Easy Pumpkin Spice Latte Cake
The rich flavor of the pumpkin spice latte beverage in a cake makes a delicious pumpkin spice latte cake. Frosted with maple buttercream, this is a light and airy oil-based cake with pumpkin puree, pumpkin spice, and coffee. A perfect layer cake to adorn a festive dinner table, birthday cake, or to impress family and friends.
A few years ago, I had a customer who asked me to make a pumpkin spice latte cake. At first, I was confused about what a pumpkin spice latte cake is. I took my favorite pumpkin cake, which had my pumpkin spice mix and pumpkin puree, and added some wonderful rich coffee for that latte flavor. The customer was so pleased and said it was the best pumpkin spice latte cake she ever had. Since then, it has become one of our family favorites every year.
Why make this latte cake?
- This is an oil-based cake, and the oil keeps it moist yet light and airy. The brown sugar adds a hint of caramel flavor from the molasses, which enhances the flavor of both the coffee and the pumpkin spice mix. The buttermilk also gives a nice, soft, and tender crumb.
- I topped the cake with fondant pumpkins, making it perfect as the centerpiece for your next celebratory family dinner. Or just to impress family and friends.
- The process is simple and easy, unlike the traditional creaming method; in this one, we whip the eggs and then add the oil. The result is a light and airy, yet moist and delicious cake.
- Today, I have made a 3-layer frosted cake, but you can also use this batter to bake in a 6-cup pumpkin bundt pan, a 9 x 13-inch sheet pan to make a pumpkin sheet cake, or one 9 x 4-inch loaf pan.
- Also, I have frosted it with maple buttercream frosting, but you can also use no-butter cream cheese frosting. And if you like coffee, you can enhance the flavor by using coffee buttercream. Alternatively, you can also try eggnog buttercream, Swiss, or Italian meringue. The options for frosting are endless, see all my over 30 buttercream frosting recipes.
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 both white and brown sugars. These add flavor and texture to the cake. The color and hint of molasses from the brown sugar enhance the flavor of the pumpkin spice.
- Pumpkin Spice – Pumpkin spice is readily available from most supermarkets these days, but you can make your own spice mix as well.
- Vanilla extract – A good-quality vanilla extract goes a long way in enhancing the flavor of your baked goods.
- Maple syrup – This is an expensive ingredient, but one that will add so much flavor to your buttercream. I prefer high-quality maple syrup. You may choose to use 1/4 tsp of maple extract to enhance the maple flavor as well.
- Coffee Powder – I used instant coffee powder, but you can use regular coffee powder or instant espresso powder.
Step-by-step: Pumpkin spice latte cake
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 325°F / 165°C / Gas Mark 3. Grease and line 2 x 9-inch round cake pans or 3 x 7-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
- Dry ingredients – Combine flour with baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin spice, and salt – set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whip the eggs with both white and brown sugars until light and foamy – ribbon stage. Gradually, add the oil while continuously whipping. Followed by the pumpkin puree, buttermilk, and vanilla extract.
- Next, add the flour mixture. Continue to use the whisk attachment, combining well but not overmixing. Scrape the sides of the bowl to ensure a smooth batter. Then, divide the batter between the three prepared baking pans.
- Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. 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.
- Maple Buttercream: In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter until smooth. Add the salt, vanilla extract, and maple syrup. Then, gradually add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, and whip the buttercream until it is light and fluffy – about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Simple syrup: After all the sugar has dissolved, boil the sugar and water for two more minutes. Set aside to cool completely.
- Level & Torte: 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.
- Stack: Place a cake layer on the cake board or cake stand. Top with a big dollop of maple buttercream – spread evenly with a straight-edge spatula. Top the second cake layer on top, followed by more frosting until you have used up all the layers. Place the cake in the fridge for 15 minutes so the layers hold together.
