I love all things fall, including pumpkin spice. Pumpkin spice is tasty, comforting, and versatile. I decided that one of this year’s October recipes would have something to do with it. This spiced pumpkin cake started out as a pumpkin pound cake (difficult to make!). Then I toyed with the idea of pumpkin bread (bread recipes will come later) and then it finally just became a spiced pumpkin cake.
I’m pretty proud of this cake because it’s out of my comfort zone. I’m way more comfortable baking cookies, in general. It was a journey to learn how to make cakes again! I did some research and tested a few versions of this recipe and I really think the final product is great. It’s moist. It has a nice crumb. It rose well in the oven. The pumpkin and pumpkin spice flavors come through. It’s not too sweet. And like I’ve mentioned before, cakes taste even better when they’re chilled. Also, this cake takes about an an hour to make from start to finish!
Tools and Other Notes
- A stand mixer is used for this recipe.
- 9 x 9 inch square cake pan. This recipe uses the aforementioned cake pan; if you go with anything else, you should adjust your bake time as needed.
- Pumpkin puree. This recipe uses an entire, standard sized can of pumpkin puree (425g). Use whichever brand you want.
- Pumpkin pie spice. I used store-bought pumpkin pie spice from Sur La Table. Use whatever is your favorite brand for this recipe.
- Avocado oil. The fat in this recipe comes from oil, which also provides a lot of moisture. I used avocado oil, but you can use any neutral oil that you want.
- Don’t over-mix the batter. Over-mixing can result in a dense, chewy cake with a rubbery crumb. If you mix the dry into the wet ingredients with a stand mixer, use the “stir” or lowest setting for as little time as it takes for the ingredients to just be incorporated. Alternatively, you can also fold the dry and wet ingredients together with a spatula.
- Storage. Keep the cake in the fridge for a few days. You can also freeze it and thaw it when you want to eat it. It may be helpful to cut the cake into pieces before wrapping.
Ready, Set, Bake!
Spiced Pumpkin Cake
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 28 – 32 minutes
Yield: One 9 x 9-inch cake
Ingredients
- 350g flour
- 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 can (425g) pumpkin puree
- 200g granulated sugar
- 120g whole milk, room temperature
- 4 eggs, room temperature
- 120g avocado oil
- (Optional) powdered sugar for sprinkled topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Prepare 9 x 9-inch cake pan by buttering and dusting with flour. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, pour in the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, salt, ground ginger, and cinnamon. Whisk until blended. Set aside.
- Place the pumpkin puree and sugar in the stand mixer bowl. Using the whisk attachment, mix on medium speed until well combined. Continuing on medium speed:
- Add the milk.
- Add the eggs, one by one.
- Slowly pour in the oil, mixing until well combined.
- Using the paddle attachment on the lowest setting, stir in the dry ingredients in three portions, until just incorporated. Alternatively, you can fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients using a spatula. You might see some lumps in the batter, that’s ok. The batter will also be thick.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Use a spatula to evenly distribute the batter and smooth out the top.
- Bake at 350° F for 28 – 32 minutes, until a toothpick placed into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool before serving.
- (Optional) Once the cake is completely cooled, dust powdered sugar over the top, creating an even layer of sweetness. Then serve.
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