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–+ servings
a square piece of pumpkin cake with frosting on a dessert plate.
5 from 27 votes

Easy Pumpkin Cake Recipe

This scratch-made Easy Pumpkin Cake Recipe is the perfect fall dessert with warm pumpkin-spiced flavors and rich cream cheese frosting.
Author Diana
Servings 12 Servings
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 cup (240 ml) vegetable oil
  • 1 15-ounce (425 g) pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda mixed with 1 tablespoon of water
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 4 large eggs at room temperature
  • 2 ¼ cups (280 g) all-purpose flour

For the Frosting:

  • 1 stick (113 g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
  • 8 ounces (225 g) cream cheese at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • 3 cups (360 g) powdered sugar

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) or 160°C fan oven. Grease or line a 9x13 inch pan (23x33 cm) with parchment paper and set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, vegetable oil, pumpkin puree, baking soda with water, vanilla extract, cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice, and salt until well combined.
  • Add the eggs to the mixture, whisking until well incorporated.
  • Add the flour to the mixture, whisking just until combined.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and gently tap it a couple of times on the counter to remove any air bubbles. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool completely.
  • While the cake cools, prepare the frosting. Sift powdered sugar (I like to do this over a piece of parchment paper, so it’s easier to add to the bowl without any mess)
  • In a separate large bowl, cream together the butter and cream cheese on medium speed with an electric hand mixer until well blended, about 2 minutes. Add in the vanilla extract and salt, mixing again.
  • Gradually add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, mixing on low speed until all the powdered sugar is incorporated. Beat the frosting until smooth and creamy.
  • Once the cake is cooled, evenly spread the frosting on top. Decorate with pumpkin candies, candy corn, or as desired.

Notes

  • Instead of a 9x13-inch pan, you can also bake this cake in a slightly larger jelly roll pan. Just keep in mind that the cake will be thinner, so it will bake more quickly.
  • If you don't have any pumpkin pie spice, this recipe works well with just cinnamon instead.
  • Avoid overmixing: You should be able to mix up the cake batter with just a whisk. Overmixing the ingredients will result in a dense cake.
  • Don’t overbeat the cream cheese frosting, it can turn runny. If your frosting is too thin, you can add more powdered sugar and beat again.
  • Storage: Store this cake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. 

Nutrition

Calories: 434kcal | Carbohydrates: 86g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 74mg | Sodium: 387mg | Potassium: 148mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 65g | Vitamin A: 5851IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 2mg
Find it online: https://littlesunnykitchen.com/easy-pumpkin-cake-recipe/