This simple and straightforward pumpkin cake recipe is for those of us who want pure pumpkin and spice flavors with nothing else in the way. Brown sugar and 2 cups of pumpkin puree promise big flavor and an extra moist texture. It’s certainly wonderful on its own, but you’ll love the smooth and tangy cream cheese frosting on top!
One reader, Gracie, says: “This truly is the best pumpkin cake I have ever had. I made it exactly as the recipe called for and it was so moist and delicious!”
Details About this Pumpkin Cake
- Flavor: Like I mention above, this cake is loaded with flavor thanks to a whopping 2 cups of pumpkin puree. We add cinnamon and there’s plenty of pumpkin pie spice, too. Like in my pumpkin scones recipe, you can use store-bought or homemade pumpkin pie spice mix or each of those spices individually—see our recipe note below. Tangy cream cheese frosting is always a lovely pairing with pumpkin and spice flavors. Each bite truly has it all!
- Texture: Like it does in this chocolate cake recipe, oil keeps the cake’s crumb soft and moist. In fact, we like to describe it as “stick-to-your-fork moist.” Our pumpkin cupcakes is essentially the same recipe, but yields a reduced quantity of batter.
- Ease: This is a single layer cake, so it’s pretty easy to prepare since there’s really no assembly required. Prepping the cake batter is similar to our spice cake, apple cake, and zucchini cake—make sure you have 2 mixing bowls and a 9×13 inch pan. The quarter sheet size is also convenient for transporting, storing, and serving. You’ll appreciate this recipe as an easy addition to your holiday dessert menu alongside all those delicious Thanksgiving pies!
How to Make Pumpkin Cake + Video
The full printable recipe is below, but here’s a brief description and a video tutorial.
Grease your 9×13-inch pan. You can use a metal baking pan or a glass baking pan. Use 1 mixing bowl for the dry ingredients and another mixing bowl for the wet ingredients. Combine both, then spread the batter into your pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely, then make and decorate with the frosting. To make serving easier, refrigerate the frosted cake before slicing.
Overview of Key Ingredients in Pumpkin Cake
- Flour: Because of the thick and wet batter, use all-purpose flour instead of cake flour. Cake flour is usually more ideal for butter-based cakes such as vanilla cake or white cake.
- Pumpkin: Use an entire standard can of pumpkin, which is roughly 2 cups. Readers have found this helpful because nothing from the can goes to waste. (You’ll appreciate that with our pumpkin pie and pumpkin cream cheese Bundt cake recipes too!) You can use fresh pumpkin in a pinch, but we prefer the flavor and texture of the cake when using canned.
- Cinnamon + Pumpkin Pie Spice: These spices are essential for most pumpkin desserts. Instead of prepared pumpkin pie spice, you can use a blend of ground nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and ginger (see notes), or go ahead and prepare a batch of homemade pumpkin pie spice.
- Oil + Eggs: Oil and eggs provide moisture and structure. We use both in these pumpkin bars, but reduce the eggs so the bars aren’t quite as cakey.
- Sugar: This pumpkin cake is sweetened with brown sugar and granulated sugar, but mostly brown because that’s where the best flavor lies!
How to Decorate The Best Pumpkin Cake I’ve Ever Had
Cakes with a similar spice flavor and texture profile like hummingbird cake, carrot cake, and banana cake taste unbelievable with fan-favorite cream cheese frosting.
If you’re looking for other frosting options, try any one of these:
- The brown butter cream cheese frosting from this Banana Layer Cake
- Traditional Vanilla Buttercream or Chocolate Buttercream
- The whipped buttercream frosting from Vanilla Sheet Cake
- Chai spice buttercream from these Chai Latte Cupcakes
- The pumpkin spice cream cheese frosting from these Pumpkin Oatmeal Cream Pies
PS: For decoration/garnish, we love using these little pumpkins. Or you can try these festive fall sprinkles.
More Pumpkin Recipes
- No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Pumpkin Pie
- White Chocolate Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
- Pumpkin Bars
- Pumpkin Bundt Cake
- Pumpkin Hand Pies
For even more inspiration, here are my 30+ best pumpkin dessert recipes and 30+ fall cake ideas.
