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Topped with swirls of cream cheese icing, this pumpkin cake is easy to make and 100% kid-approved — the perfect fall treat for potlucks, bake sales, and holiday parties. Topped with swirls of cream cheese icing, this pumpkin cake is a dessert version of my grandmother’s now-Internet-famous pumpkin bread (which, for many of you, was the gateway recipe to my blog). Not only does the cake keep well, but it’s also easy to make, easy to transport, and 100% kid-approved — making it the perfect fall treat for potlucks, bake sales, and holiday parties. What you’ll need to make pumpkin cake with Cream Cheese FrostingIf canned pumpkin isn’t available where you live, or you’d just prefer to use fresh, that’s not a problem. For baking, the most flavorful pumpkins are smaller than those typically associated with Jack-O-Lanterns. They’re usually in the 4 to 8-pound range and are referred to as sugar, cooking, or pie pumpkins. This detailed piece from King Arthur Flour provides guidance on how to convert a whole pumpkin into purée that can be used in this cake (or any of my other pumpkin recipes). While my preference in this recipe is to use cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg to spice the cake, many readers have asked if these three spices can be replaced with pumpkin pie spice. Although the mixture of spices in pumpkin pie spice is not an exact match (pumpkin pie spice often includes ginger and/or allspice), it’s fine to use it here. Just replace the individual spices with an equal amount of pumpkin pie spice, so in this case, you’ll need 3 teaspoons (1 tablespoon). Begin by combining the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Whisk well to combine. In a large bowl of an electric mixer, combine the melted butter and sugar. Beat on medium speed until just combined. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the pumpkin. Beat until combined. Add the dry ingredients. Mix on low speed until well combined. Turn the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. If you’d prefer a cake that you can remove from the baking dish, feel free to give my Glazed Pumpkin Pound Cake a try (it’s made in a Bundt pan). Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Set the cake on a wire rack to cool completely. Meanwhile, make the frosting. Combine the butter and cream cheese in a large bowl. Beat on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute, then beat in the salt and vanilla. Add the confectioners’ sugar and beat on low speed for 30 seconds. Switch to high speed and beat until light and creamy, about 2 minutes. Spread the frosting on the cooled cake. I really like using an offset spatula to frost cakes, particularly cakes that are served right from the baking dish like this one. These angled spatulas make easy work of spreading frosting onto the corners of the cake. Create swirls in any pattern you like. Cut into squares and serve. Cover any leftover cake tightly with aluminum foil and store in the fridge for up to 4 days. Bring to room temperature before serving. You may also like
Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese FrostingTopped with swirls of cream cheese icing, this pumpkin cake is easy to make and 100% kid-approved — the perfect fall treat for potlucks, bake sales, and holiday parties. IngredientsFor the Cake
For the Frosting
InstructionsFor the Cake
For the Frosting
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This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. See more recipes:
CommentsShould cream cheese frosting be refrigerated?Cream cheese frosting, alone or on cake or cupcakes, can sit at a cool room temperature for up to 8 hours before it should be refrigerated. The frosting can be made and transferred to an airtight container and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Does pumpkin cake need to be refrigerated?Does Pumpkin Crunch Cake need to be refrigerated? Yes. Once you've baked this cake you'll either serve it warm immediately, or store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
How many calories are in a pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting?Pumpkin Spice Cake With Pure Pumpkin And Cream Cheese Frosting (1 slice) contains 30g total carbs, 30g net carbs, 9g fat, 2g protein, and 210 calories.
What is pumpkin puree?A cooked pumpkin that is blended or mashed in a food processor to create a smooth pulp. This round orange ingredient can be baked, roasted, sautéed, steamed or boiled.
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