Pumpkin spice cake with cinnamon cream cheese frosting

This ultra soft and moist pumpkin spice cake is topped with a perfectly sweet cinnamon cream cheese frosting bringing you everything you could want in a pumpkin spice dessert.

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I am admittedly not a big pumpkin fan. So when I share a pumpkin recipe, you know it has to be something special! The texture of this cake is so soft and it has the most incredible crumb and perfect level of moisture. It also, in my opinion, has just the right level of spice without overpowering the pumpkin flavor.

For your cake, you can use a stand or hand mixer depending on your preference. It comes together easily with just a few rounds of adding ingredients. The sour cream and oil really help to bring the most incredible texture, in addition to using dark brown sugar. Usually I use light brown sugar in a standard frosted cake, but when I tested this cake with dark brown sugar I knew it needed to make it into the final round.

To bring the pumpkin spice flavor, I recommend simply purchasing a pumpkin spice blend which you can find at most grocery stores. This way you don't have to worry about buying a variety of spices, other than cinnamon which I recommend using in the frosting (though you could absolutely swap in pumpkin spice if that's your preference). Pumpkin spice is a mixture of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves - I use a premixed pumpkin spice from Simply Organic, you can get it on Amazon or from a Whole Foods store, and many other stores or places online. You can also make the mixture at home if you choose with a mixture of those spices, but you should be able to find a premixed pumpkin spice at your local store.

For the frosting, it's a simple and sweet cinnamon cream cheese frosting. I like my cream cheese frosting with a balance of cream cheese and butter so that it's not too tangy and I think this recipe strikes the perfect balance. The addition of cinnamon also brings such a great spice without overpowering the pumpkin spice flavor in the cake.

When picking a pan, it's important to pay attention to the material of the pan. I highly recommend using a metal pan (specifically aluminized steel like this one) rather than glass or ceramic as it could cause the cake to take longer to bake or even to bake unevenly. If you do use a different material just note that it may impact the bake time.

For the best results, I highly recommend using the gram measurements provided

Ingredients:

Cake batter

• 4 tablespoons (56g) unsalted butter, melted

• 1/4 cup (56g) neutral oil canola or vegetable

• 2/3 cup (127g) granulated sugar

• 1/2 cup (96g) dark brown sugar

• 1/3 cup (80g) sour cream*

• 2/3 cup (172g) canned pumpkin** 

• 2 large eggs*

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 1 1/3 cups (160g) all purpose flour

• 2 teaspoons pumpkin spice

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Frosting

• 6 tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, room temperature

• 6 tablespoons (85g) cream cheese, room temperature

• 2 1/4 cups (270g) powdered sugar

• 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 

• 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• Pinch salt 

*I recommend taking your sour cream and eggs out about 30 minutes prior to starting

**I used Farmer's Market Foods Organic Canned Pumpkin in this recipe

Prep time: About 30 minutes

Bake time: 23-26 minutes

Chill time: 2 hours prior to frosting (plus optional 1 hour to let your frosting set)

Servings: 16 squares

Equipment:

• 9x9 inch square pan (or 8x8 and increase the bake time)

• Stand mixer and/or hand mixer 

• Spatula 

• Cookie sheets

• Parchment paper

Cooking instructions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. And if you haven't already, ensure that your eggs and sour cream are out of the fridge.

Make your cake. In your stand mixer with the paddle attachment, add your melted butter, oil, granulated sugar and dark brown sugar. Let your mixer run at a medium speed for a minute or two to combine.

Add in your sour cream, canned pumpkin, eggs, and vanilla extract. Turn your mixer back on for a minute or two and then pause to scrape the sides and bottom of your bowl, and the mixer attachment. Turn your mixer back on at a medium speed for another minute or two until everything is fully combined and your mixture has slightly lightened in color.

Finally, add in your dry ingredients - flour, pumpkin spice, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Turn your mixer on at the lowest speed and pause once about half incorporated. Scrape your bowl, reaching all the way down to the bottom, and your mixer attachment too. Mix again at a low speed for about a minute until just combined,

Line a 9x9in square pan with parchment paper. I recommend ensuring all sides of the pan are lined, or you can lightly grease. Pour your batter in and spread flat and into the edges.

Place your cake into the oven to bake for about 23-26 minutes. When it's fully baked, if you shake the pan it should just barely jiggle in the center with no movement on the edges.

Once baked, allow your cake to cool at room temperature for about an hour, and then place it in the fridge for an hour prior to frosting. In the meantime, clean or swap out your stand mixer bowl and paddle attachment so you'll be ready for your frosting or you can use a large bowl and your hand mixer.

Make your frosting and finish your cake. Place your room temperature butter into your stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or into a large bowl if using your hand mixer). Let your mixer run for about a minute or two until your butter softens and smooths. Scrape down your bowl and mixer attachment and then add in your room temperature cream cheese and continue mixing for a minute or so until completely combined and smooth.

Next, add in your powdered sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and pinch of salt. Turn your mixer on slowly and pulse until your sugar begins to mix into your butter. Then turn your mixer up to a medium speed and let it run for a few minutes. Pause, scrape down the sides of your bowl and paddle attachment and then continue mixing for another minute or so until your frosting is light and fluffy with no unmixed streaks of cinnamon.

Dollop your frosting onto your completely cooled cake and use your spatula or any flat tool to spread your frosting to your liking. I like to let it chill in the fridge for about an hour before slicing in so that the frosting can set, and then enjoy!

Serve and store your cake. I recommend cutting your cake into 16 squares. You can cut and enjoy your cake right away, or store the slices in the fridge in an airtight container. If you don't plan to serve right away, you can also cover your cake with plastic wrap and keep it in the fridge and slice in when you're ready to keep the moisture in the cake. Your sliced cake will remain fresh for 5-7 days in the fridge if stored in an airtight container.

If you bake and cool your cake and would like to frost it the following day, just make sure to cover your cake so that it doesn't dry out. You can also store it in the freezer in an airtight container prior to frosting it. I don't recommend making the frosting ahead of time and not frosting the cake right away.

Once your cake is frosted and sliced, you can also individually plastic wrap the squares and then place them into an airtight container or plastic bag and freeze to enjoy any time! You can eat your cake right from the freezer or allow it to defrost in the fridge or at room temperature before enjoying.

Carb and serving info:   

Servings: 16 squares

Carbs for full recipe: 649

Carbs per serving (1 of 16): 41

Carbs from frosting: 274

Note: Carb information is calculated based on the specific ingredients I used to cook with to help guide my own insulin to carb ratio when dosing before I eat my home cooked recipes.