Ultimate Pumpkin Spice Cake

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Celebrate this holiday season with this pumpkin spice cake. It’s frosted with a delicious no-butter cream cheese frosting that just melts in your mouth. A rich butter-based cake made with pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice. It’s a perfect layer cake to adorn a festive dinner table, birthday cake, or to impress family and friends.

The pumpkin spice mix is the essence of fall, isn’t it? I can’t believe how wonderful the aroma is. I use it almost every day from September to December, and then never think of it for the rest of the year.

Ingredients and substitutes

• All-purpose flour – I like using all-purpose flour for cakes with vegetable puree. I think it adds stability. And if you have only self-raising flour on hand, use it but reduce the baking powder by half.
• Sugar – I have used white sugar today but this works just as well with brown sugar. However, the color of the cake is a bit darker with brown sugar.
• Pumpkin puree – I am using my homemade pumpkin puree. But, you can also use canned pumpkin puree.
• Pumpkin spice – Pumpkin spice is easily available from most supermarkets these days. Or you can have your own spice mix.
• Vanilla extract – A good quality vanilla extract goes a long way in enhancing the flavor of your baked goods.
• Cream cheese – This frosting will only work if you use high-fat cream cheese (no less than 38% fat). In fact, today, I am using a 40% mascarpone.

Pumpkin spice cake

Cake

• Preheat the oven to 325°F / 165°C / Gas Mark 3.
• Grease and line 3 x 7-inch round cake pans or 2 x 8-inch round cake pans.
• Dry ingredients – Combine flour with baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin spice, and salt – and set aside.

• In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
  Pro tip – We want to add some volume in the batter and the sugar completely dissolved. So, make sure to cream well.
• Next, add eggs, one at a time. Followed by the pumpkin puree and vanilla extract.
  Pro tip – Ensure the eggs are at room temperature or the batter will curdle. If that happens, just add a tablespoon or two of flour and combine well.
• Then, add flour mixture and sour cream alternating in three batches.
  Pro tip – Since sour cream is thick the batter looks a bit stiffer than regular vanilla cake but the cream will melt in the oven. So, don’t add any more milk
• Scrape the sides of the bowl, ensure you have a smooth batter. Then, divide the batter between the two prepared baking pans.
  Pro tip – Use an offset spatula to spread the batter evenly in the pan so it bakes evenly.
• Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
  Pro tip – I like to use cake strips to ensure my layer cakes bake flat.
• Cool in the pan for 10 minutes then invert on a cooling rack and cool completely. Always cool cakes completely before you decorate or store them away.
  Pro tip – Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the freezer for an hour. This will make fewer crumbs when torting and leveling the cake.

Cream cheese frosting

• Add cream cheese, lemon juice, and whipping cream in a stand mixer bowl with the paddle attachment. Whip until it is light and fluffy.
  Pro tip – Ensure the cream cheese is thawed to room temperature. Otherwise, the frosting will be lumpy.
• Add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, until you’ve used all of the powdered sugar. Then, add the vanilla extract and pumpkin spice. Continue to whip for a minute or more until light and fluffy.
  Pro tip – Check consistency – if too soft add a little more powdered sugar.
• The more you whip, the lighter this frosting will be but over-whipping can cause the frosting to break down.
  Pro tip – If the cream cheese becomes too warm it will start to melt. So, do not overmix. Place it in the fridge to chill for a few minutes before you use it.

Assemble

• Prepare simple syrup. Add sugar, water, and lemon juice to a saucepan over medium heat. Cook until sugar dissolves then boil two minutes more – cool completely before using.
• Using a bread knife or cake leveler, cut the domes off the cake layers. Cut each layer in half horizontally giving you a total of four layers. Brush each layer with the cooled simple syrup.
• Place a cake layer on the cake board or cake stand.
  Pro tip – If you plan to move the cake again, it is best to use a cake circle under the cake, so you can pick the cake with its base and without any accidents.
• Top with a big dollop of cream cheese frosting – spread evenly using a straight-edge spatula.
• Top the second cake layer on top followed by more frosting until you have used up all the layers.
  Pro tip – It is best to lift individual cake layers on pieces of clean cardboard or cake lifter so you do not break them from table to cake.
• Place the cake in the fridge for 15 minutes so the layers hold together. 
  Pro tip – Chilling the cake at this point will ensure the layers don’t move when you frost the outside. Though, if you leave the cake uncovered in the fridge for too long it can dry out. So, 10 minutes is all you need.
• Spread the remaining buttercream around and the top of the cake. Use a cake bench scraper to smooth the sides and an offset spatula for the top.
• One smooth, place the remaining cream cheese frosting in a piping bag with a star or round and pipe a border.

