This Pumpkin Cake is packed with warm spices and topped with two yummy layers of fluffy cream cheese icing. Unlike a light and airy sponge, this cake has a beautifully moist, slightly dense crumb that's reminiscent of pumpkin pie in cake form.
This Pumpkin Spice Cake captures all the flavours of a classic American-style pumpkin pie in an easy-to-make layer cake. The pumpkin creates a wonderfully moist, rich crumb, while the blend of warm spices gives it that distinctive autumn flavour that's hard to find in New Zealand bakeries and cafés. If you've ever wanted to try those famous pumpkin-spiced treats you see overseas, this recipe is a delicious way to bring those flavours into your own kitchen. If you want to try this in pie form, check out my Pumpkin Pie recipe!
Ingredient notes:
- Pumpkin purée: Homemade pumpkin purée works beautifully in this recipe. Crown and buttercup pumpkins are my preferred varieties as they're naturally sweet and not too watery. If using canned pumpkin (US/Canada), make sure it's 100% pumpkin purée and not pumpkin pie filling.
- Brown sugar: Brown sugar adds a lovely caramel flavour that complements the pumpkin and spices. Light or dark brown sugar will both work, with dark brown sugar giving a slightly deeper flavour.
- Cream cheese: I strongly recommend full fat cream cheese as it gives the best flavour and texture for the icing. Reduced-fat varieties tend to be softer and can make the icing runnier and not whip up so well.
Note: Scroll to the recipe card for the ingredients, quantities and the full method.
Step by step instructions:
Preheat the oven to 165°C fan bake, line the base of 2 x 22cm round cake tins with baking paper and grease the sides. In a large bowl combine all of the wet ingredients and whisk well until smooth.
Sift in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined with no lumps, don't over mix. Split the cake batter between the 2 cake tins and bake in the oven for about 20 mins or until a knife comes out clean when tested.
Let the cakes cool in the tin for a few minutes then transfer to a cooling rack and set aside. To make the cream cheese icing, beat the butter using an electric mixer, add in the cream cheese, vanilla and salt, then beat together till smooth. Scrape down the sides and add the icing sugar in 2 stages, mixing slowly to avoid making a mess.
Once it's all incorporated, beat on a high speed until pale and fluffy for 3-5 minutes, scraping down the sides a few times to ensure no lumps in the final icing. Once the cakes have cooled, place one onto a plate, add a bit less than half of icing and smooth out evenly, then stack the second cake on top. Spread the remaining icing to the edges then place in the refrigerator to set.
Recipe FAQs:
You can roast or boil pumpkin for this recipe. I used crown pumpkin as they were on special at the supermarket, see key ingredients for more info on choosing the right pumpkin variety. I cut a large crown pumpkin in half, place it middle side down on tinfoil and roasted it at 180°C fan bake until tender. Once cooled I scooped out the flesh and mashed it into a smooth purée. I used some for pumpkin soup and saved the rest, freezing some to have on hand and for baking pumpkin pies and some for this cake. Another option is to remove the skin and cut into pieces then boil till tender, drain well then mash. It's faster this way and you can make a smaller quantity more easily, however roasting gives a sweeter pumpkin flavour.
Yes, this recipe works well in a 23 x 33cm rectangular slice tin. If you just want to do a tray style cake with a single layer of icing. The baking time will vary, so start checking for doneness after 20 minutes.
Absolutely. The cake layers can be wrapped well and frozen for up to three months. Thaw completely before icing. You can also freeze leftover slices. Or the full iced cake, well wrapped in cling film, although the icing won't be as smooth after freezing.
Storage:
To keep the cream cheese icing fresh, store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
Top tips:
- You can cool the cake quicker by popping onto a cooling rack then moving to a cold spot. You don't want to ice while the cake is still warm as the butter and cream cheese in the icing will melt and create a big mess. Sometimes if I'm in a hurry or it's summer I'll pop them in the freezer/fridge to speed up the process. Just make sure they have cooled down a bit first and aren't hot from the oven.
- Make sure your pumpkin purée is fairly thick and not watery. If it seems quite wet, drain off any excess liquid before using.
- For the fluffiest cream cheese icing, both the butter and cream cheese should be softened to room temperature before you start mixing.
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Pumpkin Spice Cake
This Pumpkin Cake is packed with warm spices and topped with two yummy layers of fluffy cream cheese icing.
Ingredients
Wet
- 2 cups mashed pumpkin purée
- 250ml neutral oil
- 3 eggs, size 7
- 1 ⅓ cup brown sugar (265g)
- 2 tsp vanilla essence
- ¼ cup milk,60g
Dry
- 2 cups plain flour (300g)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 2 tsp ground mixed spice
- ½ tsp ground cloves
Cream Cheese Icing
- 60g butter, softened
- 250g cream cheese, softened
- 2 tsp vanilla essence
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 cups icing sugar, 300g
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 165°C fan bake, line the base of 2 x 22cm round cake tins with baking paper and grease the sides.
- In a large bowl combine all of the wet ingredients and whisk well until smooth.
- Sift in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined with no lumps, don’t over mix.
- Split the cake batter between the 2 cake tins and bake in the oven for about 20 mins or until a knife comes out clean when tested.
- Let the cakes cool in the tin for a few minutes then transfer to a cooling rack and set aside.
- To make the cream cheese icing, beat the butter using an electric mixer, add in the cream cheese, vanilla and salt, then beat together till smooth.
- Scrape down the sides and add the icing sugar in 2 stages, mixing slowly to avoid making a mess. Once it’s all incorporated, beat on a high speed until pale and fluffy for 3-5 minutes, scraping down the sides a few times to ensure no lumps in the final icing.
- Once the cakes have cooled, place one onto a plate, add a bit less than half of icing and smooth out evenly, then stack the second cake on top. Spread the remaining icing to the edges then place in the refrigerator to set.
Notes
- You can cool the cake quicker by popping onto a cooling rack then moving to a cold spot. You don’t want to ice while the cake is still warm as the butter and cream cheese in the icing will melt and create a big mess. Sometimes if I’m in a hurry or it’s summer I’ll pop them in the freezer/fridge to speed up the process. Just make sure they have cooled down a bit first and aren’t hot from the oven.
- Make sure your pumpkin purée is fairly thick and not watery. If it seems quite wet, drain off any excess liquid before using.
- For the fluffiest cream cheese icing, both the butter and cream cheese should be softened to room temperature before you start mixing.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 476Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 7gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 79mgSodium: 756mgCarbohydrates: 81gFiber: 3gSugar: 45gProtein: 8g
Nutritional values are approximate. Please use your own calculations if you require a special diet.
Thank you for checking out this recipe. I hope you enjoy making and eating it! If you have any questions, queries or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below.
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Vanya
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