Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

This delicious dessert is just about the most classic pumpkin recipe you’ll ever make. After all, who hasn’t had some kind of pumpkin treat combined with cream cheese frosting? It’s a classic. While I love making pumpkin bars and pumpkin bread, my absolute favorite is pumpkin cake. First, I bake a rich, tender, moist pumpkin cake loaded with cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg for that sweet, earthy flavor that’s so great about pumpkin. Then, I whip up a homemade cinnamon cream cheese frosting. It’s decadent, sweet and tangy, and adds even more cinnamon kick to the recipe. What I end up with is a tender pumpkin cake that’s ultra-moist and topped with a frosting that will have you licking your lips and coming back for seconds and thirds.

Why You’ll Love This Pumpkin Cake Recipe

• It’s so moist and delicious, and it’s the perfect dessert for any time of year.
• It’s a favorite pumpkin cake recipe with a delicious cinnamon cream cheese frosting you can make whenever you like.
• Your entire house smells AH-mazing after you bake it!

Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting Tips and Variations

This is a very easy recipe to make, but as with all recipes – especially baked goods – there are a few things to know to ensure you get an amazing final product. I also have some great variations I think you’ll love, as well.

Tips

• To ensure the proper flour amount, gently scoop the flour out with a spoon and pour it into your measuring cup until it’s overflowing. Then, level it off with the flat of a knife. This keeps the flour from packing.
• Mix your wet and dry ingredients until just combined to limit the amount of gluten in the dough to keep it tender.
• Always let your cake cool completely before frosting it or the frosting will simply slide right off the cake.

Variations

• Try adding chocolate chips for a fun kick of flavor.
• Chopped walnuts work very well in this cake.
• Raisins are delicious in this cake.

Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting FAQ

If you have questions about this recipe, then read on. The following FAQ answers the most commonly asked questions about cake.

What is the difference between canned pumpkin and pumpkin pie filling?

Canned pumpkin is simply a can full of pumpkin puree. Pumpkin pie filling, on the other hand, has all the ingredients you need for a pie filling. That means it contains spices and sugar.

Should pumpkin cake be refrigerated?

Pumpkin cake on its own will last for a couple of days at room temperature in a covered container. However, this pumpkin cake is frosted with cream cheese so it must be refrigerated.

How long can cake sit out unrefrigerated?

An unfrosted cake will be edible for 3 to 6 days at room temperature provided it’s covered. However, this only applies if the cake is not frosted.

Why do you have to let cake cool before frosting it?

There are two main reasons to let your cake cool before frosting. First, a hot cake will actually cause the frosting to melt, leading to a sloppy mess. The second reason is that the hot or warm cake is very fragile, and you can break it apart if you attempt to frost it at this point.

Can you freeze pumpkin cake?

You sure can. Actually, you can freeze almost any cake. Just let the cake cool completely. Then open-air freeze it until solid. Finally, wrap it in a double layer of cling wrap and another layer of foil. Cakes that have a cream cheese frosting can only be frozen for up to a month. After that, the texture of the frosting will begin to change.

How to Store Leftover Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Store the cake in a cake container or large airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. For longer storage, you can place it in the freezer and freeze it for up to a month.

Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients

This cake uses simple ingredients that you can find easily at your local grocery store.

For the Cake

• All-purpose flour
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Cinnamon
• Ground cloves
• Ground nutmeg
• Salt
• Shortening
• Sugar
• Vanilla extract
• Large eggs
• Pumpkin puree
• Pecans, chopped

For the Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

• Cream cheese
• Butter, room temperature
• Vanilla extract
• Powdered sugar
• Cinnamon

How to Make Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Making this cake is just as easy as a shopping trip to get the ingredients. It’s a simple recipe that even beginners can make!

Step 1: Prep

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees and grease and flour a 13×9 baking dish. Set aside.

Step 2: Combine the Wet Ingredients

In a large mixing bowl, beat the shortening, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and pumpkin puree together until creamy.

Step 3: Combine the Dry Ingredients

In another medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together.

Step 4: Make the Batter

Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Then, gently stir in the chopped pecans. The batter will be thick.

Step 5: Bake

Spoon the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake for about 60 to 70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely.

Step 6: Make the Frosting

Beat the cream cheese and butter together until light and fluffy. Then, add the vanilla and cinnamon and mix well. Slowly add the powdered sugar, beating until you have a creamy frosting.

Step 7: Frost the Cake

Once the cake has cooled, evenly spread the frosting over the top. Enjoy!

Try This Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting Today

This deliciously moist, incredibly tender pumpkin cake is overflowing with our favorite pumpkin flavors and topped with a rich cream cheese frosting accented by a touch of cinnamon. It’s a rich, decadent dessert that’s so delicious and so easy to make. Try this recipe just once, and I know you’ll be serving it over and over again to your friends and family. It’s just that good!

More Pumpkin Recipes You’ll Enjoy

Pumpkin Spice Bread Pudding – A delicious and fall favorite bread pudding recipe that is loaded with pumpkin flavors and a sweet glaze.

Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes – Creamy cheesecakes that are topped with pumpkin pie filling, making this the ultimate fall dessert recipe.

Pumpkin Churros – A basic churro recipe that is made with pumpkin puree, deep fried, and then coated in cinnamon and sugar.

And, try this Pumpkin Roll from Great Grub, Delicious Treats. It’s layered with maple cream cheese frosting and then rolled into a giant roll to create a beautiful cake roll.