Decorate

• I’ve used fondant pumpkins on this cake. I’ve shown you how to make these in this video for pumpkin spice latte cake.
• Alternatively, you can pipe the remaining frosting on the top as well.
• This cake needs to be stored in the fridge because cream cheese is a perishable frosting.

Pumpkin Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Author: Veena Azmanov

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Prep Time: 1 hour hr

Cook Time: 35 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr 35 minutes mins

Coooking Temperature: 325°F/165°C/Gas Mark 3

Calories: 250kcal

Adjust Servings Here: 18 servings

Description

Celebrate this holiday season with this pumpkin spice cake frosted with delicious no-butter cream cheese frosting that just melts in your mouth. A rich butter-based cake made with pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice. Perfect layer cake to adorn a festive dinner table, birthday cake, or to impress family and friends.

Video

Ingredients 

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Cake

• ▢ 2 ½ cup (310 g) All-Purpose Flour 
• ▢ 2 tsp Baking powder
• ▢ ½ tsp  Baking soda
• ▢ 1 tsp  Pumpkin Spice
• ▢ ¼ tsp  Salt
• ▢ 1 cup (226 g) Unsalted Butter (room temperature)
• ▢ 1 ½ cup (300 g) Sugar
• ▢ 3 Eggs (large)
• ▢ ½ cup (120 ml) Pumpkin Puree
• ▢ ½ cup (120 ml) Sour Cream 
• ▢ 2 tsp Vanilla extract

Cream cheese frosting

• ▢ 1 lb (460 g) Cream Cheese ((38% + fat or more))
• ▢ 1 lb (450 g) Powdered Sugar
• ▢ 2 tbsp Whipping Cream
• ▢ ½ tsp ( ) Lemon juice
• ▢ 1 tbsp Vanilla extract
• ▢ 1 tsp Pumpkin spice ((optional) )

Simple syrup

• ▢ ½ cup (120 ml) Sugar
• ▢ 1 cup Water
• ▢ 1 tsp Lemon juice

Plus

• ▢ 4 oz (100 g) Orange fondant
• ▢ 2 oz (60 g) Green fondant
• ▢ 2 oz (60 g) Brown fondant

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Instructions

Cake

• Preheat the oven to 325°F/165°C/Gas Mark 3
• Grease and line 3 x 7-inch round cake pans or 2 x 8-inch round cake pans
• Dry ingredients – Combine flour with baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin spice, and salt – set aside.
  2 ½ cup All-Purpose Flour , 2 tsp Baking powder, ½ tsp  Baking soda, 1 tsp  Pumpkin Spice, ¼ tsp  Salt
• In the bowl of a stand mixer hand mixerwith the paddle attachment cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy

  Pro tip – we want to add some volume in the batter and the sugar completely dissolved so make sure to cream well.
  1 cup Unsalted Butter, 1 ½ cup Sugar
• Next, add eggs one at a time. Followed by the pumpkin puree and vanilla extract.

  Pro tip– ensure the eggs are at room temperature or the batter will curdle. If that happens just add a tablespoon or two of flour and combine well.
  3 Eggs, ½ cup Pumpkin Puree, 2 tsp Vanilla extract
• Then, add flour mixture and sour cream alternating in three batches.

  Pro tip – since sour cream is thick the batter looks a bit stiffer than regular vanilla cake but the cream will melt in the oven so don't add any more milk
  ½ cup Sour Cream 
• Scrape the sides of the bowl, ensure you have a smooth batter. Then, divide the batter between the three prepared baking pans.

  Pro tip – use an offset spatula to spread the batter evenly in the pan so it bakes evenly.
• Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.

  Pro tip – I like to use cake strips to ensure my layer cakes bake flat.
• Cool in the pan for 10 minutes then invert on a cooling rack and cool completely. Always cool cakes completely before you decorate or store them away.

  Pro tip – Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the freezer for an hour. This will make fewer crumbs when torting and leveling the cake.

Cream cheese frosting

• Add cream cheese, lemon juice, and whipping cream in a stand mixer bowl with the paddle attachment. Whip until it is light and fluffy.

  Pro tip – ensure the cream cheese is thawed to room temperature otherwise the frosting will be lumpy.
  1 lb Cream Cheese, ½ tsp Lemon juice, 2 tbsp Whipping Cream
• Add powdered sugar one cup at a time until you’ve used all of the powdered sugar. Then add the vanilla extract and pumpkin spice. Continue to whip for a minute or more until light and fluffy.

