This Easy Pumpkin Cake is our favorite, fluffy, moist, and absolutely delicious. It’s perfectly spiced with a tender, moist, and delicate crumb. The marshmallow-like whipped cream cheese frosting takes this pumpkin cake recipe over the top.
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Helpful Reader Review
“Very easy to make, cake was moist and delicious. I loved the cream cheese frosting because it wasn’t so sweet. Was loved by all the ladies at the luncheon.” – Mandy ★★★★★
Pumpkin Cake Video Tutorial
I’ll show you how easy it is to make the pumpkin cake and cream cheese frosting. If you aren’t a major pumpkin fan yet, you will be after trying this! We are quite smitten with this cake. It is on the regular rotation at our house in the Autumn. Plus, it’s not overly sweet, so there’s no avoiding that second helping ;).
Pumpkin Cake Recipe
This pumpkin sheet cake recipe was shared by one of my readers, Yulia. Thank you so much for sharing this treasure of a recipe with us! I now use the same base for my Pumpkin Bread Recipe, and some of our favorite recipes have been shared by our readers. I love it when you all write in and share your favorite recipes and tips. Those are my favorite kinds of emails! Thanks for thinking of me :).
The first time I made this, I invited all 4 of my sisters and their families over for dinner, and everyone really enjoyed it, especially the kids. I polled my sisters about whether they would be more likely to remake this as a fancy double-decker cake or this easy-peasy sheet cake, and the consensus was: keep it EASY. Like 4 steps easy, including frosting!
Ingredients for Easy Pumpkin Cake
- Pantry Staples – All-purpose flour (measured correctly), baking powder, baking soda (sifted to get rid of lumps), cinnamon and salt. You can add 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg and 1/4 tsp cloves for a more spiced flavor in the cake.
- Granulated sugar – Many of you have asked if it works to reduce the sugar, so I tested reducing it from 1 1/2 to 1 cup, and it still works, although it will be less sweet.
- Eggs – you can quickly bring these to room temperature by placing them in warm water for 10 minutes.
- Oil – use a neutral oil like extra light olive oil, vegetable or corn oil
- Pumpkin puree – use one 15 oz can homemade pumpkin puree.
Ingredients for Cream Cheese Frosting
My homemade cream cheese frosting is so versatile. It has a deeper flavor than buttercream and complements the pumpkin beautifully.
- Cream Cheese – 1, 8 oz package, at room temp, cut into quarters
- Unsalted butter – at room temperature. If you dice it up, it will soften faster.
- Powdered sugar – sweetens the frosting without being gritty.
- Real vanilla extract – I use homemade but storebought is fine
How to Make Easy Pumpkin Cake
Prep: Preheat oven to 350˚F. Using cooking spray or oil, grease a 9×13 non-stick baking pan or a Glass pyrex dish. Tip: If you’re serving it out of a metal pan, line it with parchment paper so you don’t scratch up your pan when serving.
- 1. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: 2 cups flour, 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1 tsp baking soda, 2 tsp baking powder, 2 tsp cinnamon and 1/2 tsp salt.
- In a second medium bowl, whisk together wet ingredients: 3 large eggs, 1 cup oil and 1 can pumpkin, until well combined.
- Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and whisk until smooth. Transfer to prepared baking dish and bake at 350˚F for 35-40 min (my oven took 35 mins), or until a toothpick poked in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely in the pan.
How to Make Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting:
- Combine all of your frosting ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer and, using the whisk attachment, beat on medium speed until combined, then beat on high speed 2-3 min or until fluffy, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- Once the pumpkin cake has cooled to room temperature, spread the frosting over the top.
To make the cake more festive and fun for special occasions, I like to decorate with chopped nuts or sprinkles.
Make-Ahead and Storage
- Make-Ahead Cake: You can pre-bake the cake the day before, let it cool to room temperature, then cover and store at room temperature overnight, or refrigerate up to 2 days. You can also tightly wrap in plastic wrap and foil and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Make-Ahead Frosting: Cover and refrigerate up to 3 days. To use, let it sit at room temperature for about 1 hour or just until spreadable or pipeable.
