Pumpkin Layer Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: pumpkin cake recipe, pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting, pumpkin spice cake recipe

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 35

Servings: servings

Calories: 682kcal

Author: Ashley

A beautiful Pumpkin Layer Cake that is moist, made with whole grain flour, and sweetened with maple syrup and brown sugar for a flavorful seasonal classic cake recipe. Use a vanilla bean cream cheese frosting for a complete pumpkin cake experience.

Print Recipe

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

2 ½ cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 ½ tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

Wet Ingredients

½ cup maple syrup
½ cup light olive oil or avocado oil
½ cup brown sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
¾ cup milk of choice I used cashew milk
½ tablespoon apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
¼ cup water

Cream Cheese Frosting

12 ounces cream cheese softened (1.5 blocks)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
1 vanilla bean pod seeds scraped
1 ½ cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk of choice

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350ºF and line bottom of two, 9" round cake pans with parchment paper, greasing edges with oil or butter; set aside.
In medium bowl, combine flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
In large bowl whisk together maple syrup and oil. Add brown sugar and pumpkin, whisking until smooth. Add in eggs and vanilla, whisking again until fully combined.
Pour half of the flour mixture into bowl of wet ingredients, stirring until almost incorporated. Add milk, vinegar and water, stir gently a couple of times, then stir in the rest of the flour mixture, being careful not to over-stir.
Evenly distribute batter between two lined pans, about 2 1/4 cups each. Bake for 15 minutes, then turn pans and bake for another 10 minutes. Cake is done when inserted toothpick in center comes out clean. Allow cake to rest in pans for 15 minutes before cooling completely on wire rack.
Meanwhile, make the frosting: In a large bowl using hand mixer or paddle attachment of stand mixer, beat together softened cream cheese with butter until smooth, add in vanilla bean seeds and powdered sugar, mixing on low speed working to medium-high speed. To thin out frosting slightly, add in 2 tablespoons of milk.
Frost the cake: Spread a couple of tablespoons of frosting at base of cake plate or cake stand (this will help hold the cake in place). Place one cake upside down onto the frosting. Spread an even layer of frosting on top of layer, about 1/2″ thick. Top other cake onto frosting (you can place layer upside down or bottom side down and shave off any extra round height from top if you’d like) and frost rest of cake.
If you don't have an off-set spatula for frosting cakes, they are great.
Chill cake for at least 45 minutes before slicing into. Cake can be made 1 day in advance, store covered in refrigerator.

Notes

FLOUR - for subs, half whole wheat and half all-purpose may be subbed. Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Gluten Free Baking Flour will also likely work for a gluten-free version.

DAIRY-FREE - the cake recipe itself is dairy-free. For frosting, a dairy free butter and plant based cream cheese could likely be used. Or try this cashew frosting.

Nutrition