This is truly the best pumpkin cake you will ever try
An easy one bowl mix and you are on your way to fluffy, moist pumpkin spice loaded goodness!
Not only is this recipe the perfect base canvas for every filling and icing you can think of, but it also bakes perfectly into every cake pan shape and size you have!
Sheet cakes, cupcakes, bundt cakes, layer cakes ~ you name it this cake had got you covered!
This cake really doesn’t need much adornment because it’s just so perfect on it’s own
But adding fillings like date caramel and chocolate ganache transforms this already awesome cake recipe into something stupendous!
Caramel Pumpkin Turtle Cake anyone?
Chocolate Marble Pumpkin Bundt Cake was the original version of this recipe
I even got super creative with this one and plunged a mini Snickerdoodle Apple Pie into the batter before baking
For these amazing Apple Pie Stuffed Pumpkin Cupcakes!
WATCH THE YOUTUBE VIDEO TUTORIAL FOR HOW TO MIX THE CAKE BATTER!
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Notes for Success:
The recipe listed below makes 1-9″ X 13″ sheet cake
Halve the recipe for the 6 cup capacity bundt pan
Just be careful on the math with your conversions if you are doubling or halving all the ingredients
Oven temperature will stay the same no matter what you are baking and I like to start it off at 350°F for the initial 15 minutes of baking
Then turn the oven temperature down to 300°F to bake the rest of the way
This sheet cake 9″ x 13″ pan only took a total of 30 minutes to bake!
Many people like to know exact baking times for everything but I don’t like to stick to exacts there|
All ovens and pan materials are different so no matter what you are baking just check in around the 18 minute mark to see where you are and how much time to add until done
I do the toothpick test to check for moist crumbs not raw batter.
There is no egg replacer here in this recipe and I am using a neutral vegetable oil for lightest cake result
The cake flour addition could be an issue for some people as I have gotten comments that the resulting cake tasted raw and gummy
I am not sure why this is happening to some people since I have not had that experience.
I have used all all purpose flour here with great results! Just take out 2 Tbs if you are doing all AP
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ON CAKE FLOUR
For those who cannot get canned pumpkin you can make your own pumpkin puree
Just be wary that homemade version are always going to be super liquid compared to the tinned varieties
Compensate for that extra moisture by straining the homemade puree as much as possible.
Another helpful trick when using homemade puree is to switch the flours listed below in the recipe.
Meaning instead of 1 cup AP & 2 cups Cake Flour, you will use 1 cup cake flour & 2 cups AP
One last thing, I list all the spices in this Pumpkin Cake recipe individually but if you want to make your life easier
Make a small jar of Pumpkin Pie Spice and use 2 teaspoons total for the recipe listed below
The Best Pumpkin Cake Recipe
Ingredients
For the Cake Batter
- Vegetable Oil 12 Tablespoons (180ml)
- Light Brown Sugar 1 cup (205g)
- Plant Milk *I use soy 1½ cup (354ml)
- Vinegar 2 teaspoons (10ml)
- Vanilla Extract 1 teaspoon (5ml)
- Canned Pumpkin 1 cup (250g) *see notes
- Salt 1 teaspoon
- All Purpose Flour 1 cup (125g)
- Cake Flour 2 cup (240g) *see notes
- Baking Soda 2 teaspoons
- Ground Cinnamon 1 teaspoon
- Ground Ginger 1 teaspoon
- Ground Cardamom ½ teaspoon
- Ground Cloves pinch
- Ground Nutmeg ¼ teaspoon
- OR 3 Teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice
- *If you are adding icing you will make 1 Recipe Buttercream of your choice & add 3 teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F
- Grease your cake pan(s) with professional bakery pan grease The recipe listed below will make 1- 9" X 13" pan
- Combine the vinegar with the soy milk (soy milk is the only milk that will thicken with vinegar, but you can use another plant milk of your choice)
- In a large mixing bowl combine the oil, brown sugar, salt, pumpkin, and then the thickened vinegar/plant milk and with the vanilla & whisk to combine well
- Sift the flour with all the spices and the baking soda and add it all at once to the wet mixture in the bowl
- Whisk smooth
- Pour into your greased and parchment lined cake pans (or bundt pan greased very well!)
- Bake immediately in the preheated 350°F oven for 15 minutes
- Then turn the oven temperature down to 300°F and bake for the remaining time *see notes above for exact baking times or when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean
- Cool the pumpkin cake in the pan(s) until you can touch it without burning your fingers, then turn out onto a cooling rack to cool all the way
- Ice & fill the cake with whatever icing you like the best
Notes
It depends on what filling & icing you are using to determine how to store your finished pumpkin cake.
But just the cake itself can be stored at room temperature wrapped to prevent drying for up to 4 days, for longer storage keep refrigerated for up to 1 week
Freeze wrapped well for up to 2 months
Oooh your latest low sugar apple buttercream frosting with pumpkin pie spices would be perfect with this 🍰
Hi Gretchen!
First off, thank you for sharing your recipes! They are the best I’ve ever made! You have truly inspired me to bake to the point that I have made that I entered my first ever baking contest at the county fair and won (without disclosing they’re vegan)! So thank you so much!
I still of course have long ways to go before reaching your level (I’ve only been baking for 1 years) . For this recipe, I made into cupcakes, followed the recipe in grams (I don’t trust cups 🤣), baked it for 15 mins at 350F and lowered to 300F for 6 mins. The cake came out great but the bottom half of it stuck to the liner when you peel off the liner. Still tastes amazing though per my husband! The cupcake isn’t dry at all so I’m not sure why that would be the case. Do you think I should bake less? Temp maybe?
Again thank you so much!
Hey thank you too! And WOW! That’s so amazing!! *I think I remember you telling em this??
At any rate, I’m not quite sure why this would happen to your cupcakes!
I have a habit of lightly spritzing the cupcake liners with pan spray before adding the batter (I’ll admit I don’t do it EVERY time but most times I will just for added insurance!) Maybe try that and see what happens?
YAY! to grams measure! 🙂
Came out amazing! I had to bake it for 46 minutes instead of 30 for a 9×13 pan so I covered it with foil at some point to make sure it doesn’t get too browned. SO GOOD! I subbed additional cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg instead of the ginger and cardamom since we don’t like them in baked goods. Was a big hit at game night and I’ll be making it again for sure! I also LOVE that it isn’t made with flax. I use flax often, but I wanted pumpkin cake with no traces of the flax flavor. Thank you!
I’m making this for Thanksgiving, using it instead of chocolate cake in your Speculoos/Cookie Butter cake recipe. I’ve made the cookie butter cake before with a vanilla cake instead of chocolate, and loved it. This is going to be gorgeous as a 6″ layer cake!!!
Thanks so much for your recipes, Gretchen!!!