Wholefully » Recipe Index » Desserts

Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Updated: September 13, 2025 / By: Cassie Johnston / This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy

Jump to Recipe

This pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting tastes like a harvest hug on a plate! Sweet and spiced pumpkin cake pairs perfectly with tangy cream cheese frosting, and best of all, it takes just a couple of minutes to whip together in one bowl.

Slices of pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting with pumpkin sugar garnishes sit on top of a serving platter.

🔍 Recipe At-A-Glance: Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

  • ⏰ Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • 🕰️ Bake Time: 50 minutes
  • ⏲️ Total Time: 1 hour (mostly hands-off)
  • 👥 Servings: 9 generous ones or cut it into 12 smaller slices to feed a crowd
  • 🥘 Good For: Fall potlucks, Halloween parties, Thanksgiving dinner, everyday Fall yumminess
  • 👩🏻‍🍳 Flavor Profile: Sweet, spiked with classic pumpkin spice: cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Creamy and tangy cream cheese frosting to balance.
  • ↪ Make-Ahead Friendly: Bake a day in advance-the flavor deepens and it stays moist.
  • 🧡 Difficulty: Easy enough for school-aged kids to make!

Summarize and Save this Recipe Using:

ChatGPT
Google AI
Perplexity
Grok
Jump to:

🧡 Why You'll Love This Recipe

Cassie Johnston smiles in a teal shirt while standing at a table with meal prep containers stacked high in front of her.

Hey friend: This pumpkin cake is the kind of cozy treat that makes your kitchen smell like fall and your friends ask for seconds. This cake is perfect served with my dirty chai latte recipe, homemade pumpkin spice latte, or really go for the autumnal gold and have it with a mug of my hot spiked apple cider.

Here's why you'll love this recipe:

  • Quick & Easy: Just 10 minutes of prep and the oven does the rest.
  • Big Fall Flavor: Loaded with pumpkin spice goodness-cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger in every bite.
  • Crowd-Pleaser: Perfect for potlucks, Halloween parties, or a Thanksgiving dessert table. Serve with a scoop of homemade pumpkin ice cream for fall birthday celebrations.
  • Stays Moist & Delicious: Keeps its tender texture for days, so you can bake ahead with confidence.

🎃 The Ingredients You Need

Ingredients for pumpkin cake including: flour, powdered sugar, eggs, pumpkin, cream cheese, brown sugar, butter
  • Pumpkin puree: You can use canned pumpkin puree from the store or make pumpkin puree (it's super easy).
  • Nutmeg, cinnamon, and ginger: these three spices are what give you the classic pumpkin spice flavor you're used to from fall treats like my easy pumpkin pie recipe, my homemade pumpkin spice latte, or these pumpkin brownies.
  • Cream cheese and butter: to make the most delectable rich and tangy creamy cheese frosting to top the cake

Make sure to check the recipe card below for the full ingredients list, along with quantities and my expert tips and tricks.

🔁 Substitutions & Variations

  • Use pumpkin pie spice: Save yourself some time and use premixed pumpkin pie spice instead of the individual spices. You can grab the pumpkin spice recipe from my recipe for pumpkin spice latte syrup recipe. Use 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice per batch.
  • Make it dairy-free: Swap out the butter for dairy-free butter (sticks are better than tubs) and the cream cheese for dairy-free cream cheese.
  • Make it gluten-free: I've used an all-purpose gluten free flour in place of the all-purpose flour in this recipe with good results.
  • Add some mix-ins: golden raisins, chopped walnuts or pecans, and mini chocolate chips are all fun additions.
  • Change up the decorations: royal icing pumpkin decorations are cute and easy, but you could also use fall-themed sprinkles, chopped nuts, or even just leave it classically simple!
  • Make cake pops: Turn this cake into festive fall cake pops!

🍰 How to Make Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

A blue stand mixer blends together butter and brown sugar in a white bowl

Step 1: Cream together softened butter, cream cheese, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.

A blue stand mixer blends together eggs, pumpkin puree, and other wet cake ingredients in a white bowl

Step 2: Add in the eggs, vanilla, and pumpkin puree and beat until smooth.

A blue stand mixer blends together wet and dry ingredients for pumpkin cake

Step 3: Add in the dry ingredients and mix until combined.

Unbaked pumpkin cake batter in a 8 x 8 square cake pan

Step 4: Spread the batter into an 8x8" baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in a 350°F oven for 50-55 minutes.

A blue stand mixer blending together ingredients for cream cheese frosting

Step 5: While the cake bakes, make the frosting by whipping together the butter and cream cheese.

A blue stand mixer whipping fluffy cream cheese frosting

Step 6: Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt and beat until smooth and fluffy.

An uncut pumpkin cake frosted with cream cheese frosting on a white countertop

Step 7: Allow the cake to cool completely, then remove it from the pan. Spread with frosting.

A slice of pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting on a cake server

Step 8: Slice into 9 generous slices or 12 smaller slices to serve a crowd.

Want to save this recipe?

I'll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!

