Perfect Pumpkin Layer Cake
Layers of moist, perfectly spiced pumpkin cake that comes together quickly with simple ingredients (including an entire 15oz can of pumpkin!). Paired with tangy cream cheese frosting, this is a classic Fall cake that everyone will love!
Servings 15 slices
Ingredients
Pumpkin Layer Cake
- 2 Cups (265g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp allspice
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 Cup (200g) packed brown sugar
- 1/2 Cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 Cup (240ml) vegetable oil or melted butter
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 15 Oz (425g) canned pumpkin puree
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Buttercream
- 1 Cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 16 Oz (452g) cream cheese, room temperature brick-style, not the spreadable kind
- 8 Cups (960g) powdered sugar
- 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp salt
Garnish (Optional)
- 3 Biscoff cookies, crushed into crumbs
Instructions
Make The Pumpkin Layer Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC) and prepare three 6-inch or two 8-inch cake pans by spraying the sides with baking spray and placing a parchment paper circle into the bottom of each one.
- 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 large bowl, add the brown sugar, granulated sugar, oil (if using melted butter in place of the oil, cool it for 5-10 minutes prior to adding here), eggs, 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 pans and bake for 32-36 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. Cool the cakes in the pan for five minutes before removing and transferring to a wire rack to cool completely to room temperature.
Make The Cream Cheese Buttercream
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and cream cheese on high until light, fluffy, and uniform (no lumps), about five minutes. Turn the mixer to low and add the powdered sugar a few cups at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Add the vanilla and salt, mixing on low speed for another 1-2 minutes, until completely uniform and 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.
- 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 ½ 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 look pictured, use the cream cheese frosting to create a smooth buttercream finish on the cake and press the Biscoff cookie crumbs onto the bottom third of the cake. Divide the remaining cream cheese frosting amongst four small bowls.
- Create the Piped Pumpkin Design: Add orange food coloring to the first bowl, dusty blue food coloring to the second bowl, chocolate brown to the third bowl, and keep the fourth bowl uncolored. Fit a piping bag with Wilton Tip 6B and fill it with the orange frosting, then fit two piping bags with Wilton Tip 4B and fill one with the white frosting and one with the blue frosting. Fit a final piping bag with Wilton Tip 3 and fill it with the brown frosting. On the top of the cake, use the piping bag with the orange buttercream to pipe pumpkins of various sizes in a crescent shape (halfway along the top edge with space in between for other pumpkin colors). Fill in the spaces of the crescent shape with white and blue pumpkins. Finish the look by piping stems on each pumpkin using the brown frosting.
Notes
Make Ahead Tips:
- The pumpkin cake layers 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 pumpkin layer 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.