Rich, moist, and perfectly spiced pumpkin cake that’s smothered between a delicious cream cheese frosting. Its everything you want in a pumpkin roll, but easier and faster!
If you want to make a mini version of this cake, you should try our pumpkin spice cupcakes! They are perfect for fall parties and potlucks.
Pumpkin Cake Recipe
It’s been a tradition at our house to make a pumpkin roll for Thanksgiving along with mini pecan pies and pumpkin cheesecake. I love the taste and texture of a pumpkin roll, but not so much the making of it. It’s kind of a finicky thing to make. There are times that that cake roll will crack as you try to roll it up, even when it’s still warm. So this year I’ve decided to take all the ingredients of a pumpkin roll and make it into a cake. This is so much EASIER, and it tastes just as amazing! It’s practically foolproof.
How to make easy pumpkin cake
- Like any basic cake, you want to sift the dry ingredients first using a mesh strainer.
- Then you want to beat your eggs and sugar on the highest speed setting until the become super voluminous and pale yellow. Then you can add in the pumpkin pie spice and vanilla, along with the dry ingredients.
- Bake the pumpkin cake in 9-inch baking pans. Bake in the oven as instructed in the recipe card below. In the meantime, you can make the cream cheese frosting.
- Once your cake is cooled you can assemble it with chopped pecans in between each fluffy cake layer and homemade frosting.
How to assemble pumpkin cake
- Since the cake layers are going to have chopped nuts in between, you want to be sure to frost the bottom and top of the cake layers with the cream frosting. (See photo below)
- So you want to start off by smothering a generous amount of the frosting on the first cake layer and cover it with the crushed pecans. Then add a thin layer of the homemade frosting on the bottom of the next layer and stack it on top. That way the pecans are sandwiched in between and won’t fall off.
- Continue doing this until you’ve reached the top layer. Then coat it with the remaining cream and decorate as you wish.
How to store pumpkin cake
The best way to preserve the texture and taste of this cake is to put it in a cake storage keeper with a snap-on lid and keep it in the fridge until ready to serve.
How long does pumpkin cake keep?
After you’ve assembled your cake, you want to keep it refrigerated in a semi-airtight dish for up to 4 days. On day 5 is when you will taste that the cake isn’t as fresh tasting.
Can I freeze pumpkin cake?
Yes, you can! The best way to freeze any cake is by letting it come to a solid frozen state in the freezer. Then wrap the iced cake in plastic wrap and then foil.
How to thaw homemade pumpkin cake
If you want to thaw your frozen cake, remove the foil and plastic wrap and let it defrost at room temperature. This cake should take roughly 2-3 hours to thaw after being frozen solid.
More PUMPKIN recipes for you to enjoy
Pumpkin Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 4 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups golden brown sugar
- 1 cup vegetable or corn oil
- 15 oz pumpkin puree canned
Cream cheese frosting
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter softened
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 3/4 cup pecans chopped (for topping)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Then line a 9x13 inch baking dish with parchment paper and spray it with nonstick spray.
- In a large bowl, sift the 2 cups flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, and 3 tsp pumpkin pie spice. Then set it aside for later.
- In a separate bowl, use an electric hand mixer to combine 4 eggs, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 1/2 cups golden brown sugar, 1 cup corn or vegetable oil, and 15 oz can pumpkin puree. Mix on medium-high speed.
- Then add the dry ingredients into the wet. Use the hand mixer to combine everything thoroughly.
- Now pour the thick cake batter into your prepared 9x13 inch pan. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes. Baking time may vary depending on the oven. The best way to tell if the cake is done is when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Transfer the baked cake onto a cooling rack and allow it to cool for at least 1 hour.
- In the meantime make the cream cheese frosting by adding 1/4 cup unsalted softened butter and 8 ounces softened cream cheese into a bowl. Whisk together on high speed until smooth and creamy.
- Then add 3 cups powdered sugar, 2 tsp vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Mix again until smooth and creamy.
- Once the cake has cooled, generously smother the cake with the cream cheese frosting. Top with chopped toasted pecans (optional).
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted on Nov 18, 2015, we’ve tweaked it a bit since then.
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Antonia says
What a beautiful cake. I bet it tastes amazing!
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you Antonia!
Anna says
Looks easy! I love anything pumpkin, thanks!
simplyhomecooked says
This cake was a winner for us because of how simple it was to make, and of course the taste as well 🙂 Hope you enjoy it Anna!
LORETTA GILBERT says
That looks delicious and your instructions are very clear. Thanks for the inspiration, I would love to give it a try. Happy Thanksgiving.
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you Loretta, I tried my best 😉 Happy Thanksgiving to you too.