Pumpkin Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese
This Pumpkin Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting is the kind of dessert that feels like a warm hug. It’s soft, perfectly spiced, and topped with the dreamiest frosting you’ll ever taste. Whether you’re baking for a fall potluck, Thanksgiving table, or just because you need a little comfort, this cake brings joy with every bite.
Servings 12 slices
Calories 385kcal
Cost $10-$12
Ingredients
For the Pumpkin Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar light or dark, packed
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup milk any kind
For the Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 1 –2 tbsp milk as needed, for consistency
Instructions
- Start by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan or line it with parchment paper for easier removal. If using round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment circles.
- In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Mixing these first helps evenly distribute the spices and leaveners throughout the cake.
- In another bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, both sugars, oil, eggs, vanilla, and milk. Mix until smooth and well combined. You don’t need to overbeat it—just make sure there are no visible lumps.
- Gradually add the dry mixture into the wet mixture, stirring with a spatula or low-speed mixer until just combined. Be careful not to overmix, or the cake may turn out dense.
- Pour the batter into your prepared pan, smoothing the top with a spatula. Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely in the pan before frosting.
- While the cake cools, beat the cream cheese and butter together until creamy and fluffy. Add in the powdered sugar one cup at a time, followed by the cinnamon, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Add milk a little at a time until the frosting reaches your desired consistency. Once the cake is cool, frost generously and enjoy!
Notes
Let the cake cool completely before frosting.
If the cake is even slightly warm, the cream cheese frosting will melt and slide right off. Give it time to cool fully, or pop it in the fridge for 15 minutes to speed things up. Use room temperature ingredients.
Especially for the frosting, softened cream cheese and butter blend much more smoothly. Cold ingredients can cause lumps that are hard to fix later. Don’t skip the spices.
Even if you’re tempted to just use cinnamon, the combination of nutmeg and cloves brings warmth and complexity that really elevates the pumpkin flavor. Taste as you go.
Once you whip up your frosting, taste it before spreading. Want more cinnamon? A pinch of nutmeg? A splash more vanilla? Go for it.
If the cake is even slightly warm, the cream cheese frosting will melt and slide right off. Give it time to cool fully, or pop it in the fridge for 15 minutes to speed things up. Use room temperature ingredients.
Especially for the frosting, softened cream cheese and butter blend much more smoothly. Cold ingredients can cause lumps that are hard to fix later. Don’t skip the spices.
Even if you’re tempted to just use cinnamon, the combination of nutmeg and cloves brings warmth and complexity that really elevates the pumpkin flavor. Taste as you go.
Once you whip up your frosting, taste it before spreading. Want more cinnamon? A pinch of nutmeg? A splash more vanilla? Go for it.