Pumpkin Spice Layer Cake
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A perfectly spiced pumpkin cake covered in a creamy cinnamon cream cheese frosting. This is an easy cake to whip up and doesn’t every require your mixer to make the pumpkin cake.
Fall = pumpkin everything. Pumpkin lattes. Pumpkin muffins. And of course the season better include a pumpkin cake. Like this two layer spiced pumpkin cake with a cinnamon cream cheese frosting on top.
Because does anything beat a layer cake for a special occasion? Like my Berry Chantilly Cake for Easter, or Strawberry layer cake for summer, or my vanilla layer cake for basically anyone’s birthday party! Or maybe my caramel cake for another decadent Fall treat. You just can’t go wrong.
I adapted this pumpkin cake from a version I found on Epicurious.com. The first time I made it, the spices were just a little TOO much. Yes I know. But with a little experimenting I think I landed on the perfect amount of spices. Now it’s a perfect blend of pumpkin pie spices.
Ingredients needed
For the cake:
- All purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Ginger
- Cloves
- Granulated White Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Vegetable Oil
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- Pumpkin puree
For the frosting:
- unsalted butter
- cream cheese
- powdered sugar
- vanilla extract
- cinnamon
How to make this pumpkin layer cake
1. Prepare your pans
Start by preparing your cake pans with parchment paper. For a full tutorial on how to prepare your cake pans, read this post.
Or you can use my favorite non-stick spray with flour. I simply used the spray and the cakes easily released. No problemo.
2. Sift Dry Ingredients
Then sift your dry ingredients. I know, I know. Sifting isn’t all that much fun. But it does make a difference. So bust out that sifter and get to sifting friend.
Sifting helps to aerate the dry ingredients and create a light and fluffy cake.
3. Combine Wet Ingredients
In a second mixing bowl whisk together the wet ingredients- sugar, oil, eggs, pumpkin, and vanilla.
4. Combine Wet and Dry
Then add in the dry ingredients and stir just until they are incorporated. Do NOT overmix, or this will cause more gluten to form, which will result in a tough textured cake.
5. Divide Batter and Bake
After, that divide the cake batter between the pans! And bake!
HEATHER’S BAKING TIP: Divide your batter using a kitchen scale for best accuracy. This will ensure you get the same amount of batter in each pan.
How to make the cinnamon cream cheese frosting
If you have been around these parts enough then you know buttercream is my jam. From the best buttercream icing (which is what I used on this cake) to Flour icing, Swiss Meringue, French, Italian Meringue, even German buttercream has made its way onto the site!
But this time we are keeping it simple and using this cream cheese frosting recipe and I added cinnamon to it for a cinnamon cream cheese frosting recipe. Basically it’s what every pumpkin cake has been missing its whole life.
Start by creaming your powdered sugar and softened unsalted butter together. (in the picture is one batch but I ended making a second batch because one just wasn’t enough!)
Then go ahead and add in your powdered sugar one cup at a time, and add in your vanilla extract and don’t forget that cinnamon!
For more buttercream, check out My Ultimate Guide To Making The Best Buttercream Icing
How to frost a layer cake
Frosting a layer cake doesn’t have to be a scary thing! Ok, yes it can take practice. Ok, so you don’t have to pipe the swirls on top but it sure does dress up your cake doesn’t it?
If it’s first time using a pastry bag and piping tips, go easy on yourself if it doesn’t come out perfect.
Recipe FAQ’s
I haven’t tried but I’m sure it would turn out ok. You may need to add on additional baking time. I would set the timer for 30 minutes as instructed and then add 5 minutes additional time.
I haven’t tried that either but I would bake them for 18-20 minutes if I was going to try it.
You could also just try my easy pumpkin cupcake recipe.
Because of the cream cheese frosting recipe I would refrigerate this cake in a covered container.
I love making cakes 1-2 days in advance. You could make your pumpkin cakes a few days ahead of time and then just wrap in plastic wrap and store at room temperature. Then make your frosting up to 7 days in advance and store in the refrigerator. Then 1-2 days ahead of time you can assemble and frost the cake. Or you can also freeze the cake layers for up to 3 months, then thaw at room temperature and frost.
Recipe Tips
- Use pumpkin puree. Pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie mix is NOT the same thing. Pumpkin pie mix has added sugar, and spices to it.
