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Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

pumpkincakeThis simple and straightforward pumpkin cake recipe is for those of us who want pure pumpkin and spice flavours with nothing else in the way. Brown sugar and 2 cups of pumpkin purée promise big flavour and an extra moist texture. It's certainly wonderful on its own, but you'll love the smooth and tangy cream cheese frosting on top.

Pumpkin Cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour, spoon and leveled (250 g)
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. sea salt
1½ tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 cup Canola or vegetable oil (240 mL)
4 large eggs
1 cup Erythritol Gold, packed (200 g)
½ cup Monk Fruit Sweetener with Erythritol (Granular) (100 g)
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin purée
1½ tsp. pure vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Frosting:
8 oz full-fat block cream cheese, softened to room temperature (224 g)
½ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature (115 g)
3 cups Monk Fruit Sweetener with Erythritol (Powdered) + an extra ¼ cup, if needed (360 g)
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
⅛ tsp. sea salt

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4) and grease a 9×13" glass baking pan.

Make the Pumpkin Cake:
Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice together in a large bowl. Set aside. Whisk the oil, eggs, brown sugar, granulated sugar, pumpkin, and vanilla extract together until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and use a mixer or whisk until completely combined. Batter will be thick.

Spread batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 30-36 minutes. Baking times vary, so keep an eye on yours. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If you find the top or edges of the cake is/are browning too quickly in the oven, loosely cover it with aluminum foil.

Remove the cake from the oven and set the entire pan on a wire rack. Allow to cool completely. After about 45 minutes, I usually place the cake in the refrigerator to speed things up.

Make the Cream Cheese Frosting:
In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together on high speed until smooth and creamy. Add 3 cups confectioners' sugar, vanilla, and salt. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then switch to high speed and beat for 2 minutes. If you want the frosting a little thicker, add the extra ¼ cup of confectioners' sugar.

Assemble:
Spread the frosting on the cooled cake. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving. This helps sets the frosting and makes cutting easier.

Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Makes 12 servings.

Cook's Notes:

  • Make Ahead Instructions: Prepare cake through step 4. Cover the cake tightly and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze up to 3 months. Bring to room temperature, make the frosting, frost, and serve. Frosted cake freezes well, up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, bring to room temperature or serve cold.
  • Special Tools: KitchenAid Hand Mixer, Glass Mixing Bowls, Glass 9x13 Baking Dish, Icing Spatula, Pumpkin Toppers, and Custom Stamped Fork
  • Cupcakes: This batter yields about 24-28 cupcakes. Same oven temperature, fill the cupcake wrappers 2/3 full, and bake 18-21 minutes or until baked through. For 1 dozen cupcakes, use my pumpkin cupcakes recipe.
  • Bundt Cake: This batter will fit into a 9.5 or 10" bundt pan. Same oven temperature. But for ease, I suggest using my pumpkin bundt cake recipe. Same great flavour and texture as this cake. You can leave out the chocolate chips.
  • 2 Layer Cake: Pour batter evenly into two 9" round cake pans. Same oven temperature, bake for 25 minutes or until baked through. This frosting is enough for a 2 layer cake.
  • Spices: Instead of prepared pumpkin pie spice, you can use ½ tsp. each: ground nutmeg, ground cloves, ground allspice, and ground ginger.
  • Oil: Instead of 1 cup of oil, try ½ cup (90 g) unsweetened applesauce and ½ (120 mL) cup oil. The cake is just as moist.
  • Pumpkin: I strongly recommend using canned pumpkin purée over homemade in this recipe, though 2 cups of homemade would work just fine in a pinch. If using fresh, blot out as much excess moisture as you can using a clean towel. Overall, I found the flavour better with canned.