Pumpkin Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Published September 13, 2014. Updated December 14, 2018

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Do we need much more in life than cake? This Pumpkin Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting is over the top delicious! It’s soft and moist with just the right amount of pumpkin and spice, and the frosting is one of my favorites.

Pumpkin Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting | Cooking Classy

I know I’ve been a little pumpkin crazy, even though it’s not technically fall yet. To me though it’s felt like fall for the last few weeks since I’ve been waking up to chilly mornings, ending the day with cold evenings and getting out my warm pajamas and slippers, plus I’ve had this never ending cold (seriously what a rip off right? Fall is still a ways away). A slice of this cake made everything better though :).

Some may wait for a celebration to make cake, but what’s the point in that? I’d say weekends count as celebration if you really need an excuse.

Pumpkin Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting | Cooking Classy

Pumpkin Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting | Cooking ClassyCinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting | Cooking ClassyPumpkin Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting | Cooking Classy

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4.84 from 6 votes

Pumpkin Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

The tastiest pumpkin cake! It's brimming with pumpkin flavor and autumn spices and it's finished with the best frosting!
Servings: 16
Prep40 minutes
Cook35 minutes
Ready in: 3 hours

Ingredients

Frosting

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter 3 9-inch round cake pans and line bottoms with a round of parchment paper, butter parchment and set aside.
  • In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger for 20 seconds, set aside. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip together butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and 3 Tbsp of the vegetable oil until pale and fluffy (occasionally scrape down sides and bottom of bowl throughout mixing process).
  • Mix in remaining 1/4 + 1 Tbsp vegetable oil. Blend in eggs one at a time, adding in vanilla with last egg. In a bowl or large liquid measuring cup, whisk together pumpkin with milk. Working in three separate batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture, add 1/3 of the flour mixture alternating with half of the pumpkin mixture and mixing just until combined after each addition.
  • Divide batter among three prepared cake pans and spread batter into an even layer. Bake in preheated oven until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 30 - 35 minutes.
  • Cool in cake pans 15 minutes, then run a knife around edge of cake to loosen and invert onto wire racks to cool completely.
  • Once cool frost cake with cinnamon cream cheese frosting (I recommend letting cake rest in refrigerator for a bit in an airtight container (such as a cake carrier) for cleaner cut slices. Store cake in an airtight container in refrigerator, if fully chilled, let rest at room temp only until not cold before serving.

For the frosting:

  • In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip together cream cheese and butter until smooth and fluffy.
  • Add cinnamon, vanilla and powdered sugar and mix on low speed until combined, then increase to medium and whip until pale and fluffy (if frosting is runny, cover and refrigerate just until it no longer is runny before spreading on cake).
Nutrition Facts
Pumpkin Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
Amount Per Serving
Calories 614 Calories from Fat 270
% Daily Value*
Fat 30g46%
Saturated Fat 19g119%
Cholesterol 103mg34%
Sodium 358mg16%
Potassium 184mg5%
Carbohydrates 83g28%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 62g69%
Protein 4g8%
Vitamin A 4925IU99%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 77mg8%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition values are estimates only. See full disclaimer here.

 

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150 Comments

  • Sandi

    I used this recipe last November for a friend’s wedding. I accidentally used pumpkin pie filling instead of plain pumpkin so there was a double dose of spices but the flavor was amazing! The bride’s mother requested buttercream icing so I made a cinnamon buttercream and it was really tasty too! This recipe is definitely a keeper!! Thank you for sharing!

  • Karen

    This cake. It is delicious. I made it yesterday for thanksgiving and the only thing I changed is I increased the cinnamon and nutmeg an extra teaspoon (or so :)). Huge hit! Thank you!!

  • Liss

    This is a wonderful recipe!
    I have made this three times: once with homemade pumpkin puree, once with canned pumpkin (and forgetting 8 oz. of the cream cheese in the frosting. whoops.) and once with organic canned pumpkin. This recipe comes out unusually picture-perfect every time and the frosting is beautifully cooperative.

  • Ten F.

    I love this recipe!! I actually ended up making it gluten free and it turned out lovely, but a bit dense. Instead of your cinnamon cream cheese frosting I decided to make maple pecan frosting and man… 0_0 Good stuff. The cake wasn’t too sweet so it worked well with the frosting. Can’t wait to make this again!

  • Amber

    Hi! I absolutely love this cake! I have made it many times and i get requests for it all the time! I want to try putting it in 2-10in layers. How would you adjust the cooking time in order to bake it properly?

  • Sarah

    Just made this cake and it is delicious. My layers are very moist and closer in texture than in your picture. Do I need to bake for longer or just reduce some of the milk that goes in with the pumpkin? Thank you x

    • Jaclyn

      Jaclyn Bell

      Either that or maybe just bake it a little longer. I also recommend sticking the libby brand because it’s the most consistent as far as moisture in the pumpkin goes. I’m glad you liked it though :)!

      • Sarah

        Thanks for such a speedy reply! I did use the Libby brand pumpkin :) and will definitely be making this cake again. Thank you x

  • Kelli

    I’ve made this twice now, the first time last year when I was pregnant, and then this year for my daughters first birthday. I received so many compliments. The cake it so moist and the frosting is perfect. Will definitely continue making this every year :)

    • Jaclyn

      Jaclyn Bell

      I’m glad you like it enough you’d make it again and again! Thanks for your comment Kelli!

  • Twyla

    Hi There! This recipe looks so wonderful. I was wondering if I could make this in a bundt style cake or would it affect it too much?
    Thanks :)