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
Fantastic recipe and very flexible! I didn’t have canned pumpkin, so I used cooked butternut and kabocha squash- about 3:1. I used half oil and half unsweetened applesauce, about 1.5 T maple syrup and just over 1/2 cup brown sugar bc butternut is so much sweeter than pumpkin. Perfect,spicy and the house smelled amazing! I baked them in silicone molds of pumpkins and ghosts.
Can I use melted coconut oil?
Hi Tina, yes, that will work in place of the vegetable/canola oil.
I’ve made this recipe several times (sheet cake and cupcakes), and it’s great! Could I make them in mini muffin tins to make smaller cupcake versions? If so, any idea if I’d bake at the same temperature?
Thank you!
Hi Kari, for mini cupcakes, bake at 350F for about 12-13 minutes. Glad you enjoy this recipe!
Can I use butter or another healthier option instead of canola/veg oil?
Hi Lisa, 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.
I can’t wait to make this recipe but I will be using melted butter in place of oil. Do you have any experience with that and should I make any adjustments. Will the cake come out differently?
Hi Vanessa, 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.
Would this recipe mix 3X or 4X well and bake in a full sheet pan? I am trying to make this for a crowd. Wondering if I have to make it in a 9×13 4 different times or if there is a way to scale the recipe for a group.
Thanks!
Hi Lauren, here’s everything you need to know about cake pan sizes and conversions. Rather than multiplying, we recommend making separate batches and them combining. Hope this helps!
This was absolutely fabbbbulous
I did a buttercream frosting only cuz I didn’t have cream cheese
Work ya know nutrition value ?
Yall all need to try this
So much like ginger bread yumm
Hi Deb, we’re so glad you love this cake! 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
Hi, Is this a good toddler recipe? Also, if making mini Bundt cakes what temp and time would be best?
Hi Lisa, we’re unsure of the exact time for mini Bundt cakes, but you can use the baking times and directions from these mini vanilla pound cakes as a guide. Keep a close eye on them and use a toothpick to test for doneness.
This recipe is perfect! We love the cake!! Thank you!
This is a great recipe.
This is still my go to recipe for autumn after many years. Absolutely delicious
Gluten free flour b used?
Hi Jan, we haven’t tested this cake with gluten-free flour, but let us know if you do!
Can I frost this completely and refrigerate for about 24 hours?
Hi Colleen, yes, absolutely. Enjoy!
We brought this to a block party and everybody loved it
Made this per the directions without any changes, except I added a bit of black pepper to some store-bought pumpkin pie spice instead of making Sally’s homemade version. Everyone adored it! I will definitely make this cake again. I can’t bueve how easy it was!
I made this for my husband’s birthday in February and then again this weekend for another family event and it was absolutely a hit!! For my fellow high altitude bakers (I’m at ~5000 feet) – I added about 10 g of flour and decreased the granulated sugar by about a heaping tablespoon with good results. I had a tiny bit of sinking in the middle because the cake rose so high, so I might go a smidge lighter on one of the leaveners next time.
Also, I added a hefty sprinkle of cinnamon to the frosting which was DIVINE
Hello-I thought I saw a recipe on one of your emails for a chili with a corn bread topping but I cannot seem to find it. Could you please advise. Thank you so much. I look forward to trying some of the pumkin and apple cake recipes!!
Hi Susan, here is our chili cornbread casserole. We hope you enjoy it!
I made this for my son’s 13th birthday, my family all said it was the best cake I ever made and my mom said she was proud of me! IT WAS SO EASY! Unfortunately (or fortunately?) I had recently run out of vanilla extract but I had the Princess Emulsion from LorAnn so I went for it. I also added 1tsp of pumpkin pie spice—the homemade one from Sally, and my son sprinkled cinnamon on top. It was a bigger hit than I could have imagined. I baked it in two 8 inch rounds for 30 minutes and it was perfect. Seriously like magic. This recipe is on the same level as Cinderella’s Magical Pumpkin Ride so if you’re reading this and you haven’t made it yet I highly suggest you go do it now before the clock strikes twelve!!! Thank you so much Sally and team.
Loved this! Except it definitely took longer to bake than 30-36 minutes. For me it was about 40 to 50 minutes, as it kept coming out wet in the middle until around then. Just thought I’d let y’all know 🙂
Hi Aurora, we’re so glad you enjoyed it! Every oven can be a bit different, so extending the bake time a bit is no problem. Thanks for giving this one a try!
Thank you so much for this recipe! It’s so delicious! I had to improvise because I couldn’t find canned pumpkin puree because I live in France and we can find this only in Specialized American shop but I used frozen organic pumpkin puree instead and it worked perfectly! I just had to add more flour cause it was more liquid than with the canned one. My colleagues tomorrow will be so happy when I will bring this to them! Thank you so much!
This pumpkin cake is very moist and has a bit more spice in it than my other recipes! I took it to a potluck, and they loved it!
Can you make this into cake balls?
Hi Mary, You sure can! If you have made the chocolate and vanilla cake pops before you should be a pro at adding the correct amount of frosting to get the right consistency to form the cake balls. Just remember that if you use cream cheese frosting they should be stored in the refrigerator. Enjoy!
Hi I love this recipe so much and am making it for a birthday party. How many cups of batter does one recipe make?
Hi Josephine, this recipe yields about 6 to 7 cups of batter. I hope this helps.
Thank you for such a great recipe! My daughter wanted a pumpkin cake for her birthday. I used two rounds to stack, so thanks for including those additional instructions! I appreciate the help and the delicious recipe.
I absolutely loved this recipe. I followed the reduced oil alternative, and used brown coconut sugar and agave to help keep from sugar spike effect. DE-lish. Thank you so much!!
Amazing recipe! I’m trying to find gluten free recipes for my family so I substituted with bob’s red mill gluten free 1-to-1 baking flour. It was so good, my family agreed it’s a keeper.
If freezing a frosted cake, what do you wrap it in?
Hi Meg, we’d recommend leaving the frosted cake in your 9×13 pan and covering tightly with plastic wrap. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, bring to room temperature or serve cold. Hope you enjoy the cake!
For this cake, can I use cake flour instead of all-purpose flour?
Hi Meg, that should work. The cake will have a lighter, softer crumb than it would with all-purpose flour. Let us know if you give it a try!
How would I make those little pumpkin decorations? They are adorable and I would live to do that on mine!
Hi Gail, we actually purchased those! If you’re interested, you can also purchase them here: https://rstyle.me/+Bj95-l3FeS5s0ZEoOPJeAw
Fabulous! Easy to put together and delicious. Even my teenage boys couldn’t get enough. ◡̈ I’ve just added this one to my permanent recipe collection.
I love this recipe! Is there any way that I can make it low sugar and baby friendly? Maybe using apple puree or sauce? I know my 1 year old would love it too! Thank you!
Hi Jen, that would take some testing, but let us know what you try!