Easy Pumpkin Cake Recipe (2024)

This super moist and easy pumpkin cake recipe is full of spiced pumpkin goodness, with a tender crumb that melts in your mouth. To make it even better, it’s topped with a cinnamon spiked cream cheese frosting that really takes this cake to another level!

What is Pumpkin Cake Made of?

Pumpkin

First let’s go over the key ingredient in this cake – pumpkin!

This recipe uses canned pumpkin (I use Libby’s canned pumpkin), but you can use fresh pumpkin too. When choosing canned pumpkin, you want to make sure you get 100% pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.

If you prefer to use fresh pumpkin puree, then the method you use is important, as you want to reduce the amount of excess liquid in your pumpkin. I would recommend steaming your pumpkin (as opposed to boiling it), and then blending it to make the puree. The BBC has a good article on how to prepare pumpkin puree, and you can check out here.

Spices

Apart from the other usual ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda etc.), this recipe also uses spices, so you could technically call this a pumpkin spice cake!

The spices I use are cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice and cloves. You can adjust the spices based on your own taste, but I would recommend giving the cake a try with all the spices first – it really takes it to the next level!

If you have pumpkin spice seasoning, then you can use that in replacement of the spices in this recipe if you prefer.

Other Ingredients

One other notable ingredient in this cake is vinegar. People are usually stumped when they see vinegar on the ingredients list, and I often get a lot of questions asking why vinegar is used in some of my recipes (like my vanilla cake and red velvet cake).

In short, vinegar is used in baking due to the acetic acid it contains and when added to baking, it enhances flavors, textures, and even contributes to the rise of our baked goods. This recipes uses baking soda to help create it’s fluffy texture, so the vinegar helps ensure there is enough acid in the recipe for the baking soda to react with. For more information on the magic behind vinegar in baked goods, check out my blog post on why vinegar is used in baking.

For the frosting, I decided to go with a cream cheese frosting (based on my original cream cheese buttercream recipe), but with the addition of ground cinnamon. It adds a wonderful cosy flavour to the frosting, which goes so well with the pumpkin cake!

How to Make Pumpkin Cake

This pumpkin cake comes together really easily in a few quick steps – no mixer required!

Being by preheating your oven to 160 °C (320°F)with the fan on and grease and/or line two 8 inch cake pans (I use my homemade cake release). If your oven doesn’t have a fan option, then you will need to increase the baking temperature to 175°C (350°F).

In a bowl, sift together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg, allspice and cloves. Using a whisk or fork, mix until well combined. Set aside.

In a large bowl combine white sugar, eggs, vegetable oil, pumpkin puree, milk, vanilla extract or essence and vinegar. Using a clean whisk, mix untill well combined and the mixture is smooth.

Pour your dry ingredients into your wet ingredients and gently fold together with a spatula until just combined. Do not overmix the batter.

Distribute the batter evenly into the two 8 inch cake tins, and bake for 28-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Once baked, allow them to cool in the cake tins for about 15 minutes, and then turn them out onto a wire rack to completely cool before frosting.

How to Make Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Begin by creaming unsalted butter for a few minutes until it’s light and fluffy. Either use a hand mixer or stand mixer on a medium high speed. If using a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment.

Add in the icing sugar in 3 batches while mixing on low. Ensure that each batch of icing sugar is mixed into the butter well before adding in the next batch.

Next add in your cold cream cheese, vanilla and cinnamon. Mix just until the frosting is smooth. Avoid over-mixing.

How to Decorate Pumpkin Cake

Once the cakes are cool, level the tops with a serrated knife so that the cake layers are flat.

Place one cake layer onto your cake stand/serving platter and place a generous amount of frosting on top. Smooth it out with an offset spatula.

Place your next cake layer on top and cover the top and sides with more frosting. You can use a cake scraper to smooth out the sides.

I like to finish off with some piping on the top. I usually use a 1M star piping tip and pipe cupcake swirls around the top edges of the cake. I also place a walnut on the top of each swirl and sprinkle additional crushed walnuts around the top of the cake. Once done, slice and enjoy!

Commonly Asked Questions:

Why is my pumpkin cake too moist and dense on the bottom?

If you find that your pumpkin cake is too moist, isn’t holding it’s shape and is gummy in certain areas, it’s usually caused by too much liquid in your recipe. To combat this, reduce the amount of pumpkin in the recipe, or other liquids used in the recipe.

This can particuarly become a problem if using fresh pumkpin puree. Ensure excess liquid is drained out of the pumpkin puree before using it in the cake batter.

What pairs well with pumpkin cake?

This recipe uses a cinnamon cream cheese buttercream as the cakes frosting, but pumpkin cake also pairs really well with whipped cream frostings, caramel sauce, vanilla ice cream and nuts like walnuts and pecans.

How to store pumpkin cake?

If making the cake without the frosting, it can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for a few days, after which it should be placed in the refrigerator.

If making the cake with the cream cheese frosting, then it can stay out at room temperature for the day, but after that should be refrigerated. Be sure to store the cake in an airtight container in the fridge to prevent the cake from drying out.

Where can I buy canned pumpkin in New Zealand?

Canned pumpkin isn’t really a thing here in New Zealand, so I can totally understand if you’re finding it hard to source! You can find some brands online, or head to Martha’s Backyard, which is where I got my Libby’s 100% pure pumpkin 🙂