This Easy Pumpkin Cake is our favorite, fluffy, moist and absolutely delicious pumpkin cake. It has a tender, moist and delicate crumb. The marshmallow-like whipped cream cheese frosting takes it over the top.

Easy pumpkin cake with marshmallow-like cream cheese frosting

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I invited my sisters and their families over for dinner this week and everyone really enjoyed it, especially the kids. I asked if they would be more likely to re-make this as a double decker fancy cake or an easy peasy sheet cake and the consensus was: EASY. Like 4 steps easy, including frosting!

Pumpkin Cake Recipe

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 Autumn. Plus, it’s not overly sweet so there’s no avoiding that second helping ;).

Pumpkin Cake Recipe topped with chopped walnuts

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! Some of our favorite recipes have been shared by our readers, like this persimmon bread. I love it when you all write in sharing your favorite recipes and tips. Those are my favorite kinds of emails! Thanks for thinking of me :).

Ingredients for Easy Pumpkin Cake

2 cups all-purpose flour *measured correctly
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)
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree (or make your own!)

*Watch our easy video tutorial on how to measure correctly

Ingredients for easy pumpkin cake

Ingredients for the Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 package (8oz) Cream Cheese, room temp, cut into quarters
1 stick (8 Tbsp) unsalted butter butter, room temp
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp real vanilla extract
Pecans to decorate, optional

Ingredients for Cream Cheese Frosting

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 (like this one) 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. 

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.

Easy Pumpkin Cake Recipe-10

2. In a second medium bowl, whisk together wet ingredients: 3 large eggs, 1 cup oil and 1 can pumpkin, until well combined.

Easy Pumpkin Cake Recipe-11

3. 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 cake cool completely in pan then spread the top with frosting (see below) and decorate with pecans or sprinkles.

This Easy Pumpkin Cake is done in 4 steps (with frosting)! The moist, delicate crumb and marshmallow-like whipped cream cheese frosting is irresistible!This Easy Pumpkin Cake is done in 4 steps (with frosting)! The moist, delicate crumb and marshmallow-like whipped cream cheese frosting is irresistible!

How to Make Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting:

1. Combine all of your frosting ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer (here’s the mixer I use) 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.

Easy Pumpkin Cake Recipe-13

How to Make Pumpkin Cake in 4 easy steps

More Dreamy Pumpkin Recipes:

Watch Natasha Make Pumpkin Cake:

You’ll be surprised how easy it is to make this pumpkin cake!

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Easy Pumpkin Cake Recipe

4.96 from 465 votes
This Easy Pumpkin Cake is done in 4 steps (with frosting)! The moist, delicate crumb and marshmallow-like whipped cream cheese frosting is irresistible!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients 

Servings: 12 slices of cake

Ingredients for Pumpkin Cake:

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 9x13 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) and decorate with whole or chopped pecans. I sprinkled pecans over individual slices since my son doesn't eat them.

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.

Notes

*To measure flour, spoon it into a measuring cup and scrape off the top.
**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

423kcal Calories55g Carbs5g Protein21g Fat10g Saturated Fat1g Polyunsaturated Fat8g Monounsaturated Fat0.3g Trans Fat80mg Cholesterol268mg Sodium208mg Potassium2g Fiber37g Sugar6062IU Vitamin A2mg Vitamin C72mg Calcium2mg Iron
Nutrition Facts
Easy Pumpkin Cake Recipe
Amount per Serving
Calories
423
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
21
g
32
%
Saturated Fat
 
10
g
63
%
Trans Fat
 
0.3
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
1
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
8
g
Cholesterol
 
80
mg
27
%
Sodium
 
268
mg
12
%
Potassium
 
208
mg
6
%
Carbohydrates
 
55
g
18
%
Fiber
 
2
g
8
%
Sugar
 
37
g
41
%
Protein
 
5
g
10
%
Vitamin A
 
6062
IU
121
%
Vitamin C
 
2
mg
2
%
Calcium
 
72
mg
7
%
Iron
 
2
mg
11
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Pumpkin Cake
Skill Level: Easy
Cost to Make: $
Calories: 423
Natasha's Kitchen Cookbook

If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen

Slice of pumpkin cake on a plate topped with whipped cream cheese frosting

Now the question is when are you going to be making this? At the very least, pin it for later. This one’s a keeper!

