Everyday Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting (9×13)

I’m picky about pumpkin cake. I need serious autumn spice flavor, cream cheese frosting that doesn’t skimp, and a cake so moist it practically melts in your mouth. This recipe delivers on all three. A 9×13 pan is my absolute favorite way to prepare this: portable, simple, and fits in just right at a casual fall party. But if you want to get fancier will it that’s fine too.

This cake is going to look VERY brown before it’s actually done. Don’t panic and pull it out early! That beautiful golden-brown color happens way before the inside is properly baked through. Use your toothpick test religiously. I bake mine for about 35 minutes at 350°F, but your oven might be different. The toothpick should come out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.

What You’ll Need

The spices here are relatively flexible if you’re missing one or two. You must have the cinnamon and the total amounts have to stay the same, though. Pumpkin pie spice blend works too.

This recipe makes a nice thick cake that will serve about 20 people. You can double it and make 2 cakes but you’ll need a very big bowl! Use the 2x or 3x buttons on the recipe card at the bottom of the post and it will do the math for you.

For the Cake

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups pureed pumpkin (1 [15 oz] can)
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

For the Frosting

• ¾ cup melted butter (salted, or add a pinch of salt)
• 12 ounces cream cheese (softened)
• 8-10 cups powdered sugar (depending on how sweet you want it – start with 8 cups and taste)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

This is easy! Really! And a hand mixer works fine.

Getting Started

First things first…preheat your oven to 350°F and get your 9×13 pan ready. I like to grease it well with butter, then give it a light dusting of flour. Some people use cooking spray, but I find butter gives better release. You aren’t turning it out of the pan so honestly it’s not a huge deal either way.

Mixing the Wet Ingredients

In your biggest mixing bowl, combine the sugar, oil, pumpkin, and eggs. Beat this until it’s smooth and well blended, about 2-3 minutes with a hand mixer or stand mixer. You shouldn’t see any visible oil spots or streaks.

The mixture should look creamy and uniform. If you see any streaks of egg white or chunks of pumpkin, keep mixing. This is your flavor base, so you want it perfectly combined.

Preparing the Dry Mix

In a separate bowl, whisk together all your dry ingredients – flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and ALL those spices. Don’t skip the whisking step! This distributes the spices evenly so you don’t get pockets of cinnamon or cloves in your finished cake.

The spice blend should smell AMAZING at this point. If it doesn’t smell fragrant, check your spice dates – old spices won’t give you the flavor punch this cake needs.

Finishing the Batter

Here’s where people mess up: gradually add your dry ingredients to the wet mixture. I do this in about three additions, mixing just until combined after each one.

Once you can’t see any flour streaks, STOP mixing. Overmixing develops the gluten and gives you a tough cake instead of that tender, moist texture we’re after.

Pour and Bake

Pour the batter into your prepared 9×13 pan and spread it evenly with a spatula. Give the pan a couple of gentle taps on the counter to release any air bubbles.

This is where patience pays off. The cake will look very brown and done around 25-30 minutes, but don’t trust your eyes! That gorgeous golden color happens before the inside is properly set.

Start checking with a toothpick at 30 minutes, then every 5 minutes after that. Mine usually takes about 35 minutes total, sometimes 40. The toothpick should come out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. Trust the toothpick, not the timer.

Let the cake cool completely in the pan before frosting. I know it’s tempting to frost it warm, but the frosting will just melt and slide off. Trust me on this one. This will take a couple hours.

Making the Frosting

Beat the softened cream cheese and melted butter until smooth…no lumps! Then gradually add the powdered sugar, starting with 8 cups. Beat until creamy and taste it. Too tangy? Add more sugar. Perfect balance? You’re done.

The frosting should be spreadable but not runny. If it’s too thick, add a tablespoon of milk. Too thin? More powdered sugar.

Frosting the Cake

Spread the frosting right over the cooled cake in the pan. I like to use an offset spatula, but a regular butter knife works fine too. Don’t worry about making it perfect. Rustic looks better anyway!

Cut right in the pan and serve. Easy cleanup, everyone can grab their own piece, and you’re not stuck playing hostess all evening. That’s what I call a win. 

Storage Instructions

Store any leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days. Make sure it’s tightly wrapped to prevent it from drying out.

This cake freezes well! Wrap individual slices or the whole cake tightly in plastic wrap and then again in aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature for a few hours before serving.

Fun additions and variations

This is the best base recipe for pumpkin cake. Throw away your old one and use this for all your variations from now on.

Toasted pecan topping: Sprinkle 1 cup of chopped toasted pecans over the frosting. Toast them in a dry skillet for 3-4 minutes until fragrant.

Chocolate chips: Add 1 cup of mini chocolate chips to the batter before baking. Use mini, it’s much better than regular!

Spiced frosting: Add ½ teaspoon cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon nutmeg to your frosting. It ties the whole cake together beautifully.

Making Cupcakes or a Layer Cake

I’ll be honest with you, I make this in the 9×13 almost always. Cupcakes are a pain to frost and a layer cake is too stressful. But… for serving small kids, cupcakes are fun, and for a birthday, a layer cake is just right.

Making cupcakes

Line 2 standard muffin tins with paper liners (you’ll get about 24 cupcakes). Fill each liner about ⅔ full.

Bake at 350°F for 18-22 minutes. Start checking at 18 minutes with a toothpick. Cupcakes bake faster than you think, and nobody wants dry cupcakes.

Cool completely before frosting.

making a Layer Cake

Use two 9-inch round pans, greased and floured. Divide the batter evenly between them. I use a kitchen scale if I want to be precise, but eyeballing it works fine too.

Bake for 25-30 minutes at 350°F. Same deal with the toothpick test: they’ll look very brown before they’re done.

Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks. Let them cool COMPLETELY before frosting or your layers will slide around.

For assembly: put one layer on your serving plate, spread frosting on top, add the second layer, then frost the top and sides. Use about 1/3 of the frosting between layers, 2/3 for the outside.

Questions and Troubleshooting

Printable Recipe