This moist and delicious Pumpkin Spice Cake is paired with a rich cream cheese frosting for the ultimate dessert. Perfect for fall and pumpkin season, this recipe combines cake ingredients with canned pumpkin for a fantastic treat!
With the addition of pumpkin pie spice, this results in what I now deem to be one of my favorite cakes ever! Amazing for fall celebrations, birthdays, Halloween parties, and all of your autumnal baking needs.
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🩵 About This Recipe
I tend to spend a few select months every year consuming pumpkin spice everything, and so naturally, I had to try to make a cake with pumpkin spice eventually.
Cake ingredients are combined with canned pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice to make what I now deem to be one of my favorite cakes ever. The cake is topped with a delicious cream cheese frosting, which is undoubtedly the best type of frosting!
If you're looking for more autumnal cake recipes, you should check out Crock Pot Pumpkin Cake, Norwegian Apple Cake, or Apple Butter Gingerbread Loaf with Apple Butter Cream Cheese Spread.
Or make this elegant and delicious Bundt Spice Cake, with an amazing brown butter cream cheese icing.
What readers are saying...
This was so delicious. I made it today! It was approved by my entire family! I am adding it to the dessert rotation! YUMMMM
- Cindy
🧂 Gather Your Ingredients
- All purpose flour - White flour serves as the base of the cake.
- Baking powder and baking soda - These rising agents work together to ensure that the cake has the perfect rise.
- Pumpkin pie spice - You can use a store-bought version or my Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice.
- Vegetable oil - Adding oil to cake makes it super moist!
- Eggs - The eggs bind the other ingredients together and improve the texture of the cake.
- Sugar - Because cakes should be sweet.
- Pumpkin puree - I use canned pumpkin puree for the sake of convenience, but you can make your own if you prefer!
- Butter - Butter makes the BEST frosting. Use real butter rather than alternative spreads for the best results.
- Cream cheese - Full fat cream cheese is an essential part of a cream cheese frosting (it's kinda in the name!).
- Powdered sugar - Gives the frosting the right texture and sweetness.
🔪 Let's Make Pumpkin Spice Cake!
(Or click here to jump right to the recipe card with measurements!)
Mix Dry Ingredients
Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder in a bowl.
Mix Wet Ingredients
In a second bowl, combine the vegetable oil, eggs, sugar, and pumpkin puree. Whisk until the ingredients are just combined.
Combine
Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and use a whisk or spatula to gently blend the ingredients together.
Bake
Pour the cake batter into the baking pan, and transfer it to an oven. Bake 30-35 minutes. Allow the cake to rest for 10-15 minutes, then transfer it to a cooling rack and allow it to cool down completely.
Make Frosting
Combine slightly softened butter with cream cheese and powdered sugar. Use an electric whisk to make the frosting smooth. Spread across the cake and cut into 20 squares. Store the cake in a refrigerator.
💡 Expert Tips and Tricks
- Allow the cream cheese and butter to come up to room temperature to make mixing much easier.
- Try not to overmix the batter, as this can lead to a tougher or denser cake. The batter itself will be rather moist and dense.
- If you find the top of the cake is getting too brown before the rest of the cake is baked through, cover the top with some foil.
- Check for doneness starting at the earlier end of suggested baking times. Ovens can vary in terms of how quickly and thoroughly they bake.
🍰 Common Baking Problems
- Dry cake: Typically a result of overbaking, so check for doneness sooner.
- Dense cake: Happens when the batter is overmixed before baking.
- Wet or underbaked center: This usually happens if your pan isn't large enough. A smaller pan leads to thicker cake.
- Sinking or puffing in center: Can be caused by underbaking and/or incorrect pan size.
- Thin frosting: Be sure the cake is fully cooled before you add the frosting. You can also slowly add more powdered sugar to thicken the frosting.
- Thick frosting: Add a little bit of milk or cream and mix, then repeat if the frosting is still too thick.
- Lumpy frosting: Be sure to beat until smooth, and use room temperature ingredients so they combine more easily.
❔ FAQs
Yes. You can use store bought pumpkin puree or make homemade pureed pumpkin or butternut squash.
Absolutely. You can freeze the cake for up to 3 months. Defrost it in a refrigerator overnight before serving.
Yes. This cake tastes just as good without any frosting. You could also just sprinkle some powdered sugar on top instead.
📝 Substitutions and Variations
- Add extra add-ins such as chocolate chips or raisins to the cake batter before you cook the cake if you want. They add that little something extra to the pumpkin dessert!
