Moist Pumpkin Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
This easy pumpkin spice cake with cream cheese frosting is everything I want in a fall dessert—soft, moist pumpkin cake, plenty of warm cinnamon and spice, and a thick layer of tangy cream cheese frosting on top. I added a little optional cardamom for extra warmth, and the frosting uses extra cream cheese so there’s more of it without making it overly sweet. It’s an easy 9 x 13 pumpkin cake that’s perfect for Thanksgiving, fall gatherings or simply enjoying with a cup of coffee.
A Quick Taste of This Easy Pumpkin Cake
This easy pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting is soft, moist and full of warm fall spices. Pumpkin purée keeps the crumb tender, while cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and optional cardamom add that cozy autumn flavour. The thick cream cheese frosting is a little less sweet than usual, which I really like because you can actually taste the cream cheese.
Why This Pumpkin Spice Cake Is So Good
What I like most about this moist pumpkin spice cake is the texture. It stays soft without feeling wet or heavy, and the combination of oil and a little melted butter gives you both moisture and flavour.
The frosting is another reason this one works so well. Using extra cream cheese gives you a generous layer without needing piles of icing sugar. It is creamy, tangy and rich, but not cloyingly sweet.
And the spices are easy to adjust. I like the little bit of optional cardamom because it adds something different in the background without taking over. You probably won’t immediately think “cardamom.” It just tastes warm and really good.
Perfect for Fall, Thanksgiving and Holiday Dessert Tables
This pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting is an easy dessert for Thanksgiving, fall potlucks, Halloween parties, family dinners or holiday gatherings. Because it is baked in a 9 x 13-inch pan, it is simple to transport and easy to cut into squares for a crowd.
It is also one of those cakes that tastes just as good the next day. Maybe even better after the spices have had a little time to settle in. Serve it chilled, slightly cool, or let each piece sit out for a few minutes so the frosting softens before serving.
Making this easy pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting is pretty straightforward. Mix the pumpkin cake batter until it is smooth and evenly combined, then bake it in a 9 x 13-inch pan until the centre is set. Once the cake is completely cool, spread a generous layer of thick cream cheese frosting over the top. I like leaving a few soft swirls in the frosting—it looks homemade, and that is exactly the point.
Tips for the Best Moist Pumpkin Cake
- Use pure pumpkin purée. For the best pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting, use plain canned pumpkin rather than pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling already contains sugar and spices and will throw off the recipe.
- Don’t overmix the batter. Once the flour goes in, mix only until the dry streaks disappear. The batter should look thick and smooth. A little restraint here helps keep the pumpkin spice cake soft and tender instead of heavy.
- Start with the hotter oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F, then reduce it to 350°F as soon as the cake goes in. I like doing this because you lose some heat when the oven door opens, especially with a large 9 x 13-inch pan.
- Check the centre, not the edges. The edges of pumpkin cake can look done before the middle is ready. Insert a toothpick into the centre. A few moist crumbs are fine; wet batter means it needs a little longer.
- Let the cake cool completely. This one really does need to be cool before frosting. If the cake is even slightly warm, the cream cheese frosting will soften and start sliding around.
- Use brick-style cream cheese. Full-fat cream cheese from a brick gives you a thicker, richer frosting. Tub-style cream cheese contains more moisture and can make the frosting loose.
- Add heavy cream only if you need it. With the extra cream cheese in this frosting, you may not need any cream at all. I usually check the texture first. You want it thick enough to hold those nice soft swirls.
- Try the optional cardamom. Just a small amount adds another layer of warm fall flavour. It shouldn’t taste strongly of cardamom. It simply makes the cinnamon, ginger and pumpkin taste a little more interesting.
- For clean pumpkin cake squares, chill briefly before slicing. About 20–30 minutes in the refrigerator firms up the cream cheese frosting and makes those generous squares much easier to cut neatly.
Easy Pumpkin Cake Variations to Try
- Add toasted pecans or walnuts. Fold about 3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts into the batter for a little crunch. I like to toast them first—the flavour comes through much better in a moist pumpkin spice cake.
- Make it extra cinnamon-spiced. Increase the cinnamon by another 1/2 teaspoon if you want a stronger warm-spice flavour. Pumpkin can handle quite a bit of spice without becoming overwhelming.
- Use the optional cardamom. A small 1/8 teaspoon of ground cardamom gives this easy pumpkin cake a slightly different warm flavour. Keep it subtle. Too much cardamom can quickly take over.
- Add chocolate chips. Fold 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips into the pumpkin cake batter before baking. Pumpkin and chocolate work surprisingly well together, especially if you want a richer fall dessert.
- Try a maple cream cheese frosting. Replace the vanilla in the frosting with 1–2 teaspoons pure maple syrup for a lightly maple-flavoured cream cheese frosting. Don’t add too much or the frosting can become soft.
- Finish with chopped nuts. Sprinkle toasted pecans or walnuts over the cream cheese frosting instead of cinnamon. It gives the pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting a nice bit of texture and looks especially good for Thanksgiving.
- Add a little orange zest. Stir about 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest into the batter. It doesn’t make the cake taste like orange; it just brightens the pumpkin and warm spices a bit.