Print
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 is the BEST pumpkin cake I’ve ever had and I know you’ll feel the same way! It’s supremely moist, soft, rich, and spiced with pumpkin spice flavor.
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 (240ml) canola or vegetable oil*
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup (200g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 (15 ounce) 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 9×13-inch baking pan. I always use this glass pan.
- 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. 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 it with aluminum foil.
- Remove the cake from the oven and set the entire pan on a wire rack. Allow to cool completely. After about 45 minutes, I usually place the cake in the refrigerator to speed things up.
- 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 3 cups 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 (I add it). Spread the frosting on the cooled cake. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving. This helps sets the frosting and makes cutting easier.
- Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: Prepare cake through step 4. Cover the cake 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!
- 2 Layer Cake: Grease two 9-inch round cake pans, line with parchment paper rounds, then grease the parchment paper. Parchment paper helps the cakes seamlessly release from the pans. Divide batter between the two cake pans. Same oven temperature, bake for 25 minutes or until baked through. This frosting is enough for a 2 layer cake.
- 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 (120ml) cup 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.
Here are my pumpkin cupcakes! Same recipe, just reduced down.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Delicious, moist and dense. My grandkids- aged 3 and 4 loved it as well.
I made a dairy free buttercream icing with maple syrup for some flavour.
I live a little above sea level, so I baked it at 355 F for 38 minutes
when the toothpick came out dry. Honestly, at 33 minutes it was still wet – the 5 minutes made
a huge difference. I would add more spice next time, but that is just me. It’s lovely.
I made this pumpkin cake tonight and it is heavenly! Everything that I have tried from Sally’s recipes has been wonderful and delicious!
I made cupcakes with this recipe, using the new method of 425 degrees F for 8 minutes, then 350F for 16 munutes, in the middle of the oven, they turned out beautiful, very light and fluffy, tasted amazing!
Thinking about making the cake for my mom’s nurses at the skilled nursing facility, but using the large foil pan, do I need to adjust the baking temperature?
Also, do you always bake the cakes in the middle, or middle lower of the oven?
Thank you Sally! You are amazing!❤️
Hi Sophia! Things can bake quicker in those foil pans, so keep a close eye on it while baking. We recommend using the middle to lower third of your oven in most cases. Happy baking!
For anyone curious, I have made this recipe a few times with a cup for cup gluten free flour blend and it turns out amazing!! 🙂
This was the best pumpkin bars recipe! I even made your home made pumpkin spice blend.
Thank you!
Hi, This is the same recipe that I received from a friend 22 years ago. It’s so delicious, I’ve made it several times each fall ever since. The one thing that makes my friend’s cake extra special is pomagranate seeds. She (and I) sprinkle them generously on top of the cream cheese frosting and it gives each bite of this rich, sweet cake an added sweet/tart vibe. It’s truly an excellent addition to an already exceptional cake.
What other frosting would be good? I don’t care for cream cheese frosting
Hi Rhona! Vanilla buttercream or chai spice buttercream would be fabulous here as well.
The name of this recipe is correct! For sure the best pumpkin cake I ever had. I made it for an October birthday celebration and all the guests agreed, perfect name for a very delicious cake. I used the cream cheese frosting and it got raves too.
Hi, can I use butter instead of oil in this recipe?
Hi Wanda, 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.
Have you ever substituted apple sauce in this recipe
Hi Marsha! See recipe notes: Instead of 1 cup of oil, try 1/2 cup (90g) unsweetened applesauce and 1/2 (120ml) cup oil. The cake is just as moist.
Great recipe
THE best pumpkin cake I ever had
YOU never cease to amaze me. I am so loyal to you and your recipes that I only bake from your recipes, with my added flare!
Also the easiest cake to make. I much rather making my own frosting this cream cheese frosting was easy, the amount was abundant, and it set to perfection
The right amount of spices, and “stick to your fork moist”
She just might show up on the thanksgiving day table
Thanks for the recipe. I don’t eat dessert but I had to try it and ended up eating 3 slices. The only issue I had was a very thin dense layer on the bottom of the cake (about an 1/8 inch)? Not sure what happened but thankfully it wasn’t rubbery ans it didn’t taste different.
