Cozy Pumpkin Cake Recipe Perfect for Fall 2025

There’s something magical about the smell of pumpkin spice baking in the oven. It’s cozy, comforting, and instantly makes you feel like fall has arrived.

This pumpkin cake recipe is everything you love about the season in one soft, fluffy slice. Packed with warm spices like cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg, and topped with a dreamy cream cheese frosting, this cake strikes the perfect balance between sweet and spicy.

Whether you’re baking for a holiday, a weekend treat, or just because you have canned pumpkin sitting in the pantry, this recipe is easy to follow and incredibly forgiving. No fancy tools or baking skills required – mix, bake, and enjoy.

It’s also great for customizing with nuts, chocolate chips, or your favorite fall flavors. If you’re looking for a go-to pumpkin dessert that’s simple and satisfying, this one will quickly become a favorite in your kitchen.

🎃 Why You’ll Love This Pumpkin Cake

If you’re craving something soft, sweet, and full of cozy fall flavor, this pumpkin cake is about to become your new favorite.

It’s the kind of dessert that fills your kitchen with the scent of cinnamon dreams and makes your taste buds dance with every bite.

Whether you’re baking for a special event or just for yourself on a quiet Sunday afternoon, here’s why this cake will win you over:

• Unbelievably moist and tender: Thanks to the pumpkin puree and oil, the texture is soft, pillowy, and perfectly spongy—never dry.
• Foolproof for any baker: This recipe is incredibly forgiving. Even if you accidentally mix the sugar in at the wrong time or use a different oil, it still turns out delicious.
• Easy, no-mixer method: You don’t need a stand mixer for the cake batter – just a whisk, a spoon, and a large bowl.
• Perfectly spiced: The combination of cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg gives it a warm, autumnal kick without being overpowering. You can even tweak the spices to suit your taste.
• Pairs beautifully with cream cheese frosting: The tangy-sweet frosting is the ultimate finishing touch, turning this simple cake into a bakery-style masterpiece.
• Family-friendly: This is a great recipe for kids to bake with, as it doesn’t require precise techniques or fancy tools.

Seriously, it’s hard to mess this one up, and that’s what makes it so lovable.

🧾 Ingredients You’ll Need

Here’s a complete breakdown of the ingredients you’ll need for both the pumpkin cake and the cream cheese frosting. Everything is easy to find and pantry-friendly.

🥧 For the Pumpkin Cake:

🔁 Optional Add-ins: ½ cup chopped nuts (pecans, walnuts), mini chocolate chips, or crystallized ginger.

🍥 For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

💡 Tip: Want a deeper, nuttier flavor? Brown the butter before adding it to the frosting—game changer!

🥄 Step-by-Step: How to Make Pumpkin Cake

Ready to turn your kitchen into a fall bakery? Let’s walk through the process of making this easy pumpkin cake from start to finish. No stress, no complicated steps, just a foolproof method that even beginner bakers can follow confidently.

🔥 Step 1: Preheat and Prep

Before anything else, set your oven to 350°F (175°C). Giving your oven time to preheat fully ensures even baking from the very start.

Now, grab your 9×13-inch baking dish. You have three good options to prep it:

• Butter and flour the pan – classic method with a slightly crispy crust
• Spray it with nonstick baking spray – quick and effective
• Line it with parchment paper – the easiest for clean-up and removal

Parchment is especially handy if you want to lift the entire cake out of the pan once cooled. It gives you those built-in “handles” and makes decorating on a cutting board or serving tray effortless.

Set your pan aside while you get into the mixing magic.

🧂 Step 2: Mix Dry Ingredients

Grab a large mixing bowl and sift in the following ingredients:

• 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1½ tsp ground ginger
• ¼ tsp nutmeg (freshly grated or ground)
• 1 tsp salt (preferably sea salt)

Now, whisk all the ingredients together until well combined.

💡 Spice Tip: Feel free to tweak the spices to match your taste. Add a ½ tsp of allspice, ¼ tsp cardamom, or even a dash of clove for a deeper fall vibe.

Once your dry ingredients are mixed, stir in 1 ½ cups (300g) of granulated sugar. Yes, this technically counts as a dry ingredient in baking, even though it melts later.

✅ Sifting Tip: Ginger in particular loves to clump. Sifting keeps the texture smooth and helps avoid a surprise bite of straight spice.

Set this bowl aside for now.

🧁 Step 3: Combine Wet Ingredients

Now it’s time to move on to the wet ingredients, where the real flavor and moisture come from.

