I don’t call things the best unless they’re the best. And you guys, this Pumpkin Spice Cake Recipe with Cream Cheese Frosting is the freaking best! The cake is super moist, warmly spiced and studded with juicy golden raisins and pecans. The cream cheese frosting is so dreamy, you’ll be licking it off the spoon.
We’re also making it sheet cake style, so there will be plenty to go around. It’s my new favorite Thanksgiving dessert. Let’s get into this!
What’s in this Pumpkin Spice Cake
This Pumpkin Spice Cake Recipe gets its amazingly moist texture from my favorite secret baking ingredient – buttermilk.
Buttermilk imparts an awesome tang and perfect texture to all kinds of baked goods. Here’s the rest of what you’ll need:
- all purpose flour
- pumpkin puree
- brown sugar
- eggs
- canola oil
- golden raisins
- pecans
- baking powder
- baking soda
- spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves
Don’t worry about bringing out the stand mixer. You won’t need it. Just whisk the wet ingredients in one bowl and the dry ingredients in another. Combine them and boom – cake.
What is pumpkin spice flavor?
Pumpkin spice, also known as pumpkin pie spice, typically contains a combination of the following ingredients:
- cinnamon
- cloves
- ginger
- allspice
- nutmeg
Check the labels if you’re buying premade pumpkin pie spice because different brands vary in which spices they include. But most will have at least three of these ingredients.
I don’t typically use premade pumpkin pie spice, although there’s no shame in it. For most of my pumpkin desserts, my holy trinity is cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.
How to make the Cream Cheese Frosting for this Pumpkin Spice Cake
The cream cheese frosting is straight heavenly and super simple. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Butter (Salted or unsalted, up to you. I actually love using salted butter for frosting.)
- Cream cheese
- Confectioner’s sugar
- Vanilla extract
Both the cake and the frosting should be at room temperature when you frost the cake. If you don’t plan on using the frosting right away, store it in the refrigerator.
I’ll be making this Pumpkin Spice Cake Recipe with Cream Cheese Frosting on repeat all season long. I hope you will too! And when you do, I’d love to hear about it. Drop a rating or leave a comment below. Enjoy!
For more pumpkin bakes, try these:
- Bakery Style Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Quick Pumpkin Spice Bread Recipe
- Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
For more sheet cake-style recipes, try these:
Pumpkin Spice Cake Recipe with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 15 oz. can pumpkin puree
- 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 3/4 cup golden raisins
- 3/4 cup chopped pecans
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz. cream cheese room temperature
- 1 stick butter room temperature
- 2 cups confectioner's sugar
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large bowl, whisk pumpkin and eggs together. Add brown sugar, oil and buttermilk. Whisk to combine.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and spices together. Slowly pour the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture and stir to combine.
- Fold in the raisins and pecans.
- Coat a 9×13 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Pour the batter into the pan. Bake 35 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.
- To make the frosting, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together in a stand mixer. (Alternatively, use a handheld electric mixer). With the mixer on low speed, add the confectioner's sugar. Increase mixer speed and whip the frosting until fluffy.
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