Hi Serenity, we’re so glad you enjoyed the pumpkin cake! It sounds like the cake may have needed an extra minute or two in the oven to completely bake through to the bottom. An easy fix for next time!
I made this pumpkin cake tonight and it is heavenly! I also had a thin layer of density on the bottom. I wondered if maybe I had mismeasured the oil and used a little too much. Everything that I have tried from Sally’s recipes has been wonderful and delicious!
I made this for thanksgiving this year, I followed the recipe exact, and it was amazing!! Dense, but not to much, moist, and super flavourful. I will definitely be making this again.
This is an excellent recipe. I made it for my son’s anniversary and they loved it! And the icing was perfect to balance with the cake! They said “keep this recipe!”
Absolutely delicious!! My work colleagues devoured this cake
I have made them as cup cakes worked great
I forgot to add the oil. I remembered half way through baking. I thought it was ruined but it turned out just fine. Topped it with your Brown Butter Icing! Delicious. All your recipes are.
Sally, y oldest daughter introduced me to your website about a year ago and I have been religiouly baking your creations ever since. I recommend you to anyone that asks about something I’ve baked. Thanks for you recipes and tips and tricks!
We’re so happy to read this, Kristy! Thank you for making and trusting our recipes—and sharing them with others!
I made this cake this weekend for our Canadian Thanksgiving. It was FABULOUS. It is moist, dense with the perfect amount of richness and a terrific rich pumpkin colour. I think pumpkin pie is on the way out in this house. There were fun spirited arguments over the last couple of slices.
Ce gâteau est un délice !!!
Toutes ces saveurs mélangées c’est juste excellent !!! J’adore !!!
Merci beaucoup pour cette recette.
Hi Sally, I only have 8 inch round pans. Would that work?
Hi Sonya, this cake works great as a layer cake; see recipe Notes for instructions.
I followed the recipe ‘exactly’ … it just occurred to me that I forgot the pumpkin pie spice. Poo! I’m not a fan of powdered sugar, the frostings taste metallic to me. I was going to make a powdered sugar free frosting, but I didn’t have time, so I bought the whipped buttercream canned and that was a good frosting for the cake (I tasted it and scraped the rest off my slice).
I have a new gas oven and I’ve had to calibrate it a few times, so this was a test cake. I used my air bake 9×13 pan.
The cake turned out perfectly, nice rise, good texture and moist. The flavor is very pleasant. My husband dislikes pumpkin anything, so I told him that it’s a spice cake and he loved it. I sometimes tell culinary fibs, I don’t cotton to picky eaters.
I have to make a cake for the Trunk or Treat cakewalk and I’m going to make this cake in a 3-D pumpkin shape.
I’m also going to make this cake and add a little bit of white pepper to it. It just feels like a good perk-up. I’m also going to make it and use a coconut-pecan frosting/topping on it.
Thank you for the recipe!
You were right! The best pumpkin cake I ever made! So moist and the frosting was light and creamy. Thank you!
Had to say that I’ve made this cake many times, exactly as written, and it’s come out perfectly every time. It might be my family’s very favorite cake of all, and has basically replaced carrot cake in our household repertoire — the texture is perfection, and the cream cheese frosting is fabulous. Thank you for the recipe!
I’ve made this twice now. It is so freaking good. I had medium eggs so I used one more. I also tried whipped cream cheese which worked great. Sprinkled it with pre mixed cinnamon & sugar. #chefskiss
Delicious and easy. We have a lot of squash so I used squash instead.
Can I bake these in circular cake pans and if so do you know how long for?
Hi Matt, absolutely. See recipe notes for round cake instructions. Enjoy!
Can I use this recipe to make a pumpkin Smith Island cake?
Hi Lynee, we haven’t tested it, but let us know if you do! Round pan instructions can be found in the recipe Notes.
Can I make the frosting a day ahead? I would bake the cake the day before I frost it.
Hi Gil! Yes, cream cheese frosting can be made ahead of time. Cover and store frosting for up to 5 days in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer. After freezing, thaw in the refrigerator then beat the frosting for a few seconds so it’s creamy again.