🙋🏻‍♀️ Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting FAQs

Does pumpkin cake with cream cheese icing need to be refrigerated?

It's best to refrigerate any leftover cake because of the cream cheese frosting. The cream cheese frosting contains dairy, and the cake's moisture makes it susceptible to spoiling at room temperature. Simply cover it with plastic wrap or place it in an airtight container and store it in the fridge. It will stay fresh for several days.

What frosting goes well with pumpkin cake?

The tanginess of the cream cheese frosting perfectly complements the sweetness and spice of pumpkin cake. It's a harmonious blend of flavors that can't be beat.

Can I use fresh pumpkin puree for pumpkin cake?

You definitely can use homemade pumpkin puree for this cake. I just recommend first straining it through a piece of cheesecloth because homemade puree tends to have a higher moisture content than the stuff from a can.

👩🏻‍🍳 My Expert Tips & Tricks

  • Don't Overmix: Stir just until the dry ingredients disappear. Overmixing can make the cake dense instead of tender.
  • Check Doneness Early: Ovens vary. Most ovens will take 50-55 minues to bake this cake, but sttart testing with a toothpick at 45 minutes so it doesn't overbake.
  • Cool Completely Before Frosting: A fully cooled cake keeps the cream cheese frosting from melting or sliding.
  • Boost the Spice: For extra warmth, add a pinch of cardamom or a dash of cloves to the spice mix.
Slice of pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting on a white plate

🍁More Pumpkin Recipes To Celebrate Fall

If you tried this Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments!

📖 Recipe

An edible pumpkin garnish rests atop the cream cheese frosting on a piece of cake dusted with cinnamon.

Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Here's an easy pumpkin cake that's perfect for fall gatherings. It's spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger and topped with a cream cheese frosting.
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: Desserts
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 9 servings
Calories: 524kcal
Author: Cassie Johnston

Ingredients

For the Cake:

  • 1 cup brown sugar packed
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter melted
  • 2 ounces cream cheese
  • 2 large eggs
  • 15 ounces pumpkin puree
  • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

For the Frosting:

  • 6 ounces cream cheese softened at room temperature
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter room temperature
  • 2 ¼ cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F and line an 8"x8" pan with parchment paper.
  • Cream together the brown sugar, butter, and cream cheese until light and fluffy.
  • Add the eggs, pumpkin, and vanilla and stir until well combined.
  • Add 1 cup of flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, and nutmeg. Mix until combined. Add the remaining flour and mix until smooth.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and bake in the preheated oven for 50-55 minutes until done in the middle.
  • Meanwhile, make the frosting. Beat the cream cheese and butter on high using an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt and beat on low for about a minute, then increase the speed to medium-high and beat until smooth and fluffy (about 1-2 minutes).
  • Allow the cake to cool completely, then frost, sprinkle with cinnamon if desired, slice, and serve!

Notes

  • Decorate your cake with icing decorations, festive sprinkles, chopped walnuts or pecans, or just leave it simply frosted.
  • If using homemade pumpkin puree, make sure to strain it through cheesecloth first to remove some of the moisture.
  • Unfrosted cake can be stored at room temperature. Frosted cake should be refrigerated for up to 5-6 days.
  • This recipe yields 9 generous servings. You can also cut it into 12 slices for smaller portions.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 524kcal | Carbohydrates: 81g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 89mg | Sodium: 342mg | Potassium: 214mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 56g | Vitamin A: 8061IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 100mg | Iron: 2mg
Loved this recipe?Please consider leaving a review!
Cassie Johnston

Cassie is a holistic nutritionist, cookbook author, and all-around food lover. She grew up cooking dinner with her parents every evening, and her passion for home cooking has been strong ever since. Cassie is the author of two published cookbooks (Cooking with Greek Yogurt and Chia, Quinoa, Kale, Oh My!) and dozens of recipes published in major magazines and newspapers. Cassie has been sharing her award-winning recipes on Wholefully since 2010. She loves dark chocolate, homegrown tomatoes, motorsports, and anything that sparkles. She lives in Indiana with her family on a small homestead.

Mockup of how the Thanksgiving Dinner Planner shows up on iPads and mobile devices

Thanksgiving can be as easy as pie!

Stress-Free Thanksgiving Dinner Planner

Menus, recipes, grocery lists, printable planners, expert tips—we’ve compiled decades of Thanksgiving cooking experience into one simple digital book!

Buy now »

Many links on this site are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from your qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

5 from 1 vote

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




2 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This is just the perfect dense but fluffy, rich and spicy pumpkin cake! We've had good luck making it gluten free using gluten-free all-purpose flour. But make sure to test your own gf blend at home before serving it to a crowd—gf flours can vary so wildly! Don't skip the cream cheese frosting here. The sweet and tangy flavor balances out the spice of the cake so beautifully!

    Reply

  2. This pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting looks so delicious. However, after reading the nutrition information I have to pass. Too many carbs, sugar and sodium, due to blood sugar and sodium issues I'm having to change the way I eat. I hate it because I LOVE sweets!!! If possible, I think I need to find recipes more diabetic friendly!

    Reply