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pumpkin spice latte layer cake
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Pumpkin Spice Latte Cake

Layers of moist, perfectly spiced pumpkin cake paired with spiced coffee buttercream to create the iconic pumpkin spice latte in cake form!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Cooling Time 2 hours
Total Time 3 hours 10 minutes
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

Spiced Coffee Buttercream

  • 1 Tbsp (7g) instant coffee or espresso powder
  • 3 Tbsp (45ml) whole milk, room temperature
  • 1 1/2 Cups (339g) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 5 Cups (600g) powdered sugar
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp allspice
  • 1/4 tsp salt

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 Spiced Coffee Buttercream

  • Combine the instant coffee (or espresso powder) with the whole milk and set aside.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until creamy and pale, about 5 minutes.
  • Add the powdered sugar a few cups at a time and mix on low speed, scraping down the bowl and paddle between intervals. Add the coffee/espresso milk mixture, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt. Mix on low speed until fully incorporated, 1-2 minutes.

Assembly

  • Once the pumpkin cake layers have cooled completely, level them to your desired height. Add a swipe of buttercream 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 spiced coffee buttercream 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 spiced coffee buttercream and refrigerate the cake for 15-20 minutes to let the crumb coat firm up.
  • To create the look pictured, use the spiced coffee buttercream to create a smooth buttercream finish on the cake, leaving the top edge raw and unfinished. Divide the remaining buttercream amongst two bowls with about 3/4 in one bowl and 1/4 in the other.
  • Create the Piped Pumpkin Design: Add orange food coloring to the bowl with the most buttercream in it (add a little brown food coloring to mute the color to a burnt orange to create the look pictured) and mix dark brown into the other bowl. Fit a piping bag with Wilton Tip 6B and fill it with the orange buttercream, then fit another piping bag with Wilton Tip 3 and fill it with the brown buttercream. On the top of the cake, use the piping bag with the orange buttercream to pipe pumpkins in a crescent shape halfway along the top edge. Finish the look by piping stems on each pumpkin using the brown frosting.

Notes

To Bake in a 9x13 pan: Add the batter into a greased 9x13 pan and bake at 325ºF (163ºC) for 30-35 minutes.
To Bake as Cupcakes: Add the batter into cupcake liners filled no more than 2/3 full and bake at 350ºF (177ºC) for 14-18 minutes. The recipe as-is will yield about 28 cupcakes, or you can use my pumpkin cupcakes recipe (yields 14 cupcakes) and make half the amount of spiced coffee buttercream to top them. 
Make Ahead Tips: 
  1. The pumpkin cake layers can be made ahead and stored, wrapped in plastic wrap, at room temperature for up to 2 days. Alternatively, you can store the wrapped cake layers in the freezer for up to 2 months before thawing and frosting.
  2. The spiced coffee buttercream can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 day or in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. When you’re ready to use it, bring it back to room temperature and re-mix in your stand mixer on low speed to bring back to smooth buttercream consistency. 
  3. The assembled pumpkin layer cake can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for 4-5 days, 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.