Pumpkin Spice Latte Cake

Updated: Oct 9, 2025 by christina.marsigliese · 41 Comments

Pumpkin, spice and coffee come together tastefully in this flavorful Pumpkin Spice Latte Cake with a very soft and moist pumpkin cake soaked in espresso syrup and topped with a creamy espresso buttercream frosting. This is a simple one layer cake that packs a big punch of flavor! It shows off all the cozy flavors that we love about Fall. If you like making pumpkin desserts, try my popular Cinnamon Swirl Pumpkin Bread, Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins and my Chewy Pumpkin Cookies.

pumpkin spice latte cake sliced on parchment

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

Easy to make - all you need is a whisk, a bowl and a spatula to make this recipe. It is super simple. It's a one bowl recipe!
Moist pumpkin cake- this pumpkin cake is SO moist on its own, and then especially soft with the coffee soak added.
Soft and fluffy texture - you will love the fluffy texture.
Pumpkin spice latte flavor - the spiced pumpkin cake is marbled with espresso pumpkin cake to create this flavor that is inspired by Starbucks' iconic Fall beverage. Coffee and pumpkin spice marry well together in desserts.
Coffee syrup soak - you brush a simple mixture of espresso and sugar over the cake and it soaks in slightly to give a beautiful marbling effect.
Coffee buttercream - rich, creamy coffee buttercream gives the "latte" vibe to complete this themed cake.

slice of pumpkin spice latte cake on plate

INGREDIENTS FOR PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE CAKE

Oil - you can use any neutral-tasting oil, but I prefer sunflower oil for baking since it has a very clean flavor and is stable.
Granulated sugar - I use white sugar since there are so many other flavors in this cake, but brown sugar would also work and add additional caramel-like flavor from the molasses.
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. Make sure you use pure pumpkin and NOT pumpkin pie filling which has sugar and spices already added.
Eggs - one large egg will add enough structure in combination with the pumpkin.

Pure vanilla extract - vanilla will add rich undertones. I like this Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla extract.
Yogurt - a bit of plain yogurt balances the sweetness and adds more body.
All purpose flour - regular unbleached all-purpose flour works great for most cakes.
Pumpkin spice - a fragrant blend of cinnamon, ginger, clove, allspice and nutmeg is a classic pairing with pumpkin and caramel.
Espresso - I use espresso powder to make instant espresso for the soak and also for the buttercream. you just need sugar, cinnamon and bit of cocoa to make the swirl mixture.
Butter - I pair this cake with a quick buttercream frosting that is perfectly sweet and adds so much creamy coffee flavor.

HOW TO MAKE PUMPKIN SPICE

To make pumpkin pie spice at home, blend certain proportions of ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice and clove. Here is my recipe for homemade pumpkin pie spice that yields about 3 tablespoons of total spice.

pumpkin spice latte cake sliced on parchment paper

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS: HOW TO MAKE PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE CAKE

STEP 1). Make the pumpkin cake. Combine dry ingredients. Combine flour, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Then set aside the flour mixture.
STEP 2). Combine wet ingredients. Combine pumpkin, oil, yogurt, egg and vanilla in a medium bowl and whisk well until smooth.
STEP 3). Combine wet and dry ingredients. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and fold together until the batter is uniform.
STEP 4). Make coffee batter. Remove ½ cup of batter and gently stir in ½ teaspoon espresso powder.
STEP 5). Bake. Pour the pumpkin batter into the prepared baking pan. Dollop the espresso batter on top and swirl it in. Bake the cake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center.
STEP 6). Make the latte soak. While the cake cools, make the latte milk soak by mixing together the espresso, milk and brown sugar.
STEP 7). Make the frosting. Beat the very soft butter with powdered sugar until very fluffy. Add 1 tablespoon cream and vanilla. Sprinkle the espresso powder on top of the cream and beat until combined. Gradually beat in the remaining tablespoon of cream until smooth and creamy.
STEP 8). Decorate the cake. Spread the creamy frosting all over the cake and then drizzle with a bit of the coffee syrup and sprinkle with cinnamon.

pumpkin spice latte cake batter in baking pan before baking

EXPERT BAKING TIPS FOR PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE CAKE

Do not over-mix the batter. Once the flour is just combined, then the batter is ready for baking. It may look a little lumpy, but resist over mixing which will create tunnelling in the cake.
Cool the cake before adding the syrup. Sometimes I like to add a warm soak to a warm cake, but this pumpkin cake is already very moist and tender on its own so I prefer to let it cool before adding the warm soak so that the finished cake doesn't become mushy.
Reserve a tiny bit of syrup for decorating. I like how the droplets of espresso look over the frosting.

slice of pumpkin spice latte cake on plate with bite

RECIPE FAQ

Can I make this pumpkin cake with butter?

Yes, you can use melted butter to make this recipe and it still works well, however the batter will be much thicker and the crumb will be slightly firmer since butter is a solid fat at room temperature.

How to make homemade pumpkin pie spice?

Pumpkin spice is easy to make at home! To make homemade pumpkin pie spice, blend certain proportions of ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice and clove. Here is my recipe for homemade pumpkin pie spice that yields about 3 tablespoons of total spice.

Can I use fresh pumpkin for this recipe?

I use canned pumpkin puree for baking for two main reasons: 1). Consistency - if I buy the same brand all the time then I am guaranteed to have the same results. Homemade pumpkin puree will vary in moisture content depending on how long you cook it; and 2). Ease! - it's so much easier to use canned pumpkin and the quality is just as good.

Can I freeze extra pumpkin puree?

Since you don't need a whole can of pumpkin puree for this recipe, I always freeze the rest and use it for another recipe later on - it works so great! You can freeze it in an ice cube tray or just spoon portions of it into a ziptop bag and freeze. You can also stir it into soup, which is so delicious!

sliced pumpkin spice latte cake on parchment

If you love baking with pumpkin, check out these recipes!

PECAN PUMPKIN STREUSEL MUFFINS THE BEST CHEWY PUMPKIN COOKIES CHEWY PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE BARS WITH PECAN PRALINE PUMPKIN CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING CHOCOLATE MARBLE PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE SQUARES DOUBLE CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI BREAD CLASSIC BANANA BREAD RECIPE MAPLE PECAN BANANA BREAD WITH DARK CHOCOLATE DOUBLE CHOCOLATE BANANA BREAD

If you love baking with pumpkin, check out these recipes:

More cake recipes...

Here are more of my favorite easy cake recipes:

Video