This small batch pumpkin cake is the perfect way to enjoy classic Fall flavors without making a full-sized cake! It’s my favorite pumpkin layer cake recipe that’s supremely moist, beautifully spiced, and absolutely irresistible with cream cheese frosting – but scaled down to serve 2-4 people. You can bake this pumpkin cake as a mini 4-inch layer cake or a single layer 6-inch cake. Ideal for date night, a small gathering, or any time you’re craving pumpkin cake without having to make a huge dessert!
Why You’ll Love This Small Batch Pumpkin Cake
- Perfect for Small Gatherings. This pumpkin cake is scaled down to serve 2-4 people, so it’s ideal for a small get together or date night!
- Easy to Make. The batter for this small batch pumpkin cake is all whisked together by hand with simple ingredients! You will need a stand mixer or hand mixer for the cream cheese frosting, but the frosting recipe is easy too.
- Versatile. You can bake this small batch pumpkin cake as a mini layer cake with three 4-inch pans, or one 6-inch cake pan. Decorate it with pretty piped pumpkins like you see pictured or keep the decorating minimal. Either way, you’ll end up with a delicious little pumpkin cake!
- Just as Moist & Delicious as the Full-Sized Version. This pumpkin cake recipe is scaled down from my favorite pumpkin layer cake and is every bit as delicious! It’s ultra-moist, perfectly spiced, and the tang of the cream cheese frosting balances everything beautifully for the most classic Fall cake flavor.
Small Batch Pumpkin Cake Ingredients
- All-Purpose Flour. Also known as plain flour, all-purpose flour gives these mini pumpkin cake layers the perfect structure.
- Baking Powder + Baking Soda. The leavening agents used to make this cake rise.
- Spices. To get the perfect pumpkin spice flavor, this cake calls for cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger. You can alternatively use 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice for the last three spices (but still add the 1 teaspoon of cinnamon if you do).
- Brown Sugar + Granulated Sugar. Both sugars together not only sweeten this cake and soften the crumb, but I use more brown sugar in this ratio to add even more moisture.
- Vegetable Oil. I love using vegetable oil in this recipe but you can use any neutral oil like canola oil, refined avocado oil, or any oil you love for baking. You can also substitute this ingredient with an equal amount of melted butter, just make sure it cools for about 10 minutes before you use it in the recipe.
- Egg. One large egg gives this mini pumpkin cake the perfect structure.
- Canned Pumpkin Puree. The pumpkin flavor of this cake comes from canned pumpkin puree (not to be confused with canned pumpkin pie filling). Any brand will do, you’ll just want to make sure that pumpkin is the only ingredient listed on the label.
- Salt + Vanilla. Flavor enhancers you’ll use in both the cake batter and the cream cheese frosting.
- Full-Fat Brick-Style Cream Cheese. It’s really important to use full-fat brick-style cream cheese in the frosting recipe. The other kinds (low fat or the spreadable kind in tubs) contain too much water content and will never set into the right consistency. You’ll basically end up with cream cheese soup, so just trust me on this one. If you can’t find full-fat brick-style cream cheese locally, try pairing this pumpkin cake with brown butter frosting or vanilla buttercream.
Powdered Sugar. Not only does this sweeten the frosting, it adds stability and thickens it into the perfect consistency for cake decorating.
How to Make Small Batch Pumpkin Cake
This small batch pumpkin cake batter comes together so easily in minutes! I love that you can whisk it by hand the whole time:
Whisk Together the Dry Ingredients
In a medium bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices.
Combine the Rest of the Ingredients
In a large bowl, whisk together the sugars, canned pumpkin, oil (or melted butter), egg, and vanilla.
Whisk the Dry Ingredients into the Wet Ingredients
Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and whisk until combined.
Bake the Pumpkin Cake
Pour the pumpkin cake batter into one 6-inch cake pan or three 4-inch cake pans that have been previously greased and lined. Bake at 350ºF (177ºC) for 22-26 minutes (for 4-inch cake pans) or 25-30 minutes (for one 6-inch cake pan), or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Make the Cream Cheese Frosting and Decorate
Make the cream cheese frosting according to the instructions in the recipe card. If you’re making a single layer 6-inch cake, frost the cooled cake layer with all of the cream cheese buttercream. If you’re making a 4-inch layer cake, level the layers once they’re cooled before filling and stacking the cake layers with cream cheese frosting.