- Frost: Spread the remaining buttercream around the cake and its top. Use a cake bench scraper to smooth the sides and an offset spatula for the top. Swirl the buttercream to create a rustic look, as shown in the video.
- Decorate: I’ve used fondant pumpkin on this cake. Alternatively, you can put the remaining maple buttercream in a piping bag with a star piping tip and pipe some borders or swirls.
- Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cake Recipe
- Pumpkin Spice cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Pumpkin Cake with Whipped Cream Buttercream
- Coconut Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Coconut Caramel
- See all pumpkin-inspired recipes or see all layer cake recipes
Frequently asked questions
How long will this layer cake keep?
If properly stored, this pumpkin cake will last a day at room temperature. It can be kept in the fridge for up to 5 or 6 days. Unfrosted cake layers will keep in the freezer for up to a month.
How do I freeze this cake?
You can freeze this cake, but before frosting it.
Freeze it on a tray for a few hours, then wrap well in plastic wrap, followed by the parchment paper, and then aluminum foil. Thaw wrapped in the fridge for 24 hours so the condensation will stay on the papers, not the cake.
Can I omit or replace the eggs to make an eggless pumpkin spice latte cake?
This recipe works best with eggs. I do have an eggless vanilla cake recipe that can serve as a base for a pumpkin spice latte flavor, with the addition of pumpkin spice and pumpkin puree.
Can I omit the coffee from this cake?
Yes, you can. In fact, I have a Pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting as well as a pumpkin cake with whipped cream frosting. Perhaps you may like to try those tried and tested recipes.
What other pans can I use for this pumpkin cake?
If you don’t want to make a pumpkin layer cake like this. You can also make
– Pumpkin sheet cake – Pour this batter into a 9 x 13 sheet pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.
– Pumpkin bundt cake – Pour the batter into a well-greased and dusted 10 or 12-cup bundt pan. And bake for 35 to 45 minutes.
– And pumpkin cupcakes – This batch will make 24 beautiful cupcakes. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes.
Pumpkin Spice Latte Cake
The rich flavor of pumpkin spice latte beverage in a cake makes a delicious pumpkin spice-latte cake. Frosted with maple buttercream this is a light and airy oil-based cake with pumpkin puree, pumpkin spice, and coffee. Perfect layer cake to adorn a festive dinner table, birthday cake, or to impress family and friends.
Video
Ingredients
Cake
- 3 cup (375 g) All-Purpose Flour
- 1 ½ tsp Pumpkin Spice
- 2½ tsp Baking powder
- ½ tsp Baking soda
- ½ tsp Salt
- 1 cup (200 g) White Sugar
- 1 cup (220 g) Brown Sugar
- 4 large Eggs
- 1 cup (240 ml) Cooking Oil
- ½ cup (120 ml) Pumpkin Puree
- ¾ cup (120 ml) Buttermilk
- 1 tsp Coffee Powder instant
- 2 tsp Vanilla extract
Maple Buttercream
- 1 cup (227 g) Unsalted Butter room temperature
- 4 cups (480 g) Powdered Sugar
- ⅓ cup (75 ml) Maple Syrup
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 tsp Maple extract (optional)
Plus
- ¼ cup (100 g) Simple syrup (boil ¼ cup sugar + ½ cup water until dissolved)
- 4 oz (100 g) Orange fondant
- 2 oz (50 g) green fondant
- 2 oz (50 g) brown fondant
Method
Cake
- pansPreheat the oven to 325°F / 165°C / Gas Mark 3. Grease and line 2 x 9-inch round cake pans or 3 x 7-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
- Dry ingredients – Combine flour with baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin spice, and salt – set aside.3 cup All-Purpose Flour , 1 ½ tsp Pumpkin Spice, 2½ tsp Baking powder, ½ tsp Baking soda, ½ tsp Salt
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whip the eggs with both white and brown sugars until light and foamy – ribbon stage. Gradually, add the oil while continuously whipping. Followed by the pumpkin puree, buttermilk, coffee powder, and vanilla extract.1 cup White Sugar, 1 cup Brown Sugar, 4 large Eggs, 1 cup Cooking Oil, ½ cup Pumpkin Puree, ¾ cup Buttermilk , 1 tsp Coffee Powder, 2 tsp Vanilla extract
- Next, add the flour mixture. Continue to use the whisk attachment, combining well but not overmixing. Scrape the sides of the bowl to ensure a smooth batter. Then, divide the batter between the three prepared baking pans.
- Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. 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.
Assemble
- Maple Buttercream: In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter until smooth. Add the salt, vanilla extract, and maple syrup. Then, gradually add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, and whip the buttercream until it is light and fluffy – about 2 to 3 minutes.1 cup Unsalted Butter, 4 cups Powdered Sugar, ⅓ cup Maple Syrup, 2 tsp Vanilla Extract, 1 tsp Maple extract
- Simple syrup: After all the sugar has dissolved, boil the sugar and water for two more minutes. Set aside to cool completely.¼ cup Simple syrup
- Level & Torte: 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.
- Stack: Place a cake layer on the cake board or cake stand. Top with a big dollop of maple buttercream – spread evenly with a straight-edge spatula. Top the second cake layer on top followed by more frosting until you have used up all the layers. Place the cake in the fridge for 15 minutes so the layers hold together.
- Frost: Spread the remaining buttercream around the cake and its top. Use a cake bench scraper to smooth the sides and an offset spatula for the top. Swirl the buttercream to create a rustic look, as shown in the video.
- Decorate: I've used fondant pumpkin on this cake. Alternatively, you can put the remaining maple buttercream in a piping bag with a star piping tip and pipe some borders or swirls.4 oz Orange fondant, 2 oz green fondant, 2 oz brown fondant
Notes
- Use fine-grain 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 pumpkin 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
Equipment you will need
Nutrition
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This is one fantastic looking cake. Everything you have going on here is a real win in the flavor department. I love pumpkin everything — especially with a latte. This would be gorgeous on the dessert table. Forget the turkey and dressing and get right to the dessert.
Thank you, Marisa. Me too love anything pumpkin.
Beautiful cake! It represents fall season so well, with its pumpkins, warm spices , maple and all those comforting flavors paired together.
Thank you, Ruchi. Yes, it sure is very fall inspired
You left out the eggs in the ingredient list. Had to go back to the video to see it’s 3. 🙂
Ooop.. sorry Kelly. Not sure how I missed that. Just added the eggs. yes, there are three eggs. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.
All the things I love. Buttercream, pumpkin, warm spices, cake, lattes. What’s not to adore about this decadent and beautiful cake? Thank you for sharing.
Thank you, Analida. You will love this cake for sure.
I love maple buttercream frosting! I bet it pairs wonderfully with this cake… this cake is beautiful!
It’s so good with this cake Dana.
I too like pumpkin spice with caramel ……but the maple buttercream sounds really, really good too! I love to watch your videos…..they make it look so easy!
Thank you, Denise. Happy you like my videos.
I’m one of those people who gets addicted to PSL in the fall lol! So this is the perfect cake for me. I love the sound of caramel buttercream with it. Yum!!
Me too Jolina. Love Pumpkin spice anything
Wow! This cake is stunning. A great way to impress our guests this holiday season!
Thank you, Jacque.
You’ve done it again Veena. Just when I think your cakes can’t look tastier, you come up with an even more spectacular cake. I love pumpkin and your cake looks beautiful and delicate in flavor. I know I would love this cake, for sure!
Thank you so much, Elaine. So happy you like it.
I am a pumpkin fanatic…who happens to LOVE lattes. This is my kind of cake. Not only does it sound totally delicious…it is so beautiful. What a great dessert for the holiday table. I would love it as a birthday cake…and my birthday is in MAY!!
Thank you, Gloria. I hope you try this one.