- Keep it simple. You can skip the optional cardamom and cloves and stick with cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg for a more traditional homemade pumpkin cake. Sometimes simple really is best.
How to Store Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Refrigerate the frosted cake. Because this pumpkin cake has cream cheese frosting, keep it covered in the refrigerator rather than leaving it on the counter for long periods.
- Store it well covered. Keep the cake in an airtight container or cover the baking pan tightly. This helps prevent the moist pumpkin cake from drying out and keeps the cream cheese frosting from picking up refrigerator odours.
- It keeps well for several days. Properly stored, this pumpkin spice cake with cream cheese frosting will keep in the refrigerator for about 4–5 days.
- Let it warm slightly before serving. I think the texture is better if a slice sits at room temperature for about 20–30 minutes before eating. The cake softens up and the frosting becomes creamier.
- Freeze the cake without frosting for best results. Wrap individual slices or the whole unfrosted cake tightly in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 2 months.
- You can freeze frosted slices too. Freeze the slices until the frosting is firm, then wrap them carefully. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. The frosting may not look quite as freshly swirled, but it still tastes good.
- Don’t leave it uncovered in the fridge. Pumpkin cake is naturally moist, but the exposed edges can dry out surprisingly fast. A good cover makes a big difference.
Easy Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Equipment
- 9 × 13-inch baking pan
- Large mixing bowl
- Medium mixing bowl
- Electric mixer
- Whisk
- Rubber spatula
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Offset spatula
- wire cooling rack
Ingredients
Pumpkin Spice Cake
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom optional
- 4 eggs large, room temperature
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
- 1 15 oz pure pumpkin purée
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 12 oz cream cheese full-fat brick-style, softened
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 2 1/4 cups icing sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream optional
- Ground cinnamon optional for garnish
Instructions
Make the Pumpkin Cake
- Heat the oven.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. You can also line the bottom with parchment paper for easier removal.
Mix the dry ingredients.
- Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and optional cardamom to a medium bowl. Whisk until the spices are evenly distributed through the flour.
Whisk the eggs and sugars.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, brown sugar and granulated sugar until the mixture looks smooth and well blended.
Add the pumpkin and fats.
- Pour in the oil and melted butter, then add the pumpkin purée and vanilla. Whisk until everything is evenly combined and the batter has a rich orange colour.
Finish the batter.
- Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture. Fold gently with a spatula just until no dry patches of flour remain.
- Try not to keep stirring once the batter comes together. Overmixing can make a pumpkin cake heavier instead of soft and tender.
Bake.
- Spread the pumpkin cake batter evenly in the prepared pan.
- Place the pan in the oven and immediately lower the temperature from 400°F to 350°F.
- Bake for approximately 32–38 minutes, or until the centre of the cake is set and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean or with a few soft crumbs attached.
Cool completely.
- Set the pan on a wire rack and let the pumpkin cake cool completely before adding the cream cheese frosting.
Make the Cream Cheese Frosting
- Beat the softened butter with an electric mixer until creamy.
- Add the softened cream cheese and mix just until smooth.
- Gradually beat in the icing sugar.
- Add the vanilla and a small pinch of salt. Mix until the frosting is thick, smooth and easy to spread.
- If the frosting seems unusually firm, add up to 1 tablespoon of heavy cream. Add it slowly—you may not need it.
- Spread the cream cheese frosting generously over the cooled pumpkin cake.
- Use an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to make soft swirls across the top. Finish with a light sprinkle of cinnamon if you like.
Best Tip for a Moist Pumpkin Cake
For the best moist pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting, do not overbake it. Start checking the centre a few minutes early and remove the cake when a toothpick comes out with a few soft crumbs rather than wet batter. Pumpkin cakes continue to set as they cool, and this helps keep the crumb soft, tender and moist instead of dry.Notes
- Use pure pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling, for the best moist pumpkin cake texture and flavour.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F, then lower it to 350°F when the pumpkin cake goes in.
- Do not overmix the batter once the flour is added. Mix just until combined for a softer pumpkin spice cake.
- Use room-temperature eggs so the batter blends more evenly.
- The optional cardamom adds a subtle warm spice that pairs really well with pumpkin, cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Use full-fat brick-style cream cheese for a thick, creamy frosting that holds its shape.
- The extra cream cheese makes this cream cheese frosting less sweet while still giving you plenty to spread over the cake.
- Let the cake cool completely before frosting or the cream cheese topping may soften too much.
- For clean slices, chill the frosted 9 x 13 pumpkin cake for about 20–30 minutes before cutting.
- Store leftover pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
Ellen Britt
Hi, I’m Ellen — a passionate home cook dedicated to creating easy, flavorful recipes inspired by real-life cooking and shared family traditions. Every recipe on this site is a true collaboration, developed and tested together in our kitchen to ensure it’s reliable, simple to follow, and absolutely delicious.
f you love easy pumpkin desserts, try my Pumpkin Crisp with Buttery Pecan Oat Topping next. It’s another cozy fall dessert with plenty of pumpkin flavour and a buttery pecan oat topping.
