Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting might just be a better pairing than Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting! It's so good I almost can't imagine any other topping more perfect for this cake. It's so soft, fluffy and moist with a tender crumb and toasted pecans both in the cake and on top. I usually don't prefer nuts in cake for textural reasons, but pecans are so buttery soft that it just works!

WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS RECIPE:

• Moist pumpkin cake - this recipe makes a super moist pumpkin cake that stays moist without drying out!
• Soft and fluffy texture - you will love how tall and fluffy the cake is! It's soft and delicate with rich flavor thanks to a combination of butter and oil.
• Pumpkin spice cake - the fragrant spices are so cozy and warming, and they pair with pumpkin so well. You can use your favorite pumpkin spice blend, your make your own with a combination of cinnamon, ginger, clove, nutmeg and allspice.
• Easy one bowl recipe - all you need is a whisk, a bowl and a spatula to make this recipe. It is super simple to prepare.
• Cream cheese frosting - this is based on my favourite cream cheese frosting from my Ultimate Carrot Cake recipe! It's so easy to make - you just beat all of the ingredients in one bowl until smooth and it is just so luscious and creamy!

INGREDIENTS FOR PUMPKIN CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

• Unsalted butter - melted butter adds richness and tenderness. For this recipe you can use unsalted or salted butter. If you use salted butter, then reduce the added salt by half. I like to use butter in this recipe to carry the spice flavors so they are more rounded instead of sharp-tasting.
• Sunflower oil - this recipe uses a blend of butter and oil so that you get the flavor of butter and the soft texture from liquid oil.
• Brown sugar - brown sugar adds caramel-like flavor due to the molasses content and it really complements the pumpkin and the spices.
• Canned pumpkin - canned pumpkin is easily accessible and inexpensive. You can also make it yourself, but it is important to reduce it down so it is very thick otherwise the moisture balance will be off in the recipe.

• Eggs - one large egg will add enough structure to bind the cake without making the crumb too firm.
• Pure vanilla extract - vanilla will add rich backnotes. I like this Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla extract.
• Milk - I recommend using whole milk or 2% milk for this recipe and it helps if it is at room temperature.
• All purpose flour - regular unbleached all-purpose flour works great for this simple cake.
• Pumpkin pie spice - use your favorite brand, or make your own from a blend of 1 part nutmeg, clove and allspice with 2 parts cinnamon and ginger.
• Cream cheese - this needs to be softened to room temperature before making the frosting so pull it from the fridge 2 hours before making it.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

• STEP 1). Combine wet ingredients. Add melted butter, brown sugar, egg, pumpkin puree, vanilla and milk to a large bowl and whisk until evenly combined. Add baking powder, baking soda and salt and whisk to combine.
• STEP 2). Add flour. Sprinkle over the flour and spice and fold it in until just combined. Do not over-mix.
• STEP 3). Spread it out. Pour batter into prepared pan and spread it out evenly.
• STEP 4). Bake. Bake for 20-25 minutes until lightly golden and the cake springs back when pressed gently. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to the rack to finish cooling.
• STEP 5). Make the cream cheese frosting. Combine soft cream cheese, soft butter, icing sugar and vanilla extract in a medium bowl. Beat on low speed at first then increase to medium-high speed and beat for 1-2 minutes until smooth, creamy and fluffy. Spread it out over the cooled cake.
• STEP 6). Top with pecans. Sprinkle more toasted pecans over the cake. To toast pecans, you can do it in the oven or over the stovetop. Oven method: spread pecans out on a baking sheet and place in a 350 degree F oven for 7-9 minutes until they smell nutty and darken in colour. Stovetop method: place pecans in a dry frying pan over medium heat and shake the pan frequently to toast evenly - it may take 8-10 minutes.

EXPERT BAKING TIPS FOR PUMPKIN CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

• Do not over-mix the batter. Once the flour is mostly combined (with a few light streaks), then the batter is ready for baking.
• Use melted butter for the flavor. I like to use melted butter when making recipes that call for a lot of spice since it adds rich backnotes that carry the spice well so it is more rounded rather than sharp and astringent. If you prefer to use all oil, this recipe will still work.
• Use soft cream cheese and butter for the frosting. It's very important to have room temperature cream cheese and butter for the frosting in order to make sure it comes out smooth. Cold cream cheese will be lumpy and difficult to blend with the butter.

RECIPE FAQ

If you love cake, check out these recipes!

Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake Small Batch Double Chocolate Banana Muffins The BEST Blueberry Muffin Recipe Copycat Starbucks Lemon Loaf Raspberry Almond Cake Moist Chocolate Fudge Swirl Banana Muffins Banana Blueberry Oat Muffins Sticky Toffee Date Cake Whole Wheat Chocolate Banana Muffins Blueberry Peach Upside Down Cake