Easy Pumpkin Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
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A delicious pumpkin spice cake topped with homemade cream cheese frosting is perfect for Fall! This easy dessert is great for Thanksgiving or Fall gatherings.
Ingredients Needed
Pumpkin Spice Cake
Cream Cheese Frosting
How to Make Pumpkin Spice Cake
Grease a 9×13 baking dish with butter and set aside.
Add butter, brown sugar, white sugar, pumpkin puree, applesauce, and vanilla extract to a large bowl. Mix until fully incorporated with a hand mixer.
Add in the eggs and mix well.
Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, and salt in another bowl, until thoroughly combined.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until fully blended. Don’t forget to scrap the sides of the bowl as needed.
Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish.
Bake in the oven for 32-36 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Allow the cake to cool for 60 minutes on a cooling rack before frosting.
How to make Cream Cheese Frosting
In a large mixing bowl, add cream cheese, butter, and vanilla. Mix with a hand mixer until creamy.
Gradually add powdered sugar, pumpkin pie spice, milk, and salt. Mix slowly for 20 seconds and then increase the medium to high speed. Mix for 2 minutes until the frosting is thick and fluffy.
Don’t forget to scrape the sides of the bowl if needed.
Once the pumpkin spice cake has cooled, frost the top of the cake. Make sure to spread evenly.
Top with crushed walnuts.
Tips
- Heavy cream or almond milk can be used in substitution for the milk.
- If you would like more spice you can add ½ teaspoon to 1 teaspoon more of cinnamon or pumpkin spice.
- The cake can be stored in a sealed container for up to 4 days at room temperature or up to one week in the fridge.
How To Store Pumpkin Spice Cake
Pumpkin Spice cake can be stored in an air-tight container for up to 4 days if sitting at room temperature. If you store it in the fridge, it may last up to 1 week.
Pumpkin Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Pumpkin Spice Cake
- ½ cup butter melted
- 1 teaspoon butter melted
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- ½ cup white sugar
- 15 oz can pumpkin puree
- ½ cup applesauce
- 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 4 eggs
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 16 oz cream cheese (2 – 8 oz blocks)
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 2 tablespoons milk
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Topping
- 1 cup walnuts finely chopped
Instructions
Pumpkin Spice Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F
- Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish with 1 teaspoon of butter and set aside.
- In a large bowl add the ½ cup butter, brown sugar, white sugar, pumpkin puree, applesauce, and vanilla extract. Mix with a hand mixer until incorporated.
- Add the eggs to the bowl and mix well.
- In a separate bowl whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, and salt until fully combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until fully blended, scraping the sides as needed.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake for 32-36 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool for 60 minutes on a cooling rack before frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a large bowl add the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla and mix with a hand mixer until creamy.
- Gradually add the powdered sugar, pumpkin pie spice, milk, and salt to the bowl. Mix slowly for 20 seconds and then increase to medium to high speed and mix for 2 minutes until the frosting is thick and fluffy while scraping the sides as needed.
- Frost the top of the cake, while spreading evenly.
- Place the walnuts in a ziplock bag and roll with a rolling pin to create a finer consistency. Sprinkle the walnuts on top.
- Serve immediately or within 3 days.
Notes
- Heavy cream or almond milk can be used in substitution for the milk.
- If you would like more spice you can add ½ teaspoon to 1 teaspoon more of cinnamon or pumpkin spice.
