Small Batch Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
My all-time favorite pumpkin cake recipe in mini form! It’s extra moist, has the most incredible spice flavor, is downright irresistible with cream cheese frosting, and scaled to the perfect size for 2 to 4 people. Bake as a mini layer cake with 4-inch cake pans or as a single layer 6-inch cake, either way is delicious!
Servings 4 slices
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
Make Ahead Tips:
- 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.