This Pumpkin Spice Cake is a simple treat from scratch, filled with cozy fall flavors. It’s soft, moist and topped with an easy cream cheese frosting. This homemade recipe will make you fall in love with pumpkin all over again!
I’m kind of obsessed with pumpkin. I mean, this granola? These muffins? Or how about those scones? Since fall is basically everything pumpkin (and apples) to me, once it rolls around I take full advantage of it.
Every week, I seem to buy more cans of pumpkin than I can count.
My pantry is overflowing with pumpkin, my Pinterest board is full of fall treats just begging to be baked, and my mind is in overdrive trying to think of the perfect Thanksgiving dessert to make.
One that involves pumpkin, of course! And even as the fall slowly winds down and I start testing Christmas recipes (yay!), I can’t resist sneakin’ in just a few more pumpkin goodies for you.
Now let’s talk about this cake, shall we?
What Makes This Pumpkin Spice Cake So Great
- The cake itself has just the right amount of spices, and combined with pumpkin, it’s pure bliss. It bakes up soft, moist, and so full of flavor.
- The pumpkin and cream cheese make a smooth and delectable topping, which is absolutely perfect for this cake.
- It’s really simple to make – mix the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients, combine and bake! Top it with the frosting and you’re done!
Pumpkin Spice Cake with a pumpkin cream cheese frosting: a classic dessert, filled with pumpkin flavor both inside and out. Besides pumpkin pie, I always look forward to a home-made pumpkin cake for dessert on Thanksgiving. The moist center and creamy frosting makes me come back for a second (and third) slice!
But since I didn’t want to wait until Thanksgiving to satisfy my sweet tooth, I decided to make my own. And guys? This Pumpkin Spice Cake is amazing. Like so incredibly delicious that you must run home and make this right now.
And the pumpkin cream cheese frosting on top? Incredible! In fact, you might have a hard time not eating this straight from the bowl. I know I did!
Cooking Tips
- When buying the pumpkin, be sure to get canned pumpkin and not pumpkin pie mix! Otherwise your cake will be very sweet!
- Be sure not to over stir the batter! If you over stir it, you can create bubbles which will leave a series of pockets in your cake.
- If you don’t have cooking spray, drizzle a small amount of oil into the baking dish and spread it around with your fingers or a paper towel. Be sure to use an oil that doesn’t have a distinct flavor – canola, vegetable, or avocado oil would be good options.
Variations
- If you like a little crunch in your desserts, try adding chopped nuts! You can mix about half a cup in with the batter or sprinkle about 1/4 of a cup on top of the frosting.
- Substitute half of the flour for whole wheat flour to give this cake a boost of fiber!
- Make this cake festive by decorating it with candy pumpkins for Thanksgiving or marshmallow ghosts for Halloween!
This Pumpkin Spice Cake is not only insanely good, but it’s also so easy to make! You knew that was coming, right? The hardest part is waiting for the cake to cool so that you can frost it with this indulgent, pumpkin cream cheese frosting. But trust me, guys, it’s worth the wait!
How To Make Pumpkin Spice Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degree F. Lightly spray an 8×8 inch square pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the pumpkin, brown sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, and yogurt.
- Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture, sitting until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 22-25 minutes or until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- As the cake is cooling, prepare the frosting. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar together with a mixer until smooth.
- Beat in pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice until combined.
- Refrigerate until ready to use or frost cake once cool. Enjoy!
So if you’re looking to make some other than pumpkin pie this Thanksgiving, why not try out this Pumpkin Spice Cake? I guarantee it will be a dessert winner!
looking for more pumpkin recipes? i’ve got you covered!
- Pumpkin Spice Monkey Bread Muffins
- No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Trifle
- Pumpkin Nutella Muffins
- Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal
did you make and love this recipe? give it your review below and make sure to follow along with me on facebook and instagram to get other great recipe ideas!
Pumpkin Spice Cake
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
- 3/4 cup brown sugar firmly packed
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup non-fat plain Greek yogurt
For the frosting:
- 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons pumpkin puree
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly spray an 8x8 inch square pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the pumpkin, brown sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, and yogurt.
- Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture, stirring just until combined. Pour batter into prepared pan.
- Bake for 22-25 minutes or until cake is golden brown and toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.
- As cake is cooling, prepare frosting. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and powdered sugar with a mixer until smooth.
- Beat in pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice until combined.
- Refrigerate until ready to use or frost cake once cool.
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