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Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

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There are certain recipes I want to make the second fall rolls around, and pumpkin cake is definitely one of them.

This pumpkin cake is soft, moist and full of pumpkin and warm fall spices. It’s one of those really simple cakes that doesn’t need much to make it good. Add a thick layer of cream cheese frosting and it’s pretty much everything I want in a fall dessert.

The best part is that you can use the exact same pumpkin cake batter to make cupcakes, too. Make the cake for Sunday dinner or Thanksgiving, or turn it into pumpkin cupcakes for a fall party, Halloween or whenever you need something that’s a little easier to serve.

Either way, this is one of those fall recipes you’ll want to keep around.

Here is my go-to Pumpkin Cake Recipe.

Why You’ll Love This Pumpkin Cake

This is the kind of cake I love because it’s simple but still feels special enough to serve for a holiday or party.

The pumpkin keeps the cake really moist, while cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice give it that warm fall flavor without being overwhelming.

And then there’s the cream cheese frosting.

The slightly tangy frosting balances the sweetness of the pumpkin cake perfectly. I like a generous layer on top, but you can also keep it simple with a thinner layer if that’s more your style.

A few more reasons to make it:

  • Soft and moist
  • Full of pumpkin flavor
  • Easy to make
  • Perfect with cream cheese frosting
  • Can be baked as a cake or cupcakes
  • Great for Halloween, Thanksgiving and fall parties
  • Easy to make ahead

Pumpkin Cake Recipe

This pumpkin cake is soft, moist and full of pumpkin and warm fall spices. It's one of those really simple cakes that doesn't need much to make it good. Add a thick layer of cream cheese frosting and it's pretty much everything I want in a fall dessert.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
For Cupcakes:22 minutes
Keyword: pumpkin cake, pumpkin cake recipe, pumpkin cupcakes, pumpkin recipes
Servings: 12 servings

Equipment

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Ingredients

For the Pumpkin Cake:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 cup vegetable or avocado oil
  • 1 cup light brown sugar packed
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 3/4 cups pumpkin puree

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

Instructions

How to Make the Pumpkin Cake:

  • Preheat your oven to 350°F.
  • Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan and line with parchment paper if you’d like to make the finished cake easier to remove.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice.
  • Set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the oil, brown sugar and granulated sugar.
  • Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until smooth.
  • Add the pumpkin puree and mix again until everything is well combined.
  • Gradually add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture.
  • Mix just until everything is combined. Try not to overmix the batter.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it into an even layer.
  • Bake at 350°F for about 30–35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
  • Allow the cake to cool completely before adding the cream cheese frosting.

How to Make Pumpkin Cupcakes Instead:

  • One of my favorite things about this recipe is that you can use the same batter to make pumpkin cupcakes.
  • Line cupcake pans with paper liners and fill each liner about 2/3 full with pumpkin cake batter.
  • Bake at 350°F for approximately 18–22 minutes, or until the tops spring back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  • Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.
  • Cool completely before frosting.
  • This recipe should make approximately 24 cupcakes.

Notes

Make Sure You’re Using Pumpkin Puree
When you’re grabbing pumpkin at the grocery store, make sure you buy pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
Pumpkin puree is simply cooked and pureed pumpkin, while pumpkin pie filling already has sugar and spices added to it.
For this recipe, you want the plain pumpkin puree.

fall baking supplies:

Cream Cheese Frosting

While the cake cools, make the cream cheese frosting.

Beat the softened cream cheese and butter together until smooth and creamy.

Gradually add the powdered sugar, followed by the vanilla and a pinch of salt.

Continue mixing until the frosting is smooth and fluffy.

Once the pumpkin cake is completely cool, spread the frosting generously over the top.

For cupcakes, transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with your favorite decorating tip and pipe onto each cooled cupcake.

Pumpkin Cake Decorating Ideas

You can leave this cake completely simple with cream cheese frosting, or dress it up depending on what you’re making it for.

For a simple fall cake, try adding:

  • A sprinkle of cinnamon
  • Chopped pecans
  • Caramel drizzle
  • Fall sprinkles
  • Buttercream pumpkins
  • Small buttercream leaves
  • Candy pumpkins
  • A simple piped border

For Thanksgiving, I love keeping the colors warm and neutral with cream, pink, mustard and muted orange.

For Halloween, you could add orange, purple and black sprinkles or Halloween decorations and suddenly the same pumpkin cake feels completely different. Or even pipe on mini candies!

Decorating Pumpkin Cupcakes

Cupcakes give you even more room to play around with the decorating.

Pipe a big swirl of cream cheese frosting on top and finish them with cinnamon for something simple. Or use a cookie scoop like I’ve done.

Or decorate them with:

  • Mini buttercream pumpkins
  • Fall sprinkles
  • Caramel drizzle
  • Chopped pecans
  • Candy pumpkins
  • Halloween sprinkles
  • Buttercream leaves
  • Pie crust leaves

You can even split one batch and decorate half for Halloween and the other half for a more traditional fall look.

Other Frostings That Go with Pumpkin Cake

Cream cheese frosting is my first choice, but pumpkin works with so many other frosting flavors.

Brown Butter Frosting: Brown butter adds a warm, nutty flavor that’s so good with pumpkin and cinnamon.

Maple Buttercream: A great option if you want even more fall flavor.

Vanilla Buttercream: Simple and sweet and lets the pumpkin flavor stand out.

Caramel Buttercream: Perfect if you’re making this for a fall dinner party or Thanksgiving dessert table.

Espresso Buttercream: This is how I make my Cinderella Latte Cupcakes! Or a Pumpkin Spice Latte inspired cupcake… so good.

You can also drizzle caramel sauce over cream cheese frosting for the best of both worlds.

cinderella latte cupcake recipe
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FAQ

Yes!

You can bake the pumpkin cake a day ahead, allow it to cool completely and store it tightly covered until you’re ready to frost.

The cupcakes can also be baked ahead and stored in an airtight container.

If you’re making this for a party or Thanksgiving, I actually prefer baking the cake or cupcakes ahead of time so the only thing left to do is decorate.

Once you’ve added the cream cheese frosting, store the cake or cupcakes covered in the refrigerator.

Because this cake is topped with cream cheese frosting, store leftovers covered in the refrigerator.

Let individual slices sit at room temperature for a little while before serving if you prefer a softer cake and frosting.

The same goes for cupcakes. Keep them refrigerated in an airtight container and bring them out before serving.

Yes! It freezes like a dream. You can freeze the unfrosted pumpkin cake.

Allow the cake to cool completely, then wrap it well before freezing. Thaw it before adding the cream cheese frosting.

Unfrosted pumpkin cupcakes can be frozen the same way, which makes them really convenient for fall parties.

What to Serve with Pumpkin Cake

Pumpkin cake works for everything from a casual fall afternoon to Thanksgiving dessert.

For a fall dessert table, serve it alongside some of our other seasonal favorites:

It’s especially pretty mixed with apple, cinnamon, caramel and chocolate desserts so there’s something for everyone.

The Perfect Fall Cake

This easy pumpkin cake is one of those recipes that can take you through the entire fall season.

Make it as a simple frosted cake in September, turn the batter into cupcakes for a Halloween party or dress it up for the Thanksgiving dessert table.

It’s soft, full of pumpkin and warm spices and topped with plenty of cream cheese frosting, which is pretty hard to beat this time of year.

What’s your favorite frosting for a pumpkin cake? Let me know!

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