Mimi's Organic Eats » Recipes » Fall » Pumpkin Pie Cake

Pumpkin Pie Cake

Name: Pumpkin Pie Cake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 113 grams salted butter ((softened)); 170 grams cane sugar; 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 2 large eggs ((room temperature)); ½ cup milk ((room temperature)); 113 grams pumpkin puree; 57 grams sour cream ((room temperature)); 212 grams cake flour; 64 grams all purpose flour; ¾ teaspoons baking powder; ½ teaspoon fine sea salt; 2 cups heavy whipping cream; 142 grams powdered sugar ((sifted)); 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 2 cinnamon sticks ((optional))

Cakes & Cupcakes • No Seed Oils • High Altitude • Fall • Thanksgiving | Published November 7, 2024 by Mimi Council

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The best of both worlds — pumpkin pie combined with moist and fluffy cake! This Pumpkin Pie Cake is beautifully decorated with whipped cream frosting for a stunning and delicious dessert for your Thanksgiving!

If you’re looking for more pumpkin recipes, be sure to check out some of my other favorites like Eggless Sourdough Pumpkin Pie, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake, or Caramel Pumpkin Spice Snack Cake.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Ingredients
Tools Needed
Step by Step Instructions
Baker’s Tips
FAQ’s
Craving More?

If you love pumpkin spice and whipped cream but aren’t a huge pumpkin pie fan, then this Pumpkin Pie Cake is for you! Some people don’t love the texture of traditional custard pumpkin pie, but still want the warm and cozy flavors of pumpkin spice. This Thanksgiving cake is your solution to please everyone this Thanksgiving!

This moist and fluffy pumpkin spice cake is paired with my favorite whipped cream frosting for the best of both worlds. This lightly spiced cake has all the flavors of pumpkin pie, but the soft and airy texture of cake. The whipped cream frosting pairs so well with this Thanksgiving cake!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Light and Fluffy: The addition of pumpkin puree in cake makes a really light and fluffy cake! It also adds moisture and health benefits.

Easy AF: This Pumpkin Pie Cake is so easy! While it looks stunning, it’s incredibly easy to assemble this naked cake! I have a video below showing you exactly how to do it.

Light Dessert: This dessert is incredibly light with the addition of whipped cream frosting. After a heavier meal, such as Thanksgiving, a little sweet treat that’s not too rich is just what you need.

Quick and Simple: This Thanksgiving cake is simple and no fuss. This is much faster to make than pie with less prep time and less oven time! You can even make the cake the day before so all you need to do is whip up the frosting and assemble the cake on Turkey day.

Ingredients

Butter: I use Organic Valley Salted Butter, which is my fave!
Cane Sugar: I use organic cane sugar for the cake.
Pumpkin Spice: I love making my Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix, but you can also buy this if you prefer.
Vanilla Extract: My favorite is Simply Organic.
Eggs: I use organic large eggs.
Pumpkin: I use Farmer’s Market Organic Pumpkin.
Milk: Make sure to use whole milk, I use Organic Vally Grassmilk for the best flavor and added nutrients.
Sour Cream: I use Organic Valley Sour Cream for added moisture in the cake.
Cake Flour: I use a mix of both organic cake flour and all purpose flour. Using a mixture of both allows for the lightest cake texture and the added structure needed for cake that includes pumpkin.
All Purpose Flour: I love Cairnspring Mills for all purpose flour.
Baking Powder: I use baking powder as I prefer this when baking cakes, plus there’s no acid here. For more info on leavening agents, check out my post Difference Between Baking Soda and Baking Powder.
Salt: Make sure to sure to use a fine sea salt.
Heavy Whipping Cream: I use Organic Valley Heavy Whipping Cream for my Homemade Whipped Cream Frosting.
Powdered Sugar: I use organic powdered sugar in the frosting, be sure to sift it.
Cinnamon Sticks: I garnish this cake with organic cinnamon sticks, this part is optional but makes for a simple and beautiful finish.

