Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Moist, perfectly spiced pumpkin pie is topped with tangy cream cheese frosting for an easy and delicious dessert that’s perfect for both a weeknight and your Thanksgiving table.

I love a dessert recipe that can do double duty. For example, a simple recipe you can throw together over a week that’s also delicious enough to serve to company or for your Thanksgiving dessert.

My Pumpkin Pecan Pie Bars, Puff Pastry Apple Pie, and Apple Butter Pie are all examples of these types of recipes.

This pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting also fits this bill.

Simple pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting

You don’t have to be here long to know that I’m all about pumpkin recipes from September through Thanksgiving.

And I’ve posted a handful of pumpkin pie recipes over the years. We have my grandmother’s pumpkin crunch pie (and her famous pumpkin roll), pumpkin coffee pie, and even a gooey pumpkin butter pie.

But this year I realized I’ve never shared a classic recipe for pumpkin sheet cake. Obviously the situation had to change immediately.

For this recipe I modified my pumpkin donut. Since it’s made in a 9×13-inch pan, you don’t need any special pans or equipment—you don’t even need an electric mixer for the cake batter.

But just because it’s easy to make, don’t think it’s not delicious. This pie is full of our favorite warm fall spices and lots of pumpkin flavor. The crumb is tender and the cake stays moist for days, even after being refrigerated.

Add tangy cream cheese frosting and you’ve got a dessert incredible enough to serve at Thanksgiving but simple enough to make any day of the week.

How to prepare this pumpkin pie

To prepare my pumpkin pie you will need:

• 2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon of baking soda
• 2 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree

One of the things that keeps this pumpkin pie so perfectly moist is the combination of pumpkin puree and vegetable oil in the batter. Oil-based cakes (like carrot cake and zucchini cake) are not only easy to make: the oil keeps the cake from drying out!

Before you start baking, make sure you know how to measure flour correctly. This will help your cake come out perfect every time.

For the cream cheese frosting you will need:

• 4 ounces softened cream cheese
• 1 tablespoon softened unsalted butter
• 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1-2 tablespoons milk (optional)
• ¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (optional)

Both the cream cheese and butter need to be softened before making the frosting, otherwise it is likely to split.

The butter should soften quickly since we only use a small amount. If you forget to make the cream cheese ahead of time, check out my tips for quickly softening cream cheese.

Have you run out of icing sugar? Don’t panic. Learn how to make powdered sugar and use it instead!

Make the cake

When making the dough for this pumpkin pie, feel free to use a stand mixer or electric mixer, but you can also mix everything by hand.

In a large bowl, mix the sugar and oil until well combined. Add the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.

Alternate adding the dry ingredients and pumpkin to the wet ingredients. Add half of the dry ingredients, then all the pumpkin, finally the second half of the dry ingredients. Be sure to mix well after each addition.

Spread batter into greased 9×13-inch pan. Bake in the oven at 180°C for 30-35 minutes, taking care to rotate the pan just beyond halfway to obtain even cooking.

The cake is made with a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center and comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool completely before making the cream cheese frosting.

For the frosting, use an electric mixer to beat together the cream cheese and butter for about 2 minutes. Slowly add the icing sugar, then add the vanilla and mix for another 2 minutes.

If you want the icing to be more liquid, add milk until you reach the desired consistency. For a slightly spicy flavor, add optional pumpkin pie spice and stir until well combined.

Spread the icing over the cake. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Tips for storing and freezing

Since this pumpkin pie is topped with a cream cheese frosting, store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

I think the flavor only gets better with time, so it’s a perfect cake to make the day before serving. Leave to rest at room temperature for up to an hour before serving.

You can also freeze this cake for long-term storage:

• Freeze the unfrosted cake by wrapping it in plastic wrap, then in heavy-duty plastic wrap. Freeze for up to 2 months.
• If the pumpkin pie is already frosted, place it in the freezer until firm. Wrap well and freeze for up to 1 month.
• For individual slices, place on a baking sheet and freeze until firm. Store in a zippered freezer bag and freeze for up to 1 month.

For more details, see my post on how to freeze cake.

Frequently asked questions