This Easy Pumpkin Cake is done in 4 steps (with frosting)! The moist, delicate crumb and marshmallow-like whipped cream cheese frosting is irresistible!
This Easy Pumpkin Cake is done in 4 steps (with frosting)! The moist, delicate crumb and marshmallow-like whipped cream cheese frosting is irresistible!
4.96 from 465 votes (233 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




Comments

  • Sherry Smith
    October 11, 2018

    Absolutely wonderful cake ! Family loved it !

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      October 11, 2018

      Hi Sherry! I’m so happy your family enjoyed this!

      Reply

  • Sherry Smith
    October 11, 2018

    This is amazing ! Made it this morning , so moist & light at the same time ! Thank you so much for the recipe !

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      October 11, 2018

      You’re welcome, Sherry! I’m so happy you enjoyed that!

      Reply

  • Vicky
    October 10, 2018

    One word: DELICIOUS!! Light, fluffy and moist and I cant wait to make massive amounts for the holidays. Thanks for yet another wonderful recipe!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      October 10, 2018

      This would be perfect for the holidays! Thank you for this wonderful review!

      Reply

  • Tanya
    October 10, 2018

    This looks absolutely delicious and easy!!! I am going to make it for a fundraiser this week! 😉

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      October 10, 2018

      That’s so great, Tanya! I’m so happy you liked it!

      Reply

  • James
    October 8, 2018

    This cake taste Delicious! Thank you Natasha for a wonderful recipe.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      October 8, 2018

      You’re so welcome! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the wonderful review!

      Reply

  • Karen B.
    October 7, 2018

    I’ve been making this cake for years. My mother-in-law always made it, only she put a cup of chocolate chips and one of chopped walnuts in it and omitted the frosting. Very good snack cake. I will try it with your frosting, looks amazing. And you are adorable! Love your site and have made quite a few of your recipes. Always delicious!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      October 7, 2018

      You’re so nice! Thank you for this feedback Karen!

      Reply

    • Nolene
      October 9, 2018

      All of the tasty choices You are the best you bring to view
      I uses these all the time I am making your Pumpkin Cake for a party
      I am A forever follower

      Reply

      • Natasha
        October 9, 2018

        I’m so glad you enjoy our recipes and I hope you love the pumpkin cake!

        Reply

  • Tammy
    October 6, 2018

    Awesome recipe! Thanks so much!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      October 6, 2018

      You’re so welcome Tammy!

      Reply

  • Dana
    October 5, 2018

    Can i use grapeseed oil instead of olive oil?

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      October 5, 2018

      Hi Dana! Although I haven’t tried grape-seed oil in this recipe I think it will hold up well if you used it.

      Reply

    • Anna
      October 8, 2018

      I regularly replace olive with grapeseed oil in baking and it ALWAYS works very well…I even prefer it over olive oil. 🙂

      Reply

  • rutgenesis
    September 18, 2018

    Hi Natasha! I am so happy to follow your recipes thank you so so much! I read you can use three ripe bananas instead of the pumpkin. I wonder if I can do this recipe using sweet potatoes? thank in advanced!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      September 19, 2018

      Hi there! That is a great question but I honestly have never tried that so I can’t say. I think mashed sweet potato may work! If you experiment I would love to hear how you like it!

      Reply

      • rutgenesis
        September 19, 2018

        thank you Natasha! I will try and keep you posted! xoxo

        Reply

  • Katie
    September 8, 2018

    How do you think this would work as cupcakes?!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      September 8, 2018

      Hi Katie! It sure does. One of our readers let us know this worked great for cupcakes. She did cut the bake time to 20 minutes however.

      Reply

  • Toni
    September 1, 2018

    My eldest grandson hates veg.. when I made carrot his reply was who puts carrots in a cake lol .. so I sent him to work with a large piece of pumpkin cake and was shocked to hear he wanted more lol so your cakes a winner all round

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      September 1, 2018

      That’s so awesome! I love that! Thank you for sharing that with me, Toni!

