Name: Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 15
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 cups all purpose flour; 2 tsp baking powder; 1 tsp baking soda; ¼ tsp salt; 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice; 15oz canned pumpkin; ¾ cup vegetable/canola oil; 4 large eggs; 1 ½ cups sugar; 2/3 cup butter (at room temperature); 1 ¼ cups powdered sugar; 10oz cream cheese; 1 tsp vanilla extract; Fondant pumpkins

Jump to Recipe

Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting is loaded with healthy canned pumpkin and traditional warm spices of the fall season. This delicious and easy sheet cake is topped with a smooth vanilla cream cheese frosting and adorable fondant pumpkins!

Sliced pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting on a wooden board, metal cake server, serving plates with forks on a marble countertop.

PIN THIS RECIPE FOR LATER

While sweet treats like this pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting are particularly popular during fall, it’s great to know that the ingredients are pantry staples and available throughout the year, making this a dessert worth trying no matter the season!

This pumpkin cake is moist and rich with warm flavors, pairing beautifully with the sweet and tangy cream cheese frosting! Enjoy a slice of this pumpkin cake with a hot mug of coffee as a bit of afternoon decadence or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for dessert.

Why We Love Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe?

Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese is moist and flavorful, made with simple pantry-staple ingredients, and offers the perfect treat this fall!

The adorable fondant pumpkins add visual creativity to this delicious cake – great for showing off at parties and other events this pumpkin season. Grab some from your local baking store or make some at home and get the kids to help you!

This cake can easily be adapted by experimenting with the spices, adding chopped nuts to the top of the cake, or making the cake gluten-free by opting for a gluten-free brand of flour.

Close up of sliced pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting, piece of cake on a metal server, serving plates, cream linen cloth on a white marble countertop.

Ingredients for Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

Here’s a list of everything you need to make this pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting:

All-purpose flour: Gluten-free flour like Bob’s Red Mill can be used instead.
Baking powder and soda: Check the expiry date to ensure a good cake rise.
Salt
Pumpkin pie spice
Canned pumpkin: Not pumpkin pie filling!
Vegetable or canola oil
Eggs: Large eggs that are brought to room temperature
Sugar: Granulated white sugar is best
Cream cheese frosting: Combine softened butter and cream cheese with powdered sugar and vanilla extract.
Optional: Decorate the cake with cute fondant pumpkins. You can also scatter some chopped pecans and walnuts over the frosting.

Overhead view of a slice of pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting on a serving plate with metal fork, slices of cake on a wooden board, cream kitchen linen on a white marble countertop.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some common queries to help you with the recipe:

Q. Can I use fresh pumpkin instead of canned pumpkin puree?

Canned pumpkin offers convenience but you can make your own pumpkin puree from scratch for this cake by roasting pumpkin and then blending it. Don’t use canned pumpkin pie filling as this is a different product.

Q. How do I store a pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting?

This pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days. Bring the slices of leftover cake to room temperature before serving for maximum flavor.

Q. Can I make this cake in advance?

Absolutely! This cake can be baked a day in advance and stored in the fridge. I suggest only frosting the cake just before serving. The cream cheese frosting can also be made in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge.

Close up of slices of pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting on a wooden board with metal server.

Q. What’s the difference between pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie filling?

Pumpkin puree is pain-blended pumpkin while pumpkin pie filling is thinner and contains additional ingredients such as sugar and spices.

Q. Can I make this cake gluten-free?

Absolutely! Use a gluten-free brand of flour, such as Bob’s Red Mill. For those with celiac disease, it’s best to also check the ingredients listed in products such as baking powder and baking soda.

Overhead view of pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting on a wooden board lined with parchment paper.

Tips and Tricks

Ingredients such as butter, eggs, and cream cheese should be brought to room temperature for even mixing, smoother batter, and smoother frosting.
You can eliminate lumps in your cake by sifting the dry ingredients (flour and spices) before mixing them with the wet ingredients.
Allow the freshly baked cake to cool completely before frosting it.
For the best frosting texture, make sure that the butter and cream cheese are softened, but not melted.

More Scrumptious Cakes To Bake

Pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting is a timeless classic that never gets old! Add it to your pumpkin season baking and hear the compliments start to roll in!

Yield: 15 Squares