To create the look pictured, frost the cake with a smooth buttercream finish, then divide the remaining cream cheese frosting between two bowls. Color one bowl with orange and brown food coloring until you reach the perfect burnt orange color for the pumpkins. Color the other bowl with brown food coloring for the stems. Place the orange buttercream into a piping bag fitted with Wilton Tip 6B or other star tip. Place the brown buttercream into a piping bag fitted with Wilton Tip 3. Pipe the pumpkins around the edge of the cake by hovering the piping bag about ¼ to ½ inch above the cake surface and squeezing the bag until you create a pumpkin shape. Pipe dots on top of each pumpkin with the brown buttercream.
I love the look of these cute piped pumpkins around the edges of this mini pumpkin cake! This cake would also look adorable with a rustic finish or any kind of design your heart desires.
Tips for the Perfect Cream Cheese Frosting Consistency
It’s so classic to pair this mini pumpkin cake with cream cheese buttercream, and in my opinion the flavor combo never gets old. Although cheese frosting cream has a reputation for being notoriously soft and frustrating to work with, the cheese buttercream recipe you’ll find below is sturdy and pipeable without being overly sweet, which is why it’s my forever go-to. I’ve noticed that block cream cheese seems to be even less stable these days, so I have been making cream cheese frosting in a different order than usual and find that it yields a much thicker, stable frosting. Here are some additional tips for making it the perfect consistency for filling, frosting, and decorating this cake:
- Use full-fat brick style cream cheese. I use Philadelphia brand, but any brick-style cream cheese that’s not low fat will do. Other kinds of cream cheese (low fat or the spreadable kind in the tub) contain too much water content and will always result in a soupy frosting that’s too thin for filling and frosting a cake. If you don’t have access to brick-style cream cheese, make a half batch of my vanilla buttercream or brown butter frosting to pair with this cake instead.
- Make sure the butter and cream cheese aren’t too soft. Before you start mixing up the buttercream, it’s super important that the butter and cream cheese are room temperature, but not warmer (like from softening in the microwave). These ingredients should be left out on the counter at room temperature for 45 minutes to an hour.
- Refrigerate to thicken the consistency. If you make the cream cheese frosting and find that it’s not thick enough for your liking or your kitchen environment is super warm, pop the frosting in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes to let the butter solidify a bit. Then, re-mix it on low speed with your stand mixer to make it smooth and uniform. The trip to the refrigerator will thicken the entire buttercream to a workable consistency.
Recipe FAQs
- Where do I find 4-inch cake pans? You may be able to find them at your local baking store or craft store with a baking aisle, but these are the 4-inch cake pans I use that are available on Amazon.
- Can I substitute pumpkin pie filling for the pumpkin puree? No. Canned pumpkin pie filling contains extra spices and ingredients that will affect the cake negatively. You can use any brand of pumpkin puree, just make sure pumpkin is the only ingredient on the label.
- How do I store pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting? Once you make and assemble the cake, store it in the refrigerator until an hour or two before serving. Storing it cold is crucial with the cream cheese frosting, but the cake tastes best and has the fluffiest texture at room temperature.
- Can I make this small batch pumpkin cake ahead of time? For the freshest results, you can assemble the cake and store for 3 days ahead of serving, or make the individual elements ahead of assembling. The cake layer(s) can be baked and stored at room temperature, covered in plastic wrap, for up to 2 days or stored in the freezer for up to 2 months. The cream cheese frosting can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator. Be sure to thaw it to room temperature before re-mixing with your stand mixer on low speed to bring it back to smooth consistency.
- Can I substitute melted butter for the oil in this recipe? Yes! You can substitute an equal amount of melted butter for the oil in this small batch pumpkin cake. Just be sure to cool it for about 10 minutes before whisking it in step 3 of the cake baking instructions.
More Small Batch Cake Recipes You’ll Love
If you love this small batch pumpkin cake, I have more small batch cake recipes on my blog to add to your baking list!
- Small Batch Vanilla Cake
- Small Batch Chocolate Cake
- Small Batch Carrot Cake
- Small Batch Black Velvet Cake
- Small Batch Red Velvet Cake
- Small Batch Churro Cake
I hope you love this recipe as much as I do! Let me know if you make it in the comments below (be sure to leave a star rating!) and feel free to tag @sugarandsparrowco on Instagram to show me if you post a photo. I love to see what you create with my recipes!
