Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Nothing says fall like this easy Pumpkin Cake recipe. It's a family favorite that is great for birthdays, parties, and any other get togethers. This recipe is topped with a fluffy homemade cream cheese frosting which adds the most perfect tangy and sweet flavor to the soft pumpkin pie cake.

Another reason to love this recipe is that it is so stinking easy. You basically just need to mix your dry ingredients, mix your wet ingredients, combine the two, and then bake. Both the cake and the frosting can also be made ahead of time or even frozen.

A slice of our easy pumpkin cake recipe topped with cream cheese frosting on a small white plate with a fork.

Pumpkin Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting Video Tutorial

Key Ingredients

Baking Powder: This helps the cake rise and become extra fluffy.
Spices: Cinnamon, Ginger, and Cloves are used in this recipe. Hello, fall flavors! Pumpkin pie spice is a great substitute.
Butter: Melted butter is used in the cake batter instead of oil because everything is better with butter! It keeps the cake nice and moist. You will also need some softened butter for the cream cheese frosting.
Eggs: Eggs hold the entire batter together and give it that spongy consistency once it's baked.
Pumpkin: Pumpkin Puree is the magic in this recipe. You can use canned pumpkin puree, making sure that the only listed ingredient is pumpkin. You don't want any added flavors or sweeteners! If you make your own homemade pumpkin puree, just be sure to weigh out 16 ounces.
Cream Cheese: Regular, full-fat cream cheese is what the recipe calls for, however, low-fat cream cheese also works great.
Powdered Sugar: This gives the frosting sweetness without any sugar granules.

Pumpkin cake batter in a baking dish ready to bake.

How to Make this Easy Pumpkin Cake Recipe

Combine the wet ingredients. Whisk together the melted butter, canned pumpkin, and eggs.
Combine the dry ingredients. Mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt.
Stir together. Mix the wet and dry ingredients together using a rubber spatula.
Bake. Pour into a greased 9" by 13" pan and bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick poked in the cake comes out clean.
Make the frosting. Beat the butter until light and fluffy. Add the soft cream cheese and beat again until light and fluffy again. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and mix on low, then increase speed and beat until fluffy.
Frost the cake. Spread evenly over the cooled Pumpkin Cake and cut into pieces. Enjoy!

A slice of this simple pumpkin cake recipe being removed from the full sheet cake.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you use homemade pumpkin puree instead of canned?

Yes! You can substitute an equal amount of Homemade Pumpkin Puree rather than canned pumpkin puree if you want. It's a great way to use pumpkin puree and tastes delicious. Be sure to use a kitchen scale to weigh the amount, rather than using a measuring cup because 16 ounces by weight and by volume will be different!

Can you make pumpkin cupcakes?

Sure! Just spray regular muffin tins with nonstick cooking spray or line with cupcake liners. Fill about ¾ full and bake as directed. You'll want to keep an eye on the cooking time as it will likely be a little different from baking the full Pumpkin Cake. Once cooled, you can top with the cream cheese frosting.

Storing and Freezing Instructions

Refrigerator: store your leftover frosted cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. I recommend bringing them to room temperature for at least 30 minutes before eating.
Freezer: unfrosted cupcakes freeze great for up to 2 months. Store in an airtight container or freezer bags and thaw out in the fridge overnight or on the counter top for a few hours before you plan to frost and serve.

Easy Pumpkin Cake Recipe

This easy Pumpkin Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting is a perfectly spiced fall dessert. It's easy to make, super moist, and has fluffy cream cheese frosting. This pumpkin cake recipe is everyone's favorite!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 25

Total Time 30

Servings people

Calories 794kcal

Author The Carefree Kitchen

Ingredients

Pumpkin Cake

1 cup Butter melted
16 oz Canned Pumpkin or homemade pumpkin puree
4 large Eggs
2 cups All-Purpose Flour
1-⅔ cups Sugar
2 tsp Baking Powder
2 tsp Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Salt
¼ tsp Ginger
¼ tsp Cloves

Cream Cheese Frosting

½ cup Butter room temperature
8 oz Cream Cheese room temperature
2 cups Powdered Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Instructions

How to Make Easy Pumpkin Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Spray a 9"x13" baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the melted butter, pumpkin puree, and eggs. Beat until the ingredients are combined.
In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan.
Bake in your preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Remove cake from the oven and let cake cool completely while you make the frosting.

How to Make Cream Cheese Frosting

With an electric mixer, beat the butter until light and fluffy. Add the soft cream cheese and beat again until light and fluffy again. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and mix on low, then increase speed and beat until fluffy.
Spread evenly over the cooled Pumpkin Cake and cut into pieces. Enjoy!

Nutrition

More Fall Dessert Recipes

This is an easy Pumpkin Cake recipe and is a perfectly spiced fall dessert. It's so easy to make, it's super moist, and has fluffy cream cheese frosting.

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