In a medium or large bowl, add the following:

• 1 can (15 oz or 425g) pumpkin puree – not pumpkin pie filling!
• 4 large eggs – at room temperature
• 1 cup (240ml) vegetable oil – or other light oil like avocado or light olive oil
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Whisk it all together until smooth and glossy.

⚠️ Cold eggs = cold batter = uneven baking. Using room temperature eggs helps everything mix better and bake evenly. If you forget, you can quickly warm eggs by placing them in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes.

🧡 Pumpkin matters: Not all canned pumpkin is the same. Libby’s is a great option, rich in color and flavor with a smooth consistency. Homemade pumpkin puree works beautifully, too, just be sure it’s not watery.

The result should be a beautifully rich, golden-orange mixture that already smells like fall.

🌀 Step 4: Combine Wet and Dry Mixtures

Now comes the part where things come together—literally.

If you’ve a large enough bowl, pour the wet ingredients into the dry. Alternatively, if your damp bowl is larger, pour the dry ingredients into the wet. Either way is excellent.

Use a large spatula or wooden spoon to mix them gently until just combined. That means:

• No streaks of flour
• But also no overmixing

❗ Overmixing Danger: This is a make-or-break moment. Overmixing activates the gluten in the flour, resulting in a cake that is chewy or gummy in texture. Even if the batter looks smooth in the bowl, it can bake into something dense and heavy instead of soft and fluffy.

You want to fold the batter gently from the sides and bottom, watching for those last streaks of flour to disappear. Stop the moment everything is evenly mixed.

✋ Pro Tip: Mix by hand for more control; it’s easier to avoid overmixing when you’re not using a powerful mixer.

🧩 Step 5: Optional Add-Ins

This cake is excellent as-is, but you can easily dress it up with fun extras stirred in right before baking.

Here are a few delicious ideas:

• Chopped toasted pecans or walnuts – for a bit of crunch
• Mini chocolate chips – for a dessert-meets-breakfast vibe
• Crystallized ginger – for extra zing
• Dried cranberries – for sweet-tart contrast
• Pumpkin seeds (pepitas) – for a seasonal, crunchy topping

🌟 Feeling brave? Someone once said pumpkin and blueberries go together. We’ll let you be the judge of that—if you try it, you’re officially a fall food innovator.

Just fold in your mix-ins gently to avoid overmixing the batter you’ve worked so carefully to perfect.

🍰 Step 6: Bake the Cake

Once your batter is ready and your pan is prepped, go ahead and pour it in. Use a spatula to smooth the surface, ensuring it bakes evenly.

Give the pan a gentle shimmy and tap to level it and release any large air bubbles.

Pop it into your preheated oven at 350°F and bake for 30-35 minutes.

🔍 How to Know It’s Done:

• A toothpick or skewer inserted in the center should come out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
• The top should spring back when lightly touched.
• The edges will begin to pull slightly away from the sides of the pan.

Avoid opening the oven too early. Wait at least 25 minutes before peeking.

🕒 Tip: Every oven is a little different. If your cake isn’t quite done at 35 minutes, check again in 2-minute intervals.

❄️ Step 7: Cool Before Frosting

Once baked to perfection, remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool completely in the pan.

Why wait? Because frosting a warm cake is a recipe for a melted mess. The soft cream cheese frosting will glide right off if the cake is even slightly warm.

Here’s what to do:

1. Place the pan on a wire rack to allow air to circulate underneath.
2. If you lined the pan with parchment, you can later lift the whole cake out for easier decorating and slicing.
3. Once cool, you can move on to the fun part—frosting!

⏱️ Time-saving tip: Bake the cake the night before and frost it the next day for a less rushed experience.

🧁 How to Make the Cream Cheese Frosting

Now that your pumpkin cake is cooling (and smelling amazing), it’s time for the best part: cream cheese frosting. This frosting is silky, tangy, sweet, and ridiculously easy to whip up.

It complements the warm spices in the cake perfectly, creating a melt-in-your-mouth dessert that feels like a cozy fall hug.

Even if you’ve never made homemade frosting before, don’t worry. This recipe is beginner-friendly and nearly foolproof.

✨ Step 1: Cream the Butter and Cream Cheese

Start by placing ¾ cup of unsalted butter into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a large bowl if you’re using a hand mixer.

Beat the butter on medium speed for 1 to 2 minutes to soften and loosen it up.

Now add in the 8 oz of softened cream cheese. You can microwave the cream cheese if it’s too firm; 30 seconds at half power is usually enough to make it nice and pliable without melting.

Once both the butter and cream cheese are in the bowl, beat them together on medium speed for about 2 minutes, until they are completely smooth and well combined. There should be no visible lumps; instead, the mixture should be pale and creamy, with a fluffy and light appearance.