      Reply

    • Silvia
      September 9, 2018

      I made this cake for a fundraising dinner, and it blew everyone’s mind! They even took home leftovers. To be completely honest, I didn’t use the frosting from this recipe, I made my own tried and tested version, but the cake itself was phenomenal, light and full of flavour. I used home made pumpkin puree from organic pumpkins I had at home, which is a bit more work but worth it for the quality

      Reply

      • Natashas Kitchen
        September 9, 2018

        I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the wonderful review, Silvia! 🙂

        Reply

    • Karla
      September 16, 2018

      My fiancé, soon to be husband, loves all things pumpkin 🎃 I would try a pumpkin cake. I was intrigued by the recipe but fearful of making a homemade cake. I thought I would give it try since it was his birthday. The batter appeared not to be as smooth as your batter in the picture so I add three tablespoons of milk, of course it made it thinner. I made your frosting. The results were amazing! We loved it. So moist and tasty. I believe this will be the recipe that stays in this family! Thank you!

      Reply

      • Natashas Kitchen
        September 16, 2018

        I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe Karla! Thank you for sharing this with all of us!

        Reply

  • Sandy
    September 1, 2018

    Can you by any chance substitute for the sugar?

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      September 1, 2018

      Hi Sandy! I haven’t tried that yet but one of my readers has and here is what they wrote “I baked this cake for my husband who is watching his sugar levels. I used stevia instead of the sugar and of course skipped the frosting. It turned out perfect! Tastes great! He loved it!” I hope this helps.

      Reply

  • Zara Owen
    September 1, 2018

    Wow. I was blown away by how easy and yummy this was. Even though I hate the word – really “moist”. Even loved by some very skeptical children.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      September 1, 2018

      That’s so amazing! Thank you for sharing that with us, Zara!

      Reply

  • Amy
    August 31, 2018

    This recipe is such a winner! I had organic pumpkins, so I just steamed half a chopped up pumpkin over boiling water till it was very soft, then blended it up with electric beaters along with the eggs and oil. Easy as! I can’t believe this is the first time I’ve made a pumpkin cake. It’s just come out of the oven and the smell is UNBELIEVABLY DELICIOUS!!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      August 31, 2018

      Thank you for the amazing review, Amy! I’m so happy you enjoyed it!

      Reply

  • Mrs H
    August 29, 2018

    Just made your pumpkin cake and wow it’s lush ty

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      August 29, 2018

      I’m so happy you enjoyed that!

      Reply

  • Ella
    May 27, 2018

    Can we use plain flour?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      May 28, 2018

      Hi Ella, all purpose flour in this recipe is the basic flour used in most recipes. Are you referring to something else?

      Reply

    • Leonie Keatley
      June 15, 2018

      Hi Ella. Plain flour is all purpose flour. Hope that helps. I grow my own pumpkins, then cook and mash them too. Beautiful recipe that I continue to use again and again.

      Reply

      • Natashas Kitchen
        June 15, 2018

        Thank you for the wonderful compliment, Leonie!

        Reply

  • rosemarie.kmball
    April 6, 2018

    Thank You for this recipe
    I just baked yet another one
    I have stuck pineapple chunks into the top before baking
    Very good

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      April 6, 2018

      You’re welcome! That sounds interesting, I’m glad to hear the recipe was a success. Thanks for sharing! 🙂

      Reply

  • SA
    February 21, 2018

    This is an amazing cake! Definitely a keeper. It’s so good, I can’t stop eating it! I used a little lesser oil and added half tsp of nutmeg and it still turned out moist and delicious. Next time, I’ll reduce the sugar a bit. Any suggestions for substituting the pumpkin with another fruit and still getting this awesome taste and texture?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      February 21, 2018

      Thank you for the nice review 😀. Three ripe bananas can be used instead of pumpkin puree.

      Reply

      • rutgenesis
        September 18, 2018

        ohhhh I might try that! thank you!!

        Reply

        • Natashas Kitchen
          September 18, 2018

          You’re welcome!

          Reply

  • Kara
    November 26, 2017

    Hi Natasha! Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe. The cake is so moist, yet light. This is the first time making a homemade cake and it came out perfectly! I look forward to trying some of your other recipes. Kara

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      November 27, 2017

      You’re welcome Kara! I’m glad to hear the recipe is such a success. Thanks for sharing your wonderful review!

      Reply

  • Dudie Sipe
    November 5, 2017

    We have a problem! This cake is sooooo delicious, that I have made 3 in 3 weeks time.It’s one of those cakes that just get better as the days go by. Not that too many days go by before it’s gone. Thanks so much for sharing. This is a fall favorite now!!!!!

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      November 6, 2017

      LOL!! You’re welcome! I’m glad to hear how much you love this recipe! Thanks for sharing your fantastic review!

      Reply

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