How to make pumpkin spice cake
Combine all cake ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl, increase the speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes more, scraping down the sides as needed. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with a spatula.
Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and place the pan on a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes.
When completely cool, frost with cream cheese frosting. To make cream cheese frosting, beat together cream cheese and butter until well-combined.
Add in the powdered sugar one cup at a time until you get to 3 cups, and beat on low for 30 seconds after each addition. Increase speed to medium and beat for 1-2 minutes or until combined well, scraping down the sides as needed.
Add enough milk to make a spreadable consistency, and then stir in vanilla. If you find that the frosting is too thin at this point, add additional powdered sugar in 2 tablespoon increments until you reach the consistency that you would like.
Spread frosting onto cooled cake. Refrigerate leftover cake.
Tips
Tips- Pumpkin puree: Be sure to use pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie mix.
- Oil: You can use a similar oil, like canola oil, in this recipe.
- Cream cheese: Regular or 1/3 less fat will work. I don't recommend using fat-free cream cheese in this recipe.
- Butter: I use salted butter.
- Milk: You can use nondairy milk or any dairy milk from skim to whole.
Storage
I recommend storing this cake, covered, in the fridge for up to 7 days.
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Pumpkin Spice Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 15 ounce package spice cake mix
- 1 ¼ cups pumpkin puree
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup lukewarm water
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 16 ounces cream cheese (at room temperature)
- 1/4 cup butter (at room temperature)
- 3-3 ½ cups powdered sugar (sifted, plus additional if needed)
- 1-3 tablespoons milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350⁰F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Combine all cake ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
- Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl, increase the speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes more, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with a spatula.
- Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean, about 25-35 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and place the pan on a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes.
- When completely cool, frost with cream cheese frosting.
- To make cream cheese frosting, beat together cream cheese and butter until well-combined.
- Add in the powdered sugar one cup at a time until you get to 3 cups, and beat on low for 30 seconds after each addition.
- Increase speed to medium and beat for 1-2 minutes or until combined well, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Add enough milk to make a spreadable consistency, and then stir in vanilla.
- If you find that the frosting is too thin at this point, add additional powdered sugar in 2 tablespoon increments until you reach the consistency that you would like.
- Spread frosting onto cooled cake.
- Refrigerate leftover cake.
Notes
- Cake mix: You can make your own homemade spice cake mix with this recipe.
- Pumpkin puree: Be sure to use pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie mix.
- Oil: You can use a similar oil, like canola oil, in this recipe.
- Cream cheese: Regular or 1/3 less fat will work. I don't recommend using fat-free cream cheese in this recipe.
- Butter: I use salted butter.
- Milk: You can use nondairy milk or any dairy milk from skim to whole.
- Nutrition values are estimates.
Nutrition Information
Originally published 10/28/12. Updated with additional photos and tips 10/22/20.
adapted from The Cake Mix Doctor
Marie says
Love easy, moist delicious cake and it was all of those things. I added a little fresh grated ginger. Great recipe!
Kate says
Thank you!
Linda says
Great recipe! Very easy too.
Kate says
Thank you! I’m so glad that you liked the cake. =)
Eileen says
Why did my cake come out like pumpkin pie and not cake
Kate says
Did you happen to forget to add the cake mix? That would give you something that’s more like pumpkin pie than pumpkin cake.