This pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting is moist and tender and is topped with salted caramel sauce drip and is perfect for fall!
The cake itself boasts a moist, tender texture thanks to the pumpkin puree, which keeps it soft and flavorful.
Each bite is rich with warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger, creating a cozy flavor that's hard to resist and goes perfectly with the cream cheese frosting and caramel sauce.
This cake is topped and frosted with a luscious cream cheese frosting, which adds just the right amount of tangy sweetness, complementing the spiced pumpkin base beautifully.
Finally, the cake is topped with a homemade salted caramel sauce that adds a delicious depth of flavor and a creamy texture.
It's perfect served on Thanksgiving or during any festive occasion, this combination makes it an ideal dessert for holiday gatherings.
For more pumpkin desserts, check out my pumpkin olive oil cake, pumpkin pie with graham cracker crust, pumpkin bread with cream cheese frosting, pumpkin swirl cheesecake, and pumpkin pie cookies.
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Why this recipe works
- Flavor- the combination of pumpkin cake, cream cheese frosting, and caramel creates an irresistible flavor combo. The pumpkin adds warmth, while the frosting brings a tangy sweetness that pairs beautifully with the rich caramel.
- Texture- one of the best things about this pumpkin cake is its texture. The cake is moist and tender, which comes from the pumpkin puree, and creamy texture from the cream cheese frosting and caramel sauce.
- Cream cheese frosting- the cream cheese frosting is easy to make and adds tangy and sweet flavor that goes perfectly with the pumpkin cake.
- Caramel sauce topping- the salted caramel sauce drip on top adds an extra layer of indulgence, while gives a hint of saltiness that cuts through the sweetness. Use homemade or store bought caramel sauce!
- Perfect for the holidays- this cake is an ideal dessert for holiday gatherings. Its warm spices and festive look make it a crowd-pleaser during Thanksgiving or Christmas celebrations.
Ingredients
Before you start to make this recipe, measure and prepare your ingredients so the cooking process will go smoothly and easily.
Full measurements are in the recipe card below.
For the cake
Pumpkin puree- you can use either canned pumpkin puree or homemade pumpkin puree, make sure that you strain the extra liquids from your fresh pumpkins.
Spices- for spices, I used cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg, which goes perfectly with the pumpkin flavor.
Flour– I used all-purpose flour for this recipe. cake flour will work great as well.
Eggs- you will need 4 large eggs for this recipe. Make sure that your eggs are at room temperature.
Baking powder and baking soda – to allow the cake to rise. Make sure that your baking powder and baking soda aren’t expired.
Vegetable oil – we used vegetable oil for this recipe. canola oil will work great for this recipe.
Granulated sugar– I like to use granulated sugar, also the most common sugar used in baking. Caster sugar will work great as well.
Brown sugar- brown sugar adds a caramel flavor. You can use dark brown sugar or light brown sugar for the cake.
Vanilla extract- you can use vanilla bean extract or pure vanilla extract for better flavor.
Kosher salt- you will need about ½ teaspoon of kosher salt for this recipe.
For the cream cheese frosting
Butter- use unsalted butter for the frosting. Only butter will work. Make sure that your butter is at room temperature.
Powder sugar- you don’t have to buy powdered sugar, you can simply make it at home by blending granulated sugar in a blender or food processor.
Cream cheese– you will need to get your cream cheese to room temperature. Use full-fat cream cheese for this.
Assembly
Caramel sauce- use my recipe for homemade caramel sauce or use store-bought one.
Instructions
Preheat an oven to 180c (350f) and prepare 3 8-inch pans with parchment paper.
Into a large mixing bowl add the pumpkin puree, eggs, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, oil, salt, vanilla extract, sugar, and brown sugar, and mix with a whisk until well combined.
Add the flour, baking soda, and baking powder, and mix with a whisk until just combined and there are no lumps of flour visible.
Divide the mixture into 3 8-inch baking pans, I suggest using cake strips for even baking. (weight the batter for better results) and bake in a preheated oven for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. (You can also use a 9-inch cake pan)
Allow the cake layers to cool completely. Run a butter knife or a thin spatula around the edges of the cake to release it from the sides of the pan.