- Some other potential add-ins for your spice cake with pumpkin puree are chopped pecans or dried cranberries. Fold them into the batter at the very end and/or sprinkle over top before placing in the oven.
- You can add a few drops of a flavor essence of your choice to the frosting to give it a little flavor, or use a different frosting if you wish. Caramel, toffee, chocolate, or coffee frosting would suit this cake particularly well.
- Instead of frosting, you can also just add a dusting of powdered sugar on top.
- If you don't have any pumpkin pie spice, you can use cinnamon or gingerbread spice instead.
- Want to decorate the cake? Scatter small pieces of Oven Dried Blueberries or Microwave Pumpkin Fudge for an impressive look and fantastic flavor.
Kristin's Kitchen Tip
Be sure to use pure pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling, as the recipe already has ingredients for sweetness and flavor!
🥡 Storage
Keep your cake in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. The cream cheese frosting needs to stay refrigerated. I recommend letting the cake sit out for a bit to come up to room temperature before enjoying.
Keep It Handy
Don't have time for this pumpkin spice cake recipe right now? Click on or tap the heart icon on the BOTTOM RIGHT of the screen to save it for later!
🍫 Suggested Serving Companions
What do you serve with this cake? More cake! Hot chocolate! This dish makes for an excellent dessert, but I like to serve a slice or two with a cup of coffee as a late night treat.
I also like to serve it with a small jug of Chocolate Sauce on the side. This simple sauce is perfect to serve over the cake if you are a chocolate lover.
If you like baking with pumpkin spice, you'll love this delicious vegan pumpkin bread recipe! It's delicious and the texture is tender and moist. You'll love it!
Or check out this German hazelnut pound cake for a quick and easy dessert that will stay fresh for a long time! No frosting needed. (But if you love frosting, it is even more delicious when frosted!)
😋 More Dessert Recipes You'll Love
- Peanut Butter Mummy Cookies - These adorable cookies look like cute little mummies and are perfect for the fall and Halloween!
- Easy Pumpkin Fudge - With only a few ingredients and your microwave, you can make a batch of decadent fudge.
- Witch Hat Cookies - No baking required to create a fantastic batch of cookies that look just like witch hats!
- Pumpkin Bread Pudding - This recipe from Finding Zest is great for fall and perfect for Thanksgiving as an alternative to pumpkin pie!
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Spice Cake with Pumpkin Puree
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📋 Recipe Card
Super Moist Pumpkin Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Equipment
- Whisk
- Bowl
- Cake pan
Ingredients
Pumpkin spice cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 15 ounces pumpkin puree
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 eggs
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
Cream cheese frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese (at room temperature)
- ½ cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)
- 2 ½ cup powdered sugar (or until desired consistency)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F / 180 °C and cover a 9x13 inch square baking pan with parchment paper.
- Combine the flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder in a bowl.2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- In a second bowl, combine the vegetable oil, eggs, sugar and pumpkin puree. Whisk until the ingredients are just combined.1 cup vegetable oil, 1 cup sugar, 4 eggs, 15 ounces pumpkin puree
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and use a whisk or spatula to gently blend the ingredients together.
- Pour the cake batter into the baking pan, and transfer it to an oven. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to rest for 10-15 minutes, then transfer it to a cooling rack and allow it to cool down completely.
- Make the frosting by combining slightly softened butter with cream cheese and powdered sugar. I recommend using an electric whisk to make the frosting completely smooth.8 ounces cream cheese, ½ cup unsalted butter, 2 ½ cup powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Spread the frosting across the top of the cake, and cut it into 20 small squares. Store the cake in a refrigerator until it's ready to serve.
Notes
Prep Tips:
- Use pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, since the recipe already includes the sugar and spices separately.
- Make sure the cream cheese and butter are at room temperature before making the frosting. This helps the frosting blend smoothly without lumps.
- Don't overmix the batter once the wet and dry ingredients are combined. Mix just until everything comes together to help keep the cake tender.
- The batter is quite moist and dense, so the pan size makes a noticeable difference. If using an 8x8-inch pan, don't fill it more than about ¾ full.
- If the cake is browning on top before the center is fully baked, loosely cover it with foil and continue baking until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Since ovens and pans can vary, start checking for doneness toward the earlier end of the suggested baking time rather than relying on the clock alone.
