Pumpkin Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Updated on 05/25/22
Pumpkin cake cream cheese frosting

The Spruce / Diana Chistruga 

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 40 mins
Total: 55 mins
Servings: 12 to 16 servings
Yield: 1 cake

This two-layer pumpkin cake is topped off perfectly with a fluffy cream cheese frosting and chopped pecans. The cake is spiced with a combination of ginger and cinnamon. 

This moist, delicious cake would make a fabulous dessert for your Thanksgiving menu or bake it for a fall event or Halloween party. Make the cake ahead of time and freeze the layers—just see the tips below the recipe.

If you prefer a Bundt cake, take a look at this pumpkin pound cake with a maple glaze. Or, if you prefer a one layer cake, this pumpkin sheet cake with brown butter cream cheese frosting is a great choice.

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Ingredients

For the Cake:

  • 2 cups sugar

  • 1 cup vegetable oil

  • 4 large eggs

  • 2 cups (240 grams) all-purpose flour

  • 2 teaspoons baking soda

  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 2 cups pumpkin puree, canned, or cooked mashed pumpkin

For the Frosting:

  • 1 pound confectioners' sugar, about 3 3/4 cups unsifted

  • 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature

  • 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

  • 1/2 cup pecans, chopped

Steps to Make It

Make the Cake

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for cake
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga  

  2. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans. Heat the oven to 350 F / 180 C / Gas 4.

    Grease pan
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga 

  3. Combine the sugar, vegetable oil, and eggs in a large mixing bowl; mix until smooth and well blended.

    Combine sugar, vegetable oil, and eggs
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga 

  4. Combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl and then stir to blend.

    Combine dry ingredients in a bowl
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga 

  5. Add the dry ingredients to the eggs and oil mixture and beat until well blended. Add the pumpkin puree and blend well.

    Add dry ingredients
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga 

  6. Pour the batter into 2 greased and floured 9-inch-round layer cake pans.

    Batter in pan
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga 

  7. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. 

    Bake
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga 

  8. Cool in the pans on racks for about 10 minutes and then turn out onto racks to cool.

    Cool on racks
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga 

Make the Frosting

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Sift the confectioners' sugar into a bowl.

    Sift confectioner's sugar
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga 

  3. In a mixing bowl with an electric mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese until smooth and creamy.

    Beat butter and cream cheese
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga 

  4. Add the sifted confectioners' sugar and vanilla; beat until smooth. 

    Add sifted confectioner's sugar
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga 

  5. Frost the pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting and sprinkle with the chopped pecans.

    Frost cake
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga 

Tip

  • To make ahead, bake the cake and cool the layers on the rack. Move the cooled cake layers to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Freeze the layers until solid and then wrap in plastic wrap and foil. Freeze for up to two to three months. 
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
514 Calories
25g Fat
70g Carbs
5g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12 to 16
Amount per serving
Calories 514
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 25g 32%
Saturated Fat 6g 32%
Cholesterol 68mg 23%
Sodium 342mg 15%
Total Carbohydrate 70g 25%
Dietary Fiber 2g 6%
Total Sugars 55g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 1mg 7%
Calcium 55mg 4%
Iron 2mg 9%
Potassium 134mg 3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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