🔥 Optional flavor twist: Want to take it up a notch? Try browning the butter before using it. Let it cool and solidify, then beat it with the cream cheese for a nutty, caramel-like flavor and flecks of golden brown throughout. It’s seriously next level.

Don’t forget to scrape down the bowl with a spatula halfway through to ensure everything is being incorporated.

🍬 Step 2: Add the Powdered Sugar and Vanilla

Once the base is smooth, it’s time to add a sweet touch.

Add 3 cups of powdered sugar. You can do it all at once or in batches, just be sure to start mixing on low speed so you don’t end up with a powdered sugar explosion cloud in your kitchen.

Once the sugar is roughly mixed in, add:

• 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
• A pinch of salt

Then increase the speed to medium-high and beat the frosting for about 1 minute, or until it’s light, fluffy, and thoroughly combined.

🧁 Frosting texture tip: If it feels too thick, you can add a splash of milk or cream to loosen it up. If it’s too soft (especially on warm days), just pop it in the fridge for 10–15 minutes before frosting.

Don’t forget to scrape down the bowl one last time to catch any pockets of unmixed butter or sugar that may be hiding at the bottom.

🎯 Final Notes on Frosting

• Want a less sweet frosting? Feel free to reduce the powdered sugar by up to ½ cup.
• Making a layer cake or cupcakes? You can easily double this recipe.
• Do you like your frosting extra thick on top? Spread a generous layer, or use a scoop-and-swoop method for bakery-style presentation.

Now that your frosting is ready and fluffy, it’s time for the most satisfying step: frosting your cooled pumpkin cake.

🎨 Frost and Decorate Your Pumpkin Cake

Now that your pumpkin cake has cooled completely and your cream cheese frosting is whipped to fluffy perfection, it’s time for the fun part—decorating!

This isn’t a layer cake that requires leveling, stacking, or fancy piping. This is a laid-back, sheet-style cake, which means you can keep things simple yet beautiful. Perfect for casual gatherings, potlucks, or even just an indulgent weekend treat.

🥄 Step-by-Step Frosting Guide

1. Transfer the Cake (Optional):
   If you used parchment paper to line the pan, carefully lift the cake out and place it onto a serving board or platter. It makes slicing and presentation easier, and the parchment acts like handles.
2. Scoop the Frosting:
   Use a large spoon or a trigger-style ice cream scoop to plop dollops of frosting evenly across the top of the cake. This helps you spread it more evenly without tugging at the soft crumb.
3. Spread It Out:
   Use an offset spatula or a butter knife to sweep the frosting across the surface gently. You can go for a smooth, even finish or create those irresistible bakery-style swoops and swirls.

✨ Bonus Tip: The frosting is super soft and spreadable, so it won’t rip the cake. But if your cake is extra delicate, be gentle and let the tool glide lightly over the surface.

4. Optional Decorations:
   Want to dress it up a little? Try any of these ideas:
   • A dusting of ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
   • Mini candy pumpkins are placed strategically on top
   • A sprinkle of chopped nuts or crushed gingersnap cookies
   • Drizzle of caramel sauce for a decadent finish

This cake is so simple to frost that even kids can help with it. And honestly? The swooping is the most fun part. Don’t worry about perfection, rustic and homemade always feel cozier.

🍂 Final Thoughts: The Coziest Pumpkin Cake You’ll Ever Bake

This easy pumpkin cake recipe is the perfect fall treat, cozy, moist, and just the right amount of spice.

Whether you’re baking it with your kids or whipping it up for a dinner party, it’s guaranteed to impress. The creamy frosting is the cherry on top (or should we say the cloud on the pumpkin?).

If you’re already thinking of seconds, we don’t blame you. Make it once, and it’ll become your go-to fall dessert!

🍁 You Might Also Love:

Looking for more pumpkin-packed inspiration? Here are some fall favorites that pair perfectly with your cozy baking days:

• 👉 Quick Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe for Fall
  Soft, chewy, and loaded with gooey chocolate chips, these cookies are the ultimate cozy treat.
• 👉 Easy 30-Min Pumpkin Soup Recipe for Fall
  Warm, creamy, and comforting, perfect for chilly evenings or a light lunch before dessert.
• 👉 Tasty Fall Pumpkin Roll Recipe You Must Try
  A bakery-style rolled cake with rich cream cheese filling, it’s easier than it looks and stunning on any dessert table.

Ella Foster

Ella Foster, co-founder of FoodBears.com, is a skilled writer whose love for cooking fuels her creative work. Her passion for experimenting in the kitchen brings authentic flavor and culinary inspiration to every piece she crafts for the platform.