- Storing the Assembled Cake: Once the cake is frosted, it will keep well, covered in the refrigerator, for up to 4 days.
For the past 10 years, this is the cake I make most often for Fall family gatherings because it’s so well-loved and comes together fast. This one’s a keeper and is a perfect go-to for Thanksgiving and the holidays.
Easy Pumpkin Cake
Ingredients
Ingredients for Pumpkin Cake:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, *see note on measuring
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, *
- 1 tsp baking soda, sifted to get rid of lumps
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp cinnamon, *
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 3 large eggs, room temp
- 1 cup oil, extra light olive oil, vegetable or corn oil will work
- 15 oz pumpkin puree, can
Ingredients for Frosting:
- 8 oz cream cheese, room temp, cut into quarters
- 8 Tbsp unsalted butter butter, room temp
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- Pecans to decorate, optional
Instructions
How to Make Pumpkin Cake:
- Prep: Preheat oven to 350˚F. Grease a 9×13 non-stick baking pan or a Glass Pyrex dish.** In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: 2 cups flour, 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1 tsp baking soda, 2 tsp baking powder, 2 tsp cinnamon and 1/2 tsp salt.
- In a second medium bowl, whisk together wet ingredients: 3 large eggs, 1 cup oil and 1 can pumpkin, until well combined.
- Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and whisk until smooth. Transfer to prepared baking dish and bake at 350˚F for 35-40 min (my oven took 35 min), or until a toothpick poked in the center comes out clean. Let cake cool completely in pan then spread the top with frosting (see below).
How to Make Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting:
- Combine all of your frosting ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer and using the whisk attachment, beat on medium speed until combined, then beat on high speed 2-3 min or until fluffy, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- Once the pumpkin cake has cooled to room temperature, spread the frosting over the top, then decorate with chopped nuts or sprinkles if desired.
Notes
*If you prefer a less sweet cake, you can use 1 cup of sugar, and the recipe will still work.
*Several of you have reported great results adding 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg and 1/4 tsp cloves for a more spiced flavor in the cake.
**If you’re serving it out of a metal pan, line it with parchment paper so you don’t scratch up your pan.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
More Dreamy Pumpkin Recipes
If you love cozy pumpkin recipes, you will find some new favorites in this list:
- Pumpkin Cupcakes
- Pull-Apart Pumpkin Bread
- Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Pumpkin Flax Granola
- Pumpkin Pancakes
- Creamy Pumpkin Soup
- Pumpkin Cake Roll
- Pumpkin Pie
- Fluffy Pumpkin Waffles
Hi! Love this cake! Can I make the cake the day before and leave out room temperature and then frost next day? I’m making for thanksgiving and don’t have a lot of room refrigerator. Thanks!
Hi Marie, yes and, you can always make it the night before and store it. You can cover and refrigerate for 5 to 7 days. It does keep very well in the fridge
Hi! I love all of your recipes!
Will the frosting come out okay if I mix it by hand? I understand it could take longer.
Hi Dominique, I honestly haven’t tested making this recipe that way to advise. If you do an experiment, we’d like to know how it goes!
I’ve made this recipe a handful of times now and keep coming back. It makes 24 cupcakes perfectly.
Hi Tina! So glad you love this recipe. Thank you for the review.
I made this pumpkin cake the other day – delicious & so easy. I will definitely make it again & often.
I only made one change: instead of cinnamon I used pumpkin pie spice.
I didn’t make the frosting
-I already had some on hand, similar recipe &
-not everyone in my family likes or eats frosting
The cake is nice & moist so it’s good with or without icing.
Thank you for sharing that with us, we appreciate your good comments and feedback!
I was so excited to try out this cake but it had super strong taste of baking soda:( if you don’t want your cake to taste like baking soda ,please put half of what advertised in the recipe or don’t even put baking soda:(
Hi! Do you have any tips or adjustments for people baking at higher altitudes? I love all your recipes!
Hi Dominique! I’m glad you love my recipes. You may find this article on high altitude baking helpful.
Natasha, I want to thank you Again for a superb recipe!!! I made it yesterday for a Halloween dessert and it did not disappoint!!! My family raved about it and I even ate it for breakfast!! Lol. You are an amazing cook and we appreciate you sooo much!!