- Be sure to measure your flour correctly by spooning into your cup and leveling with a flat edge. If you don’t, you may end up with too much flour and that will result in a dense cake.
- Do not overmix. Once you have combined your wet and dry ingredients, be sure to not overmix. Once your flour becomes wet, the gluten will be formed. Too much mixing results in too much gluten formed and that results in a tough cake.
- Room temperature ingredients. Make sure your eggs are room temperature so they will be incorporated easily. Place them in a warm bowl for 10 minutes before using them.
- Let the cake cool. Allow your cake to cool completely before frosting. If the cake is too warm, your icing will melt.
More recipes to try
If you’re craving more pumpkin, then be sure to try my pumpkin chocolate chip cookies! Made with real pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice.
Or my quick pumpkin chocolate chip bread recipe made in a loaf pan!
Easy Pumpkin Spice Cake
Ingredients
For the Pumpkin Cake
- 3 cups (360 g) all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoons cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon table salt
- 1 1/2 cups (297 g) granulated white sugar
- 1 cup (213 g) light brown sugar
- 1 cup (240 mL) canola oil
- 4 large eggs
- 1 15- ounce can pure pumpkin
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the cinnamon cream cheese frosting
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter softened
- 16 ounces (2 bricks) full fat cream cheese softened
- 6 cups powdered (confectioners) sugar
- 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons cinnamon
Instructions
For cake
- Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Line bottom of pans with parchment paper; dust pans with flour.
- Sift 3 cups flour and next 7 ingredients into medium bowl.
- Using a whisk combine both sugars and oil in large bowl until combined (mixture will look grainy). Add eggs 1 at a time, beating until well blended after each addition. Add pumpkin and vanilla; beat until well blended. Add flour mixture; beat just until incorporated. Divide batter between prepared pans. Smooth tops.
- Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool cakes completely in pans on rack. Run knife around cakes to loosen. Invert cakes onto racks; remove parchment paper. Turn cakes over, rounded side up. Using serrated knife, trim rounded tops of cakes to level.
- For the frosting combine the butter and cream cheese and mix on low, then increase the speed for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add in your powdered sugar, one cup at a time. Add in your vanilla extract and cinnamon. Beat on medium-high for 8 minutes.
- Using a large spatula spread a layer of frosting on the first layer. Top with second layer. Frost the sides of the cake and top and smooth with a spatula. With a pastry bag and tip attached, pipe the frosting in swirls on the top and bottom. Store covered in the refrigerator.
Notes
- Make Ahead/Storage: If frosted, I store this cake in my fridge. If unfrosted I’ll make up to 2 days ahead of time and wrap well and keep on my counter. Then make your frosting up to 5 days in advance and store in the refrigerator. Then 1-2 days ahead of time you can assemble and frost the cake.
- Freezing: You can also freeze the cake layers for up to 3 months, then thaw at room temperature and frost.
- 9×13 pan: I haven’t baked as a sheet cake but if you want to bake this cake into a sheet cake, I would set my timer for 30 minutes and check every 5 minutes after.
- Cupcakes: I haven’t baked this recipe as cupcakes but it should fill about 24 cupcakes and bake for about 18-20 minutes.
- Use pumpkin puree. Pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie mix is NOT the same thing. Pumpkin pie mix has added sugar, and spices to it.
- Be sure to measure your flour correctly by spooning into your cup and leveling with a flat edge. If you don’t, you may end up with too much flour and that will result in a dense cake.
- Do not overmix. Once you have combined your wet and dry ingredients, be sure to not overmix. Once your flour becomes wet, the gluten will be formed. Too much mixing results in too much gluten formed and that results in a tough cake.
- Room temperature ingredients. Make sure your eggs are room temperature so they will be incorporated easily. Place them in a warm bowl for 10 minutes before using them.
- Let the cake cool. Allow your cake to cool completely before frosting. If the cake is too warm, your icing will melt.
This is an amazing cake!!! Flavor is so good and has the perfect amount of spice! Perfect for fall! I adjusted the frosting a little using only 1 1/2 bricks cream cheese and left out the cinnamon since I wanted the frosting white. It was really good but will try it with the cinnamon another time. Definitely saving this one! Thank you!!
aw thank you Sherece!! I’m so glad you loved it..and yes a regular cream cheese frosting is also SO good. Glad you found it as a keeper!!