Sourdough Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Cooling weather, changing leaves, and fall decor all mean one thing – pumpkin spice season. And if you’re a sourdough lover, this sourdough pumpkin cake is a keeper. It’s moist, sweet, and has the perfect blend of pumpkin spice and sourdough. Plus, there’s cream cheese frosting! It’s one of the best sourdough discard recipes ever.

This is so easy to make – just mix, pour, and bake. You can easily serve this for Thanksgiving. Or just because you want cake. I won’t judge.

Ingredients and Tools You’ll Need

Your sourdough starter doesn’t have to be recently fed. But if it is, mix it to remove the bubbles before measuring it. Use pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, for the best flavor and texture. A 10×15-inch jelly roll pan ensures the cake bakes evenly and makes it easy to cut into squares for serving. But you can do this in a 13×9 baking dish, too.

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This will make a large sheet cake with 20 slices. You can make it ahead or freeze it unfrosted. If you’d like to double or triple this recipe, you can make adjustments in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Equipment

• Rimmed sheet pan or a 13×9 baking dish
• Hand mixer
• Large mixing bowl

Ingredients

Cake

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups pureed pumpkin 1 (15-ounce) can
• 4 eggs
• 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon cloves
• ¼ teaspoon allspice
• ½ cup sourdough starter discard (unfed is fine)

Frosting

• 10 tablespoons melted butter
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 1 dash of vanilla extract

How to Make Sourdough Pumpkin Cake

Be patient! Let the cake cool completely before frosting. The frosting will melt and become runny if it’s even slightly warm.

Step One: Get Ready

Heat your oven to 350°F and spray your pan. Nothing fancy here.

Step Two: Make the Batter

Grab your big bowl and beat the pumpkin, sugar, and oil together until it looks smooth. Add your eggs one at a time – don’t dump them all in at once or you’ll get a mess. In another bowl, whisk all your dry ingredients together. Then slowly add them to the pumpkin mix. Don’t overmix it – just until it comes together.

Step Three: Fold in the Starter

Now fold in that sourdough starter by hand. Make sure you scrape the bottom of the bowl so everything gets mixed in.

Step Four: Bake It

Pour it into your pan and spread it out. Bake for 25-30 minutes. You know it’s done when a toothpick comes out clean.

Let it cool COMPLETELY before you frost it. I know it’s tempting, but trust me on this one.

Step Five: Make the Frosting

For the frosting, just beat the melted butter and cream cheese until it’s fluffy. Add the vanilla, then slowly add the powdered sugar until it’s smooth. If it’s too thick, add a little milk. Too thin? More powdered sugar.

Step Six: Frost and Serve

Spread it on the cooled cake and you’re done. Keep any leftovers in the fridge – if there ARE any leftovers.

Serving & Storing

Serve this with some coffee, tea, or a spiked apple cider. And a scoop of vanilla ice cream wouldn’t hurt, too. 😉

You can make the cake and frosting ahead of time and assemble them later. Just refrigerate until you’re ready to serve. It will keep well for a day or so.

Refrigerate your leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days. You can also freeze the cake unfrosted. Wrap it tightly and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before frosting and serving.

More Recipes To Try This Fall

Because there really is something about only having certain foods in the fall.

• Sourdough pumpkin bread will make your whole house smell and feel cozy.
• When it’s chilly and you want something filling, make this sausage-stuffed acorn squash.
• Make your own caramel apple latte in less than 15 minutes – with no weird ingredients or equipment.
• All the flavor of apple pie without the wait. These apple pie nachos are so fun and delicious.

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