Easy Pumpkin Cake with Homemade Cream Cheese Frosting – made with a box mix for a quick, cozy dessert that’s perfect for fall!
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Pin RecipeThe Easiest Pumpkin Cake Recipe
If you’re a regular reader, you know I love to find ways to make a boxed cake mix taste homemade, and this pumpkin cake recipe is the perfect example of how you can take an ordinary store-bought cake mix and create a swoon-worthy dessert. Adding a can of pumpkin, sour cream, and extra eggs results in a tender crumb you just can’t get by following the recipe on the box. And the homemade cream cheese frosting? Well, that’s just the icing on the cake. (Literally!)
Anyone who spends the end of summer counting down the days to pumpkin spice latte season will appreciate this pumpkin spice cake recipe. In fact, you might just want to pair a PSL with a piece of pumpkin cake for a festive fall snack!
I love that this recipe starts with a shortcut, but there are enough ingredients added to the mix that it feels like baking from scratch. No need to measure flour, spices, and baking powder—it’s all in the cake mix!
(If you love the flavors in this recipe, you’ll also enjoy my Pumpkin Coffee Cake!)
Recipe Ingredients:
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
- Spice cake mix
- Granulated sugar
- Eggs – This may seem like a lot of eggs compared to the instructions on the box, but they help give the cake more volume and lift, which it needs with the added pumpkin and sour cream.
- Vegetable oil
- Water
- Sour cream
- Canned pumpkin – Make sure you buy pumpkin puree, not pie mix.
For the frosting
- Cream cheese – Let the cream cheese soften to room temperature so it will mix in without causing lumps.
- Butter
- Powdered sugar
Directions For How To Make Pumpkin Cake
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF and coat the bottom of a 9×13 baking pan with baking spray with flour.
Step 2. Combine all of the cake ingredients in a large bowl and beat on low speed with an electric mixer. Once the dry ingredients are incorporated, increase the speed to high and beat for 2 minutes.
Step 3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, then bake the cake for 24 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cake on a wire rack for about 30 minutes.
Step 4. Beat the cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer at low speed. Once the mixture is smooth, start pouring in the powdered sugar a cup at a time and beat it in until all of the sugar is incorporated and the frosting is smooth and creamy.
Step 5. Spread a thin layer of the frosting along the sides of the cake, then use the rest to frost the top. Store the cake in the refrigerator.
Variations
- Pumpkin Walnut Cake – Add chopped walnuts to the cake batter or sprinkle them over the frosting. (Or if you really love nuts, do both!)
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake – Add 2/3 cup of mini chocolate chips to the cake batter.
- Cupcakes – Make the recipe into cupcakes; bake at the same temperature, but check the cupcakes after 18 minutes.
- Canned pumpkin – You can use homemade pumpkin puree, too, but keep in mind that it usually has a higher water content than canned. I recommend lining a colander with a cheesecloth or paper towel and letting the pumpkin puree sit for 20 minutes to drain off some of the excess moisture.
- Cream cheese frosting – Use my favorite cream cheese frosting recipe or a can of store-bought cream cheese frosting if you want to make this easy pumpkin cake even easier!
Tips For Success
- Make sure the cake is completely cooled before you frost it for the best results.
- Pumpkin doesn’t really have much flavor on its own, so when baking with pumpkin, make sure to pair it with spices that complement its mild, earthy flavor. Cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cardamom, and nutmeg all work well with pumpkin.
Storage + Reheating
To Store: This pumpkin cake needs to be refrigerated since it has cream cheese frosting. It will last about 5 days in the fridge.
To Freeze: I recommend freezing it without the frosting, although you can freeze it with the frosting, too (it’s just a little bit harder to keep it looking nice). Wrapped well, this cake will last up to 2 months in the freezer.
Pumpkin Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 box spice cake mix
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 4 eggs
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- ¼ cup water
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- 1 can 15 oz pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
Frosting
- 2 8oz cream cheese packages softened
- ½ cup butter softened
- 5 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F. Spray bottom only of 9×13 pan with baking spray with flour.
- In large bowl, beat cake ingredients with electric mixer on low speed until moistened, then on high speed 2 minutes.
- Add batter to pan and spread evenly. Bake 24 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Cool completely on a wire rack for about 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter with electric mixer on low speed until smooth. Gradually beat in powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, until smooth.
- Spread thin layer of frosting on side of cake. Spread remaining frosting on side and top of cake. Store covered in refrigerator
Nutrition
Share With Us!
I hope you enjoy this delicious pumpkin cake! If you give it a try, please share your experience in the comments below. Don’t forget to tag me on social media @allthingsmamma and use the hashtag #allthingsmamma.