Tools Needed

Scale: Always use a digital food scale for the best results! I love scales as they also make baking easier and don’t make as many dishes as you can measure into just one bowl.
Stand Mixer: I use my stand mixer for this recipe, but if you prefer you can use a hand mixer too. But you’ll need a mixer of some kind.
6-inch Cake Pans: I use two 6-inch cake pans for this recipe to create a small baked cake. You can also make this into one 9-inch single layer cake if you prefer.
Parchment Paper: Make sure to use parchment paper for easy removal of the cakes, my favorite nontoxic parchment paper is Kana.
Piping Bag: I use a piping bag to pipe the frosting onto the cake. But this is optional, you can just spread it out with a spatula too.
Cake Turntable: I use a cake turntable here, but this is optional for this recipe.
Decorating Tip: I use Ateco tip #827 for this cake. But you can use any kind of star tip too. This is also optional, but it does make a beautiful presentation!

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Step by Step Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two 6-inch cake pans with parchment paper.

Step 2

To make the batter: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter, cane sugar, pumpkin spice, and vanilla extract. Mix on low until combined and there are no butter chunks.

Add the eggs, milk, pumpkin, and sour cream to the butter mixture and mix on low until combined.

Add the cake flour, all purpose flour, baking powder, and salt to the butter mixture and mix on low until combined into a smooth batter. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure the batter is mixed completely.

Transfer the batter to the prepared cake pans, each should weigh about 454 grams each.

Step 3

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool completely before assembling. (If you're baking at high altitude, be sure to check the Notes at the bottom of the recipe for high altitude baking instructions).

Step 4

To make the frosting: Add the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract to a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. You could also use a hand mixer if you prefer, but I think it’s much faster in a stand mixer. Whisk, starting on low, to avoid splattering, then slowly increase the speed until you are at full speed. Whisk until stiff peaks form.

Step 5

Transfer the whipping cream frosting to a piping bag with Ateco tip #827.

To assemble the cake: Place the first cake layer (bottom side up) on a cake stand or plate (whatever you plan to serve it on). You don’t really need a turntable for this, but you can put the plate on it for ease if you prefer. Pipe a shell boarder by piping a swooping motion up and then towards you. You could think of it as writing a cursive “r” that is lazy and rounded or just a hump like on a country road. (Watch the video!). Pipe swoops around the entire boarder of the first cake layer. Then pipe them in the center too (center is not important as you won’t see it, so you could also just do a big dollop of frosting!).

Place the second cake layer on top (bottom side up). Pipe the same shell boarder (or swoops) around the edge of the cake. Then pipe a few more to fill the center.

Top the cake with two cinnamon sticks (optional).

Baker’s Tips

Make sure the butter is soft. I like to leave it out at room temperature overnight to soften naturally.
I use my Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix, but store bought also works!
Make sure your eggs, milk, and sour cream are at room temperature as this helps create a smooth cake batter. Cold ingredients added into softened butter can cause the butter to sieze, which will result in a lumpy batter and dry cake.
You can make the cake ahead of time if you need to, just be sure to wrap cake layers in plastic wrap so they don’t dry out if you want to make the cake a day in advance.
I’d recommend assembling the cake the day of because of the whipped cream frosting as it should be served right away or stored in the fridge.
Be sure to store leftover cake in an airtight container in the fridge so it doesn’t dry out and the whipped cream frosting stays fresh.

FAQ’s

Can I use unsalted butter?

Yes, just add 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the recipe.

Can I make this ahead of time?

I’d recommend making the cake the day before if you need to, be sure to cover with plastic wrap so it doesn’t dry out. Then assemble the cake the day of. This will ensure the cake is moist and the frosting is fresh. I don’t recommend making and assembling the cake the day before unless you absolutely have to. If you do, be sure to store in the fridge and allow it to sit for 15 minutes at room temperature to let the cake warm up before cutting. If you try to cut the cake right out of the fridge with a cold cake it will just squish the whipped cream frosting out the sides (it still tastes delicious, but it doesn’t make a pretty cut!).

How should I store this?

Because this has whipped cream frosting it needs to be stored in the fridge. If you have leftover cake, I recommend cutting slices and storing in Tupperware in the fridge.