  Pro tip – Check consistency – if too soft add a little more powdered sugar.
  1 lb Powdered Sugar, 1 tbsp Vanilla extract, 1 tsp Pumpkin spice
• The more you whip, the lighter this frosting will be but over whipping can cause the frosting to break down.

  Pro tip – if the cream cheese becomes too warm it will start to melt. So do not over mix. Place it in the fridge to chill for a few minutes before you use it.

Assemble

• Prepare simple syrup. Add sugar, water, and lemon juice to a saucepan over medium heat. Cook until sugar dissolves then boil two minutes more – cool completely before using.
  ½ cup Sugar, 1 cup Water, 1 tsp Lemon juice
• Using a bread knife or cake leveler cut the domes off the cake layers. Cut each layer in half horizontally giving you a total of four layers. Brush each layer with the cooled simple syrup
• Place a cake layer on the cake board or cake stand.

  Pro tip -if you plan to move the cake again, it is best to use a cake circle under the cake, so you can pick the cake with its base and without any accidents.
• Top with a big dollop of cream cheese frosting – spread evenly using a straight-edge spatula.
• Top the second cake layer on top followed by more frosting until you have used up all the layers

  Pro tip – it is best to lift individual cake layers on pieces of clean cardboard or cake lifter so you do not break them from table to cake.
• Place the cake in the fridge for 15 minutes so the layers hold together. 

  Pro tip – Chilling the cake at this point will ensure the layers don't move when you frost the outside. Though, if you leave the cake uncovered in the fridge for too long it can dry out. So, 10 minutes is all you need.
• Spread the remaining buttercream around and the top of the cake. Use a cake bench scraper to smooth the sides and an offset spatula for the top.
• One smooth, place the remaining cream cheese frosting in a piping bag with a star or round and pipe a border

Decorate

• I've used fondant pumpkins on this cake. I've shown you how to make these in this video for pumpkin spice latte cake.
  4 oz Orange fondant, 2 oz Brown fondant, 2 oz Green fondant
• Alternatively, you can pipe remaining frosting on the top as well.
• This cake needs to be stored in the fridge because cream cheese is a perishable frosting

Recipe Notes & Tips

• Use fine grain or castor sugar when preparing cake batters so it creams and dissolves easily.
• Make sure the pumpkin spice is fresh. Spices kept for too long lose flavor. I make a fresh batch of homemade pumpkin spice every year.
• Use good quality unsalted butter for baking so you can control the amount of salt in the recipe.
• Grease and line the pans with parchment for easy release.
• Keep cakes moist by brushing the layers with simple syrup – simple syrup is a mixture of sugar and water boiled until the sugar is dissolved.
• Cool the cakes for a few hours before frosting or the frosting will melt on warm cakes.
• Use cake strips to bake flat cakes.
• Spices – I am using pumpkin spice and nutmeg. Alternatively, you can also add
  • 1/4 tsp of ground cloves,
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon,
  • 1/4 tsp all spices,
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger 
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• Make ahead instructions –
  • The cake layers can be made up to 2 to 3 days ahead. Unfrosted the layers will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Alternatively, you can freeze the layer well wrapped in plastic for up to a month.  Thaw in the fridge for best results. 
  • You can assemble chilled cakes but bring them to almost room temperature when serving. 
  • The frosting has whipped cream so it is best prepared just before frosting the cake. The frosting will start to become soft as the whipped cream loses volume over time.
  • Other pans suggestions – If you don’t want to make a layer cake like this. you can
    • Pumpkin sheet cake – Pour this batter in a sheet 9 x 13 sheet pan. Bake for 25 to 30 mins
    • Pumpkin bundt cake – Pour the batter into a well-greased and dusted 10 or 12 cup bundt pan  Bake for 35 to 45 mins. 
    • Pumpkin cupcakes – This batch will make 24 beautiful cupcakes. Bake for 20 to 22 mins 

Conversions Used

1 lb = 453 grams, 1 cup = 240 ml, 1 stick = 113g, 1 tbsp= 15 ml, 1 tsp= 5 ml,

Nutrition Information

Calories: 250– kcalCarbohydrates: 36– gProtein: 2– gFat: 11– gSaturated Fat: 6– gCholesterol: 28– mgSodium: 73– mgPotassium: 107– mgFiber: 0– gSugar: 22– gVitamin A: 1895– IUVitamin C: 0.5– mgCalcium: 39– mgIron: 1.3– mg

The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you

Did you make this recipe? Share it with me.Tag @veenaazmanov on instagram or #hashtag it #veenaazmanov

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