Invert and Tap: Place a wire rack or plate over the pan, hold them firmly, and flip to invert the pan. Lift Gently: Carefully lift one side of the pan, then remove it completely to slide your cake onto the surface.
Make the cream cheese frosting
Into a large bowl add room temperature butter and mix with a hand mixer or a stand mixer until the butter is light and fluffy.
Add the cream cheese and mix until smooth. Then add ½ of the powdered sugar at a time (you don’t want to be in a powdered sugar cloud).
Add a pinch of salt, and the vanilla extract and mix well until smooth.
Assembly
Pipe a small dollop of the frosting on the surface that you will frost on. Lay the first cake layer over the frosting dot.
Scoop ¼ of the frosting on the cake layer and spread an even layer.
Top with the second cake layer and spread another layer of frosting. Repeat with the third cake layer, and frost the entire cake.
Place the cake in the fridge or freezer to allow the frosting to set before adding the drip design.
Pour the caramel sauce over the cake and use a spatula to carefully push the caramel around the edges of the cake until a drip design forms.
Expert Tips
- Choose quality pumpkin puree. Opt for pure pumpkin puree rather than pumpkin pie filling to control the sweetness and spices in your cake.
- Cool completely before frosting. Allow the cakes to cool fully on wire racks before applying cream cheese frosting to prevent it from melting or sliding off.
- Use room temperature ingredients. It is important that you use room-temperature ingredients. This step ensures that your mixture mixes into a homogenous mixture and bakes perfectly.
- Don’t overmix the batter, you don’t want to develop the gluten in the flour. This step ensures you have moist cake and not dense and dry cake.
- Line your baking pan with parchment paper! This step helps the cake to bake evenly, and it makes sure that your cake will release easily from the pan.
- Beat cream cheese frosting until fluffy. For a light and airy texture, beat the cream cheese frosting until it's fluffy but still holds its shape well enough for spreading or piping.
- Measure your flour correctly! When measuring your flour, avoid scooping it with a measuring cup. Instead, stir the flour with a spoon to create as many air pockets as possible, and spoon it into your measuring cup. Finally, level it with a back of a knife.
Faq's
Pumpkin cake is made from simple ingredients like flour, sugar, eggs, and pureed pumpkin. It includes cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves to enhance its warm flavor.
It is usually frosted with cream cheese frosting for an extra layer of sweetness.
If your pumpkin cake is too moist, it might be due to using too much pumpkin puree or not enough flour.
Pumpkin adds a lot of moisture, so it's important to measure carefully and balance it with the right amount of dry ingredients. Also, make sure you're baking it for the correct time at the right temperature.
Cream cheese goes perfectly with red velvet cake, pumpkin cake, lemon cake, orange cake, carrot cake, chocolate cake, gingerbread cake, etc.
Storing
This cake will last up to 4 in the fridge. Cover the cake with plastic wrap or foil to prevent it from drying out and prevent the fridge smells from soaking into the cake.
Freezing
For individual slices, wrap each piece tightly in plastic wrap, then place them in a freezer-safe container or bag. This method is great for easy portion control.
To freeze the entire cake, place it in the freezer uncovered for about an hour to firm up the frosting. Then, wrap the cake securely in plastic wrap, followed by a layer of aluminum foil.
This double-wrapping helps prevent freezer burn and keeps the cake fresh. Whether you're freezing slices or the whole cake, make sure to label it with the date.
When properly stored, your cake can stay fresh in the freezer for up to three months. To thaw, simply move the cake or slices to the refrigerator overnight before serving.
Substitutions
Gluten-free - if you want to make this recipe gluten-free, simply replace the flour with gluten-free flour.
Egg-free- to make this cake egg-free, replace the eggs with ⅔ cup of applesauce.
Dairy-free- you can make this cake dairy-free by replacing the using vegan butter and dairy-free cream cheese.
Variations
Nuts- fold in ½ cup of chopped toasted walnuts or pecans to the batter for added crunch and nutty flavor.
Frosting- instead of frosting this cake with cream cheese frosting, you can frost it with vanilla buttercream, cinnamon cream cheese frosting, stabilized whipped cream, etc.
Spice- you can add your favorite pumpkin pie spices like allspice, cloves, black pepper, etc.