Small Batch Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Equipment
- 3 4-inch cake pans OR
Ingredients
Small Batch Pumpkin Cake
- 2/3 Cup (88g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp allspice
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp ground ginger
- 1/3 Cup (67g) packed brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp (25g) granulated sugar
- 1/3 Cup (80ml) vegetable oil or melted butter
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1/2 Cup (125g) canned pumpkin puree
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Buttercream
- 1/4 Cup (57g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 Cups (240g) powdered sugar
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 4 Oz (113g) full-fat brick-style cream cheese, room temperature not the spread
- pinch of salt, or to taste
Instructions
Make The Small Batch Pumpkin Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC) and prepare three 4-inch cake pans or one 6-inch cake pan by spraying the sides with baking spray and placing a parchment paper circle into the bottom.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and ground ginger. Set aside.
- In a separate medium bowl, add the brown sugar, granulated sugar, vegetable oil (if using melted butter in place of the oil, cool it for 5-10 minutes prior to adding here), egg, pumpkin puree, and vanilla extract. Whisk together until uniform, then add the flour mixture and whisk until smooth.
- Pour the batter evenly between the prepared cake pan(s). If using 4-inch cake pans, bake for 22-26 minutes. If using a 6-inch cake pan, bake for 25-30 minutes. The cake is done when it springs back to the touch and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely before assembling and decorating.
Make The Cream Cheese Buttercream
- Note before you start: Since cream cheese frosting is notoriously soft (and block cream cheese seems to be even less stable these days), I have been making cream cheese frosting in a different order that yields a thicker, more stable frosting that’s easier to work with for cake decorating.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on high speed until creamy and smooth, 3-5 minutes.
- This part is very trust the process: add half of the powdered sugar and mix on medium speed until it resembles coarse sand. Mix in the vanilla, followed by the rest of the powdered sugar. It will continue to look sandy and clumpy at first and then will eventually combine into a very thick mixture that almost resembles pie dough.
- Add the cream cheese and salt and mix on low speed until combined, then turn the mixer to high speed and beat for about 1 minute until the frosting is smooth.
Assembly
- Before you begin, make sure your cream cheese frosting is stable enough for cake decorating (it can be notoriously soft, especially in a warm kitchen). If it seems too soft, refrigerate the whole bowl for about 15-20 minutes before re-mixing with your stand mixer on low speed.
- For a Single Layer Cake: Frost the cooled cake layer with the cream cheese frosting as desired.
- For a Mini Layer Cake: Once the pumpkin cake layers have cooled completely, level them to your desired height. Add a swipe of cream cheese frosting onto a cardboard cake round and place one of the cake layers on top. Place onto a turntable with a non-slip pad underneath. Add cream cheese frosting on top of the cake layer and smooth it down until it’s about 1/4-1/2 inch tall, then place the next cake layer on top and repeat. When you reach the final cake layer, place it upside down so that the bottom of the layer is the top of the cake. Then, crumb coat the cake with a thin layer of cream cheese frosting and refrigerate the cake for 15-20 minutes to let the crumb coat firm up.
- To Create the Design Pictured: use the cream cheese frosting to create a smooth buttercream finish on the cake. Divide the remaining cream cheese frosting amongst two small bowls. Add orange food coloring to the first bowl and chocolate brown to the second bowl. Feel free to mix a little of the brown with the orange for a more burnt orange pumpkin color. Fit a piping bag with Wilton Tip 6B and fill it with the orange frosting, then fit another piping bag with Wilton Tip 3 and fill it with the brown frosting. Pipe pumpkins around the top edge of the cake using the orange frosting, then place a dot of the brown frosting on top of each pumpkin to create the stems.
Notes
- The pumpkin cake layer(s) can be made ahead and stored, wrapped in plastic wrap, at room temperature for up to two days. Alternatively, you can store the wrapped cake layers in the freezer for up to 2 months before thawing and frosting.
- The cream cheese buttercream can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. When you’re ready to use it, bring it back to room temperature and re-whip in your stand mixer to bring back to smooth buttercream consistency.
- The assembled small batch pumpkin cake can be made ahead and must be stored in the refrigerator. It will last 4-5 days refrigerated, but is freshest closer to the assembly date. When you’re ready to serve, bring the cake back to room temperature by taking it out of the refrigerator 1-2 hours beforehand.
Leave a Reply