Cover and store frosting for up to 5 days in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer. After freezing, thaw in the refrigerator then beat the frosting for a few seconds so it’s creamy again.