Equipment
- Mixing bowl (set of 3)
- Whisk Set (pack of 3) to whisk the ingredients together
- 8-inch cake pans
- Cake strips
- Offset spatula
- Rubber spatula
More pumpkin desserts
Pumpkin Hand Pies- These pumpkin hand pies are made with flakey pie dough, filled with an easy and delicious pumpkin pie filling, and topped with plenty of cinnamon sugar!
Pumpkin Tiramisu- This pumpkin tiramisu is made with pumpkin mascarpone cream, layers of ladyfingers soaked in coffee, and topped with cocoa powder.
Pumpkin Banana Muffins- These pumpkin banana muffins are moist and fluffy filled with chocolate chips and topped with a cinnamon streusel topping.
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If you liked this recipe
📖 Recipe
Pumpkin Cake w/ Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
For the cake
- 4 Eggs
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 2 cups Pumpkin puree
- ⅔ cup Vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon Ginger
- ⅓ teaspoon Nutmeg
- 1 cup Granulated sugar
- 1 cup Brown sugar
- 2 ⅓ cups Flour AP, plain
- 1 teaspoon Baking soda
- 2 teaspoon Baking powder
For the cream cheese frosting
- 16 oz Cream cheese room temp, full fat
- 1 ⅓ cup Butter unsalted, room temp
- 4 cups Powdered sugar sifted
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- ⅓ teaspoon Kosher salt
For the assembly
- ⅓ cup Salted caramel sauce homemade or store bought
Instructions
- Preheat an oven to 180c (350f) and prepare 3 8-inch pans with parchment paper.
- Into a large mixing bowl add the pumpkin puree, eggs, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, oil, salt, vanilla extract, sugar, and brown sugar, and mix with a whisk until well combined.
- Add the flour, baking soda, and baking powder, and mix with a whisk until just combined and there are no lumps of flour visible.
- Divide the mixture into 3 8-inch baking pans, I suggest using cake strips for even baking. (weight the batter for better results) and bake in a preheated oven for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. (You can also use a 9-inch cake pan)
- Allow the cake layers to cool completely. Run a butter knife or a thin spatula around the edges of the cake to release it from the sides of the pan.
- Invert and Tap: Place a wire rack or plate over the pan, hold them firmly, and flip to invert the pan. Lift Gently: Carefully lift one side of the pan, then remove it completely to slide your cake onto the surface.
Make the cream cheese frosting
- Into a large bowl add room temperature butter and mix with a hand mixer or a stand mixer until the butter is light and fluffy.
- Add the cream cheese and mix until smooth. Then add ½ of the powdered sugar at a time (you don’t want to be in a powdered sugar cloud).
- Add a pinch of salt, and the vanilla extract and mix well until smooth.
Assembly
- Pipe a small dollop of the frosting on the surface that you will frost on. Lay the first cake layer over the frosting dot.
- Scoop ¼ of the frosting on the cake layer and spread an even layer.
- Top with the second cake layer and spread another layer of frosting. Repeat with the third cake layer, and frost the entire cake.
- Place the cake in the fridge or freezer to allow the frosting to set before adding the drip design.
- Pour the caramel sauce over the cake and use a spatula to carefully push the caramel around the edges of the cake until a drip design forms.
Notes
- Choose quality pumpkin puree. Opt for pure pumpkin puree rather than pumpkin pie filling to control the sweetness and spices in your cake.
- Cool completely before frosting. Allow the cakes to cool fully on wire racks before applying cream cheese frosting to prevent it from melting or sliding off.
- Use room temperature ingredients. It is important that you use room-temperature ingredients. This step ensures that your mixture mixes into a homogenous mixture and bakes perfectly.
- Don’t overmix the batter, you don’t want to develop the gluten in the flour. This step ensures you have moist cake and not dense and dry cake.
- Line your baking pan with parchment paper! This step helps the cake to bake evenly, and it makes sure that your cake will release easily from the pan.
- Beat cream cheese frosting until fluffy. For a light and airy texture, beat the cream cheese frosting until it's fluffy but still holds its shape well enough for spreading or piping.
- Measure your flour correctly! When measuring your flour, avoid scooping it with a measuring cup. Instead, stir the flour with a spoon to create as many air pockets as possible, and spoon it into your measuring cup. Finally, level it with a back of a knife.
Elena
This cake turned out great!