Homemade Pumpkin Spice Cake Recipe
This homemade pumpkin spice cake is elite. For me, there is no better season than Fall or Autumn as it is known around some parts of the country. There is a sort of magical wonder during this time. The holidays, family time, warm flavors, activities, and everything else add to the ambiance. I especially love baking during this time of year because the flavors are so unique compared to the rest of the year. They're full of depth and warmth. When I began to develop this recipe, I wanted a pumpkin cake that was full of pumpkin flavor but was also balanced out with the warmth of the spices. I wanted a cake that had a perfect texture which for me is a tight crumb, moist and fluffy. It should just melt in your mouth when taking a bite. I also wanted something easy to make. Time is so valuable, especially around the holidays. I can honestly say, I believe I hit all the notes with this recipe and I'm sure you'll love it.
This Homemade Pumpkin Spice Cake Is:
- full of pumpkin flavor
- a great fall dessert
- has a tight crumb
- moist and fluffy texture
Ingredients for Homemade Pumpkin Spice Cake:
- Cake Flour– Leads to a more tender crumb and helps with the structure of the cake
- Salt – Brings out the rest of the flavors
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda– Our leaveners for this cake
- Pumpkin Pie Spice – Adds warmth and spice
- Cinnamon – Adds warmth and spice
- Eggs - Add richness and moisture
- Heavy Cream – Adds moisture
- Vanilla Extract – Adds sweetness
- Vegetable Oil– Helps with the moisture of the cake
- Brown and White Sugar - Adds sweetness and helps with structure
- Unsalted Butter - Adds tenderness and texture and helps our cake rise
- Cream Cheese - Adds richness and tang
- Pumpkin Puree - Adds our pumpkin flavor
How to Make Homemade Pumpkin Spice Cake:
- Prep Work– First, prepare your standard Bundt pan by greasing it with butter and flour and/or cooking spray and set it aside. Combine your eggs, oil, and vanilla in a small bowl and set aside. In another bowl, whisk the pumpkin puree and heavy cream until just combined. Don't overmix and set it aside.
- Begin Reverse Creaming Method - Combine the dry ingredients and both sugars in the bowl of your stand mixer. Begin to add your butter and cream cheese in chunks while the mixer is on the slowest speed. We want to coat the fats (butter and cream cheese) with the dry ingredients. Mix until the mixture resembles a coarse sandy mixture.
- Pumpkin Puree/Cream Mixture – In two quick additions, pour the pumpkin/cream mixture into the stand mixer bowl on low speed. Once both additions are in there, bump up the speed to medium which is a (4) on a KitchenAid. Mix for two minutes exactly. This is very important because the gluten will develop during these two minutes. If we mix more, it will be overmixed and if we mix less, not enough gluten would have been developed and the cake will likely fall while baking in the oven. So again, I emphasize, mixing for two minutes during this step.
- Add Wet Ingredients – Then, turn the speed back down to low after those two minutes and begin to pour in your wet ingredients. Add one egg at a time, allowing the batter to mix and the egg to fully incorporate before adding in the next egg. Once all your wet ingredients are mixed in, stop the mixer and scrape the bowl, and paddle well.
- Bake at 325°F - Next, pour the batter into the prepared pan, turn the oven on, and set it to 325°F. Bake for 40-45 minutes. I would check at the 40-minute mark with a wooden skewer. The skewer should come out with a few moist crumbs and the batter should no longer be a liquid. Reminder: We are starting with a cold, non-preheated oven for this recipe.
- Cool and Unmold- Finally, once the cake is baked, remove it from the oven and set it on a cooling rack to cool for 10-15 minutes. This is the perfect amount of time to cool so that it will unmold from the pan. If you greased your pan well, it would come out with no problems. Allow the cake to cool for another 20-25 minutes after you remove it from the pan and then decorate as you please and serve.
Some Other Great Fall Recipes:
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Easy Pumpkin Spice Cake
A super easy pumpkin spice Bundt cake
Ingredients
- 8 oz unsalted butter room temperature and softened cut into large chunks
- 6 oz cream cheese room temperature and softened cut into large chunks
- 4 oz granulated sugar
- 4 oz light brown sugar
- 8 oz cake flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 7.4 oz 4 whole eggs + 1 egg yolk eggs, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- ½ tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 15 oz can Libby's pumpkin puree
- 7 oz heavy cream room temperature
Instructions
- Prep Work– Prepare your standard Bundt pan by greasing it with butter and flour and/or cooking spray and set it aside. Combine your eggs, oil, and vanilla in a small bowl and set aside. In another bowl, whisk the pumpkin puree and heavy cream until just combined. Don't overmix and set it aside.
- Begin Reverse Creaming Method - Combine the dry ingredients and both sugars in the bowl of your stand mixer. Begin to add your butter and cream cheese in chunks while the mixer is on the slowest speed. We want to coat the fats (butter and cream cheese) with the dry ingredients. Mix until the mixture resembles a coarse sandy mixture.
- Pumpkin Puree/Cream Mixture – In two quick additions, pour the pumpkin/cream mixture into the stand mixer bowl on low speed. Once both additions are in there, bump up the speed to medium which is a (4) on a KitchenAid. Mix for two minutes exactly. This is very important because the gluten will develop during these two minutes. If we mix more, it will be overmixed and if we mix less, not enough gluten would have been developed and the cake will likely fall while baking in the oven. So again, I emphasize, mixing for two minutes during this step.
- Add Wet Ingredients – Then, turn the speed back down to low after those two minutes and begin to pour in your wet ingredients. Add one egg at a time, allowing the batter to mix and the egg to fully incorporate before adding in the next egg. Once all your wet ingredients are mixed in, stop the mixer and scrape the bowl, and paddle well.
- Bake at 325°F - Next, pour the batter into the prepared pan, turn the oven on, and set it to 325°F. Bake for 40-45 minutes. I would check at the 40-minute mark with a wooden skewer. The skewer should come out with a few moist crumbs and the batter should no longer be a liquid. Reminder: We are starting with a cold, non-preheated oven for this recipe.
- Cool and Unmold- Once the cake is baked, remove it from the oven and set it on a cooling rack to cool for 10-15 minutes. This is the perfect amount of time to cool so that it will unmold from the pan. If you greased your pan well, it would come out with no problems. Allow the cake to cool for another 20-25 minutes after you remove it from the pan and then decorate as you please and serve.
Video
Notes
The cake is best served the day of. Store covered at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Use Libby's pumpkin puree.
You can decorate with a cream cheese glaze or a dusting of powdered sugar.
