Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
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Topped with swirls of cream cheese icing, this pumpkin cake is easy to make and 100% kid-approved — the perfect fall treat for potlucks, bake sales, and holiday parties.
Topped with swirls of tangy cream cheese frosting, this pumpkin cake recipe is a dessert version of my grandmother’s now-internet-famous pumpkin bread and pumpkin muffins. Just like the originals, it’s packed with warm spices and comforting flavors that scream fall. Not only does the cake keep beautifully for days, but it’s also simple to make, easy to transport, and 100% kid-approved—the perfect treat for potlucks, bake sales, and holiday parties.
Table of Contents
“Get ready for constant compliments if you make this for a pot-lock! Truly the most delicious and moist cake you could make!”
What You’ll Need To Make Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
- All-Purpose Flour: Provides structure to the cake, giving it the right texture and support. To ensure accuracy, measure by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling off to ensure accuracy.
- Baking Soda & Baking Powder: Work together to help the cake rise, resulting in a light, airy texture.
- Cloves, Cinnamon & Nutmeg: These warm spices infuse the cake with classic autumnal flavors, complementing the pumpkin. While I prefer using the individual spices, you can substitute them with an equal amount of pumpkin pie spice (1 tablespoon).
- Butter: Adds richness and moisture to the cake, making it tender, and also contributes creaminess and smoothness to the frosting.
- Granulated Sugar: Sweetens the cake and contributes to its soft crumb.
- Eggs: Bind the ingredients together and provide structure, helping the cake to rise and hold its shape.
- 100% Pure Pumpkin: The star ingredient; adds moisture, flavor, and a dense, rich texture to the cake. I use canned pumpkin, but if you’d prefer to use fresh pumpkin, opt for smaller varieties like sugar, cooking, or pie pumpkins. For guidance on making pumpkin purée, check out this detailed piece from King Arthur Flour. Avoid pumpkin pie filling which is already pre-sweetened and spiced.
- Cream Cheese: Provides a tangy flavor and creamy texture to the cake’s frosting, balancing the sweetness.
- Vanilla Extract: Enhances the flavor of the frosting with its aromatic richness.
- Confectioners’ Sugar: Sweetens and thickens the frosting, creating a smooth, spreadable consistency.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by combining the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium bowl.
Whisk well to combine.
In a large bowl of an electric mixer, combine the melted butter and sugar.
Beat on medium speed until just combined.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Add the pumpkin puree.
Beat until combined.
Add the dry ingredients.
Mix on low speed until well combined.
Turn the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Set the cake on a wire rack to cool completely.
Meanwhile, make the frosting. Combine the butter and cream cheese in a large bowl.
Beat on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute, then beat in the salt and vanilla. 
Add the confectioners’ sugar and beat on low speed for 30 seconds.
Switch to high speed and beat until light and creamy, about 2 minutes.
Spread the frosting on the cooled cake. I really like using an offset spatula to frost cakes, particularly cakes that are served right from the baking dish like this one. These angled spatulas make easy work of spreading frosting onto the corners of the cake.
Create swirls in any pattern you like.
Cut into squares and serve. Cover any leftover cake tightly with aluminum foil and store in the fridge for up to 4 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.
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Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¾ cup unsalted butter (1½ sticks), melted
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 15-oz (425-g) can 100% pure pumpkin
For the Frosting
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
- 4 oz cream cheese at room temperature
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3¼ cups confectioners' sugar
Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and set an oven rack in the middle position. Grease a 9x13-inch (22x33-cm) baking dish with butter or nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg; set aside.
- In a large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the melted butter and sugar on medium speed until just combined. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the pumpkin. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until well combined.
- Turn the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Set the cake on a wire rack to cool completely.