Hello Jackie, thank you for your kind words and good feedback. I hope you will love all the recipes that you will try!
You are my first and last resort when it comes to finding recipes or trying something brand new!
Every single one of your recipes is absolutely delicious! How can we support your business??
You are so kind! Thank you, Jackie! This kind of encouragement and feedback is the best kind of support! Thank you for your thoughtful comment! I hope you try and love more recipes soon!
Hi Natasha! This cake looks delicious! Do you think I could substitute a cup of melted butter for the oil? Thanks
Hi Paula, I’m guessing that will work but I haven’t really tried that yet to advise.
Hi Natasha, in the video you said you’d post a link to the can opener you used. I couldn’t find it. Can you please share the link.
Thank you
it is linked in our Amazon shop although it shows unavailable right now. The can opener we use the most right now (because it opens every kind of can whereas that safe opening one sometimes gets stuck on certain cans as we have found recently) – anyways, this is the can opener we love right now.
Thank you,
I have rheumatoid arthritis and thought the one used had less effort. Thank you..
this is absolutely best pumpkin cake ever ! Only recipe that i’ve used since discovering natasha ! no changes , follow recipe as written , delicious!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Sherry!
I have made this cake 3 times in the last month and it’s always a hit. Only thing I changed was I added fresh nutmeg. IF I have leftovers, I store in the refrigerator and it’s even better the next day. It’s now my go to pumpkin cake recipe.
Good to know that this is now your go-to recipe! Thank you for your good comments and feedback, Nancy.
Hi Natasha,
What are some other toppings that would be good for this cake for a little decor?
Hi Vaness, I only use our Cream Cheese Frosting which is also part of this recipe. But feel free to try and check my frosting recipes here that you can try.
Hi Natasha,
I love all your recipes! Can I make this is a foil pan? I want to drop it off to my daughter and roommates in college.
Hi Vanessa, I haven’t tried that to advise. I always use my baking pan or glass pyrex dish.
Hi~ Love your recipes, and have tried many! Now I’m going to make the pumpkin cake and was wondering if walnut pcs would taste ok instead of pecans. I can’t see why not it is just my preference and wanted your opinion. Thanks!!
Hi Sue. I think that would be just fine.
Bonjour
Est-ce qu’on peut les faire en cupcake? Si oui, combien cela donne de cupcake?
Merci.
Hi Christiane, yes, it will. One of our readers let us know this worked great for cupcakes. She did cut the baking time to 20 minutes.
My absolute favorite pumpkin recipe. Thank you so much for this, it is perfection!!!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Jenna!
This pumpkin cake is absolutely wonderful! Natasha, I’ve been making many of your recipes and they always turn out! Thank you. I did beat the frosting at room temperature like you suggested and added 2 1/2 c powdered sugar and it’s amazing. Amazing! And I added 1tsp cinnamon and 2 heaping tsp pumpkin pie spice. Everyone asked for the recipe. AND I made this gluten free and turned out great! Best gluten free cake I’ve ever made.
That’s wonderful, Deb! So glad it was enjoyed. Thank you for sharing.
Just made this cake, and it’s delicious! So moist and flavorful. I tweaked it a bit, by adding some extra spices and a bit of vanilla, and I just love it, so does my family! Thank you for sharing your recipe.
That’s great, Mary! Thank you for your review.
I made this pumpkin cake putting in a 1/2 cup honey and 1/2 sugar
Watched my cooking time and this was out of this world good . The frosting was excellent as well
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Christine!
The cake was absolutely delicious but i think may have screwed up somewhere along the line. The middle was still mushy. I did pop back in the oven. Any ideas on what I may have done wrong?
Hi Nicole! I’m sorry to hear that. A couple of things to help troubleshoot. Did you make any substitutions or measure any ingredients incorrectly? I would look through my process again to see if you missed anything. Also, be sure the oven is fully preheated before baking. I highly recommend using an internal oven thermometer to see how your oven heats and make any adjustments as needed. Lastly, if you used a smaller pan where the batter was thicker, it would take longer to bake.