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pumpkin spice cake

Pumpkin Spice Cake

Pumpkin spice cake has always been a total hit. We are talking about a moist, flavorful treat packed with warm spices and topped off with creamy frosting; it's practically autumn in cake form!
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Course: Cake
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Cooling Time: 3 hours 20 minutes
Total Time: 4 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 12
Calories: 413kcal
Author: Brenda Maher

Ingredients

Cake

  • 2 cups spooned and leveled all-purpose flour
  • 2 ⅓ tsp baking powder
  • 1 ⅓ tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 ⅓ tsp ground cinnamon
  • 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (homemade or store-bought)
  • 1 cup vegetable or canola oil
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup packed dark or light brown sugar
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 can of pumpkin puree
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Simple Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 8 oz softened, full-fat brick cream cheese, room temperature
  • ½ cup softened, unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 3 cups confectioners’ sugar (+ ¼ cup - optional)
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • a pinch of salt

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C) and prepare a 13x9 baking pan.

Cake

  • Mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt in a bowl.
  • In another bowl, mix oil, eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, and pumpkin. Combine this mixture with wet ingredients (from Step 2) until well-blended.
  • Spread the batter into your prepared pan and bake for about 36 minutes, or until a toothpick poked in the middle comes out mostly clean.
  • Let the cake cool in the pan on a rack for 45 minutes, then put it in the fridge.

Frosting

  • Mix butter and cream cheese until smooth, then add confectioners' sugar, salt, and vanilla and keep beating (low mixer speed for ~30 secs, then high speed for 2 minutes). If desired, adjust the thickness with extra confectioners' sugar (about ¼ cup)
  • Spread this stable frosting over your cooled cake and let the cake chill in the fridge for half an hour before digging in. Enjoy!

Notes

  • Don't replace oil with applesauce. Both applesauce and pumpkin contribute significant moisture, potentially resulting in a messy texture.
  • Ensure your cream cheese (for the frosting) is at room temperature; otherwise, it will not blend smoothly with other ingredients.
  • The warm cake remains fresh at room temperature for 4 days or can be refrigerated for a week. The latter may cause your frosted cake to dry out slightly.

Nutrition

Calories: 413kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 439mg | Potassium: 246mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 42g | Calcium: 92mg | Iron: 2mg
Did you make this recipe?Mention @cakegirls or tag #cakegirls!