For the Frosting
- In a large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese together on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Beat in the salt and vanilla. Add the confectioners' sugar and beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then switch to high speed and beat until light and creamy, about 2 minutes. Spread the frosting on the cooled cake. Cut into squares and serve. Cover any leftover cake tightly with aluminum foil and store in the fridge for up to 4 days (bring to room temperature before serving) or at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Notes
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Wonderful! The cake is absolutely delicious and I love that it’s really easy to transport because you serve it right from the baking dish. I’m also thrilled with the cream cheese frosting! It’s nice and thick. I live in England now, and the cream cheese here (even the Philadelphia brand) isn’t as thick as American cream cheese. So other cream cheese frostings I’ve tried have been too thin. My only suggestion would be to call for the butter (and maybe the cream cheese, if you live in the US) in the frosting to be at room temperature before beating. (Oh — I left out the nutmeg and cloves from the cake because I’m not a fan. But the cinnamon alone still gives it great flavor.)
Glad you enjoyed it, Rachel! I’ve updated the recipe – it should have said room temp. Thanks for catching that!
Made this last week as a “test run” and had my husband take it to work and it was a big hit!!! Everyone who had it raved about it. I followed the directions exactly. Delicious and so easy to make. I’m making this tonight for my family’s Thanksgiving. I’m going to make mini cupcakes so it’s easier for everyone to get a bite.
Hi Jenn,
I’m a huge fan! I would like to make this cake but I need to make it dairy free. Think I can sub vegetable oil or Earth Balance for the butter? Is there a different oil you would use? Thanks!
Hi Linda, I think you could definitely use vegetable oil with great results. Please let me know how it turns out! 🙂
I made the cake last week with butter (yum!) and I made it again today using canola oil instead of the melted butter (also yum!). It’s great for people who can’t eat dairy — or for those who feel like being lazy and skipping the step of melting butter. I’m not sure how the two cakes would compare in a blind taste test, but I think the canola oil would absolutely hold its own. I don’t know much about dairy-free baking, but I think cream cheese frosting would be hard to do without dairy…
I love your pumpkin bread, so I know I’ll LOVE this too. Planning on making it for Thanksgiving. What brand is your yellow baking pan? Such a happy color to add to a kitchen!
Yes, if you like the pumpkin bread, I think you’ll really enjoy this! And the dish is from Sur La Table. 🙂
This was very easy to make and is delicious!!! I highly recommend!!
Hi Jenn,
Canned pumpkin is hard to find in Ireland, but fresh pumpkin is available right now. How would you recommend using fresh pumpkin in this recipe?
Thanks for all your great recipes!!
Amanda
Hi Amanda, Glad you like the recipes! 🙂 You’ll need to roast and puree it. Just make sure after it’s pureed, that you squeeze out any liquid after roasting the pumpkin so the bread is not too moist. Hope you enjoy!
This was sooooo good. Such a light but flavorful cake. I can’t wait to eat the leftovers with coffee.
Could this be made with persimmon pulp instead of pumpkin?
Hi Susan, I’ve never worked with persimmon pulp before, so I looked it up. Based on what I read here, it sounds like it could be a reasonable substitute. It sounds like persimmons are sweeter than pumpkins, so you may want to reduce the added sugar a bit. Also, be sure to drain it of excess water so that the consistency is similar to that of canned pumpkin. I’d love to hear how it turns out if you try it with persimmon!
If I want to make this in two 9″ (or 8″?) cake pans, at what temperature and length of time should I bake the cakes?
Hi Bette, I’d go with 8-in pans and start checking around 25 to 30 min.
Thank you for your quick reply. However, the link you attached is for the same recipe, Jenn. Was there perhaps another one that you meant to attach instead?
My mistake, Bette. I was thinking your original comment was left on my pumpkin bread recipe! This is the recipe to use and two 8-in pans will work.
Marvelous! Thanks so much, Jenn!
FYI, Jenn – In my oven it needed to be baked 35 minutes as it was a bit raw in the center at 30 mins. Just the same, everyone loved it. In fact, I won the best dessert award for it at my office luncheon. Everyone asked where I found the recipe. You were highly commended.
Yay! ☺️
Hi Jen,
I’m having friends over for dinner tomorrow night and was wondering if this is the type of cake that tastes even better on day two? I notice that a lot of breads of this sort are even better day two. I have time to make it today or tomorrow so I wanted to know, is it best the day it is baked or even better day two? I would make the frosting tomorrow either way.
Your recipes are my favorite!
Kathleen
Hi Kathleen, I’d make it the day of the dinner, if possible. Enjoy!