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+ servings

Moist Pumpkin Cake

The ultimate crowd-pleasing pumpkin cake with serious spice flavor and moist, tender crumb. Baked in a practical 9x13 pan and topped with creamy frosting, it's perfect for everything from family dinners to football watching.
Prep Time:20 minutes
Cook Time:35 minutes
Total Time:50 minutes

Ingredients

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

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
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Prep oven and pan. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9x13-inch pan or line the bottom with parchment paper.
  • Mix sugar and wet ingredients. In a large bowl, beat together the sugar, vegetable oil, pumpkin puree, and eggs until smooth and well blended.
  • Mix dry ingredients. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, allspice, and nutmeg.
  • Combine. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just incorporated. Do not overmix.
  • Bake. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for 30-40 minutes. The cake will look very brown before it's actually done: don't trust your eyes! Test with a toothpick inserted into the center; it should come out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
  • Cool. Let the cake cool completely in the pan before frosting. This will take awhile, be patient!
  • Make the frosting. In a medium bowl, beat together the melted butter and cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add the powdered sugar and vanilla, beating until the frosting is creamy and smooth. Start with 7-8 cups of powdered sugar and add more to taste.
  • Frost and serve. Spread the frosting evenly over the cooled cake. Cut into squares and serve right out of the pan.

Notes

This cake looks very brown and done before it's actually baked through. Always use the toothpick test.  It should come out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
For the frosting, start with 8 cups powdered sugar and taste. Add more if you want it sweeter, but don't feel like you have to use all 10 cups.

Nutrition

Calories: 550kcal | Carbohydrates: 81g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 50mg | Sodium: 388mg | Potassium: 106mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 68g | Vitamin A: 4394IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 1mg
Servings: 20 slices
Calories: 550kcal
Author: Katie Shaw