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
This cake is amazing!! super moist and the frosting is very complementary to the cake. Cant wait to bring it to my family so they can try
I hope they all love it! I’m so glad to hear you’ve enjoyed this recipe, Larysa! Thank you for that awesome review!
Happy Thanksgiving Natasha! I made this cake for my family today. This is the BEST pumpkin cake I have ever had and I couldn’t stop eating it. You are absolutely right that everyone loved me for this delicious cake thank you for the awesome recipe. Hope you have a wonderful holiday with your loved ones. I also posted pictures of the pumpkin cake on Instagram and tagged you.
That’s so great Lydia! Thank you for sharing and tagging! I’m happy you enjoyed this recipe!
I just started following you and I love watching you. I have made some of your recipes and they were fantastic (beef and broccoli, a shrimp dish) You are sooo fun!
Tonight I am going to make the Pumpkin Cake!! I hope it turns out great!
I hope so too, Melisse! We look forward to yourfeedback!
Natasha, this turned out wonderful! My only alteration was I made a browned butter buttercream frosting instead, and I mixed the granulated sugar in with the wet ingredients to dissolve better. Next time I make it I’ll try experimenting since my favorite autumnal spice blend is Vietnamese or Chinese cinnamon, with ground ginger and ground allspice.
I was curious if you have a basic yellow cake recipe that has the same soft texture and crumb that this cake does? I’ve been searching for one and trying recipes for years to no avail.
Hi Wade, I don’t have one like that but this pumpkin cake does have the wonderful texture you’re describing.
I just made this delicious cake!!! I love it!!! It is absolutely yummy and super easy!!! I even made the pumpkin purée from scratch
Isn’t it the best! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Marilena!
Grazie! E’ stata una vera sorpresa e ho preparato la mia prima torta alla zucca. Sono felice di essermi ispirata a questa ricetta!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that, Viviana! Thank you for that awesome feedback!
What is a stick? Is it too hard to use international terms?
Hi Hodda, I apologize that wasn’t more clear. I updated the recipe and even added the option to toggle back and forth to metric measurements.
Thank you for your attention and trouble. Am making this cake today.
I hope you enjoy this recipe!
Can you make this gluten free?
Hi Anna, one of our readers reported the following: “Delicious cake! I adapted this recipe to gluten and dairy free. I used gluten free plain flour and wiped coconut cream for the topping.” I hope that helps.
Hi , if making the night before..does it need to be refrigerated?
Thank you
Hi Ann, You can cover and refrigerate for 5 to 7 days. It does keep very well in the fridge
A big thank you for this recipe from the Netherlands. Baked the cake this morning. the whole family loves it. I’m going to check out your other recipes.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
I saw the video on Facebook and didn’t really bother reading your description (“not overly sweet”). It was pumpkin, I was sold. It was moist, the taste was great, I was just expecting the actual cake itself to be a bit sweeter tasting. Would make it again, just would probably use a bit more sugar.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
A regular cake uses one cup of sugar. This uses 1 and a half cups plus one for the icing. A lot of sugar.
As previous followers have exclaimed, this pumpkin cake is absolutely delicious, moist, and to die for! My husband is in for seconds! I have yet to make any of your recipes that don’t deserve 5 plus stars! Keep them coming and we, your followers, will keep on fearlessly cooking!
I’m so inspired reading your review. Thank you!
This is the perfect pumpkin cake recipe, absolutely delicious, made it last year and 2 times already this year, turns out amazing every time !
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
This is the perfect pumpkin cake recipe, absolutely delicious, made it last year and 2 times already this year, turns out amazing every time !
Awww that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
You MUST make this cake!! It is so easy and so good! I used 2tsp pumpkin-pie spice instead of cinnamon, and sprinkled pecan pieces over the top. I will never need another pumpkin cake recipe!
Freezes very well – just frost, cut into pieces, freeze the pieces on a parchment-lined cookie sheet until frozen, then pack into tupperware. Thaw at room temperature or in fridge.
Thanks Natasha and Yulia!!
That’s just awesome!! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
THANK YOU NATASHA, YOUR RECIPES ARE WONDERFUL AND EASY, THANKS AGAIN, LOOKING FORWARD TO YOUR NEXT RECIPE, HAVE A GREAT SUNDAY.
Thank you for that wonderful compliment! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe.
My family I loved it! I shared it with my immediate family and friends in Macedonia, so it’s spreading around.
Thank you Natasha!
Awww that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me. I’m all smiles!
I add 1/2 c of white raisins and 1 c of chopped walnuts to this and it is fabulous.
Great idea, Linda! I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
I want to make this in cupcakes, how long should I bake them for thanks:)
Hi Maureen, you sure can. One of our readers let us know this worked great for cupcakes. She did cut the bake time to 20 minutes however.
This cake is soooo easy and delicious! I was wondering, if I were to bake this into 2 9″ springform pans, would the oven temperature be the same?
Hi Nataliya, I would just be sure the center is done it shouldn’t take much longer than normal bake time
Hi there! I made this and it’s delicious! I did add 2 extra cups of confectioners sugar as it didn’t look or taste quite right to me. Most of my cream cheese frosting recipes have 2-4 cups of confectioners sugar to the amount of cream cheese and butter here. Just curious 1 cup was a typo? Yummmmmy!
Hi Sandra, it was not a typo, we just prefer to have frostings less sweet but you can definitely add it to taste. I’m so happy you enjoyed the cake!
Perfect, thank you! Love your recipes!
Wow, Sandra, that’s 5 cups of sugar for one cake. Almost a cup per serving slice.