This soft Pumpkin Spice Cake is moist, tender, and packed with warm autumn spices. Made with real pumpkin purée, topped with a smooth spiced cream cheese frosting, and finished with a generous drizzle of homemade caramel sauce, every bite is rich, creamy, and incredibly comforting.
The cake itself is wonderfully soft thanks to the combination of butter, vegetable oil, and pumpkin. The tangy cream cheese frosting balances the sweetness beautifully, while the caramel sauce adds a rich, buttery finish.
Perfect for autumn baking, Thanksgiving, family gatherings, or simply enjoying with a warm cup of coffee or tea.
Ingredients
For the Pumpkin Spice Cake
- 110 g (½ cup) salted butter, softened
- 175 g (¾ cup + 2 tablespoons) sugar
- 30 ml (2 tablespoons) vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 150 g (⅔ cup) pumpkin purée or mashed cooked pumpkin
- 200 g (1⅓ cups) plain flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Note: This recipe uses salted butter. If using unsalted butter, add a small pinch of salt.
For the Homemade Caramel Sauce
- 100 g (½ cup) sugar
- 30 g (2 tablespoons) butter
- 80 ml (⅓ cup) heavy cream
You can also use approximately 100 g of shop-bought caramel sauce instead.
For the Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting
- 120 g (½ cup) cream cheese
- 60 g (½ cup) powdered sugar (icing sugar)
- 120 ml (½ cup) cold heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
What Is Pumpkin Spice?
Pumpkin spice is a warming spice blend typically made with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and allspice.
Despite its name, pumpkin spice does not actually contain pumpkin. It gets its name because this combination of spices is traditionally used to flavor pumpkin pies, cakes, and other pumpkin desserts.
How to Make Pumpkin Spice Cake
1. Prepare the Cake Batter
Preheat the oven to 170°C (350°F). Line a 20 × 20 cm (8 × 8 inch) baking pan with baking paper.
Add the softened butter and sugar to a large mixing bowl. Cream together for about 2 minutes, or until the mixture becomes light and creamy.
Make sure the butter is properly softened before mixing so it combines smoothly with the sugar.
Add the vegetable oil and whisk for another minute until well combined.
Add the eggs and vanilla extract. Whisk for approximately 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl when necessary.
Add the pumpkin purée and whisk for another minute until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
2. Add the Dry Ingredients
Sift the plain flour, baking powder, and pumpkin spice directly into the wet mixture.
Using a spatula, gently fold the dry ingredients into the batter until just combined.
Avoid overmixing, as this can make the finished cake heavier rather than soft and tender.
Give the batter one final gentle fold to make sure there are no pockets of dry flour remaining.
3. Bake
Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan and spread it into an even layer.
Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 30–35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool completely before adding the frosting.
Make the Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting
While the cake is cooling, prepare the frosting.
Pour the cold heavy cream and vanilla extract into a mixing bowl. Whisk for approximately 1 minute, or until the cream just begins to thicken.
Add the cream cheese and gently mix it in with a spatula first.
Whisk on low speed for approximately 10 seconds, just until combined.
Add the powdered sugar and pumpkin spice. Again, gently mix with a spatula before using the whisk.
Whisk for approximately 30 seconds, or until the frosting becomes smooth, creamy, and thick enough to spread.
Be careful not to overwhip the frosting.
Place it in the refrigerator until the cake has completely cooled.
Make the Homemade Caramel Sauce
Place the sugar in a saucepan over medium heat.
Allow the sugar to gradually melt and caramelise. Avoid stirring it at the beginning. Once the sugar begins to melt and change colour, gently swirl the saucepan if necessary to encourage even caramelisation.
When the melted sugar reaches a rich golden-amber colour, carefully add the butter and stir until combined.
Slowly pour in the heavy cream while stirring. Be careful during this step, as the hot caramel will bubble vigorously when the cream is added.
Turn off the heat and continue stirring until the caramel becomes smooth.
Pour the caramel into a heatproof container and leave it to cool completely.
Don’t worry if the freshly made caramel looks relatively thin—it will become thicker as it cools.
Decorate the Cake
Make sure both the cake and caramel sauce have cooled completely before decorating.
Spread the spiced cream cheese frosting evenly over the top of the cake.
Drizzle the cooled homemade caramel sauce over the frosting. You can add as much or as little caramel as you prefer.
Slice into squares and serve.
Tips for the Best Pumpkin Spice Cake
For the softest texture, make sure the butter is softened before you start and avoid overmixing the batter once the flour has been added.
Use smooth pumpkin purée rather than very watery mashed pumpkin. If your homemade pumpkin purée contains a lot of excess liquid, allowing some of that moisture to drain before measuring can help maintain the cake’s intended texture.
The cake must be completely cool before frosting. Adding cream cheese frosting to a warm cake can cause it to soften or melt.
Keep the heavy cream cold when making the frosting, and stop whipping as soon as the frosting becomes smooth and thick enough to spread.
Finally, allow the caramel to cool before drizzling it over the cake. Warm caramel can soften the cream cheese frosting.
Storage
Because this cake is topped with cream cheese and heavy cream frosting, store the decorated cake covered in the refrigerator.
For the best texture and flavor, allow a refrigerated slice to sit at room temperature briefly before serving.
Why You’ll Love This Pumpkin Spice Cake
This cake brings together everything you want in a comforting pumpkin dessert: a soft and moist pumpkin sponge, fragrant warming spices, creamy frosting, and buttery caramel.
It looks impressive enough for a special occasion but uses simple ingredients and straightforward techniques, making it just as suitable for an easy weekend baking project.
Serve it as an autumn dessert, make it for a holiday gathering, or enjoy a slice alongside your favorite hot drink.