Variations:
- Stir chocolate chips or raisins into the batter before baking for little bursts of sweetness.
- Swap the pumpkin pie spice for cinnamon or gingerbread spice for a slightly different flavor.
- Give the cream cheese frosting a twist by adding a few drops of your favorite flavor essence.
- Try a different frosting, such as caramel, toffee, chocolate, or coffee frosting.
Serving Suggestions:
- Serve the cake chilled or slightly cool from the refrigerator, especially if you like a firmer cream cheese frosting.
- Cut it into small squares for an easy dessert to serve at fall gatherings, potlucks, or parties.
- Pair a piece with a cup of coffee, tea, or hot apple cider for a cozy fall treat.
- For a festive fall finish, garnish the frosted cake with small pieces of oven-dried blueberries.
Storage:
- Store the frosted cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
- Keep leftovers refrigerated because of the cream cheese frosting.
- For the best texture, let refrigerated pieces sit out briefly before serving if you prefer the cake softer and the frosting less firm.
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate. The nutritional values for your final dish may vary based on measuring differences and products used.
Update Notes: This post was originally published in October 2020, and was republished with tips, step by step photos, and a recipe change in September 2026.
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DebraC says
This cake will not be cooked through if you use a 8 x 8 pan (8 cups) and bake for 35 minutes. I haven't tried it in a 9 x 9 ( 8 to 10 cups) but it has a greater chance of success because it has 2 more cups capacity than the 8 x 8. I believe though, if you look at the photographs they've used a 9 x 13 pan. A 9 x 13 will hold 14 to 16 cups. When you consider they're saying it serves 20 in a 9 x 13 pan which would give you twenty 2" x 3.25" pieces of cake. To get 20 serving out of an 8 x 8 pan (if it indeed did cook completely) 20 serving would be 1.5" x 2". Again reference the photographs to see what the serving size reflects. The cake is tasty, just use the correct pan size for a successful outcome. I rated the recipe as one star because the directions aren't correct. Not everyone reads the comments. I'd be happy to change my rating if they correct the recipe.
Kristin King says
Thank you for taking the time to leave such detailed feedback. Pumpkin cakes are naturally dense and moist, and pan size does make a big difference in how evenly they bake. I’ve updated the recipe to specify a 9x13 pan and also to include clearer guidance for 8x8, 9x9, and 9x13 pans, along with adjusted bake times and doneness tips, so readers can choose the option that works best for them. I appreciate you flagging this, and I’m glad to hear you enjoyed the flavor of the cake.
Sylvia J. Smith says
Very good!
Kristin King says
Yay! So glad to hear it! We love this one too. 🙂
Debra W. says
So moist and delicious, substituted applesauce for vegetable oil!
Kristin King says
Yum! I love the applesauce substitution. Thanks for the great idea!
Geri Gresl says
Is it possible, this is to be a 9x13 pan?? I used the 8x8 as listed, but it took forever to bake, and the center puffed up really high,, and I'm not even sure it ever baked all the way through (in the center area). I've seen similar recipes, using a 9x13. Thanks!
Kristin King says
Hi! Yes, I imagine you can make it in a 9x13 pan. I haven't done it myself so I don't have a recommendation on how to adjust the bake time, but keep and eye on it so it doesn't get overdone. Enjoy!
Linda says
What size pan do you use.
Kristin says
Hi Linda! Sorry about that, it's an 8x8 pan. I will fix it in the recipe. Thanks so much for bringing it to our attention! 🙂
Emily Liao says
This pumpkin spice cake was so easy! Loved the texture and flavor.
Cindy says
This was so delicious. I made it today! It was approved by my entire family! I am adding it to the dessert rotation! YUMMMM
Kristin says
Yay! So glad to hear it! Thanks, Cindy!
Tara says
Such a wonderful cake for the season! I love that color and it looks amazing paired with the cream cheese frosting. Yum!
Kristin says
This is even great for Thanksgiving dessert. I am going to make this plus a pumpkin pie so my cake-lover guests are just as happy as my pie-lover guests!
Alison says
This pumpkin cake looks so light and fluffy. Paired with cream cheese frosting, it's absolutely devine!
Kristin says
Thanks! They really are perfect together. I could honestly eat the whole cake myself! 🙂
Amanda Wren-Grimwood says
This cake looks perfect - a rich slab with a good portion of frosting on top!
Kristin says
Thanks, Amanda! (For me, the frosting is kind of the best part! LOL)