Pumpkin Cake

Name: Pumpkin Cake
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 1 h 25 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 11/2 cups granulated sugar; 1 cup vegetable oil; 1 15 ounce can pumpkin puree; 2 large eggs; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 2 cups all purpose flour; 2 teaspoons baking powder; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves; 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg; 3 8 ounce packages cream cheese; 1/2 cup granulated sugar; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 1 cup heavy whipping cream; 1/2 cup unsalted butter; 8 ounces cream cheese; 4 cups powdered sugar; 2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup

Jump to Recipe

Last Updated on August 21, 2024 by Marina

When cooler weather hits, it’ll be time for all things pumpkin! This Pumpkin Cake is a great treat!

Who doesn’t love all things pumpkin? If you’re craving a pumpkin dessert – I have the perfect treat for you! Pumpkin Cake with a no-bake cheesecake layer!

Seriously, it’s got it all in one delicious dessert. Pumpkin, cheesecake, cake, and loads of frosting. It’s a dessert you will want to hide to enjoy, simply because you won’t want to share. Okay, maybe you’ll share with your husband, but not the kids.

A square slice of pumpkin cake with no bake cheesecake layer on white plate, with the rest of the cake behind it.

Okay, you’ll share with the kids, but only 1 piece. Fine, they will each get their own small slice. It’s just how moms roll, right?

A piece of pumpkin cake on the end of a fork.

Don’t let the number of steps to this dessert overwhelm you. It goes together very quickly once you have all the ingredients out. You can mix together the no bake cheesecake layer while the cake is baking, and whip the frosting as the cake is cooling.

Pumpkin Cake Ingredients and Substitution

All-Purpose Flour – Since all-purpose flour provides a reliable structure that ensures your baked goods rise well and maintain the desired texture, go for a good quality brand. I love Baker’s Fair from Aldi because of its quality that doesn’t break the bank.

Pumpkin Puree – As the star of this recipe, pumpkin puree is what makes this cake moist and flavorful. What I love the most about this is that it’s naturally sweet, and that helps me cut back on the sugar for this Pumpkin Cake.

Maple Syrup – I use maple syrup year-round, but there’s just something about combining this with this season’s harvests that makes for the quintessential fall recipe. Plus, I think maple syrup gives anything I make a distinct flavor that I just can’t get from table sugar. If you don’t have maple syrup readily available, agave nectar or simply adjusting the sugar is also fine.

Ground Cinnamon – As something that goes hand in hand with pumpkin puree, I always make sure I use good quality ground cinnamon. I always reach out for Simply Organic when I’m out grocery shopping.

Nutmeg – I love adding nutmeg because of its sweet and slightly spicy flavor profile that complements cinnamon’s aromatic and woody flavor. A little goes a long way for this one though.

How to Make the Pumpkin Cake

A collage of photos, the one on top is a flat lay shot of the ingredients for the Pumpkin Cake, prepared in small glass bowls. The one below is a closeup shot of a glass bowl with dry ingredients in it.

Combine the wet ingredients such as the eggs, pumpkin puree, oil, and vanilla extract to the sugar. Using a mixer on medium speed, mix them together until well combined. Whisking with a wire whisk works just as fine too.
Prepare the (9-inch) pans by spraying 2 with non-stick cooking spray, and line the bottoms with a parchment paper circle. Pour batter evenly between the two cake pans.
Next, combine your dry ingredients and mix. Combine with the wet ingredients, mixing just until everything’s combined. Do not overmix.

A collage of two photos. The one above is a closeup shot of a glass bowl with pumpkin puree. The one below is a glass bowl with the combine wet ingredients in it.

Once the batter is ready, pour into the pans and bake cake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove cake from oven and let cool on a cooling rack. Once done, allow cakes to cool on a wire rack.
Meanwhile, prepare your cream cheese layer. Cream together cream cheese and sugar until smooth, with a hand-held mixer.
Next, in a standing mixer (or with a handheld one), whip heavy cream until thick. Stir whipped cream and vanilla into the cream cheese and sugar mixture until smooth.
Spray a 9-inch cake pan with non-stick spray, and insert a parchment circle on the bottom of the pan.
Scoop cheesecake filling into the pan and press down to flatten it. Refrigerate for a couple of hours to overnight to firm up before assembling the cake.
Lastly, make the frosting, by beating the butter and cream cheese in a medium-sized mixing bowl until smooth.
Add in the powdered sugar and mix to combine, and then mix in the maple syrup.
Assemble the cake, serve, and enjoy!

You will want to make sure to whip that no-bake cream cheese layer well, to make sure there are no lumps. When you allow the cream cheese to come to room temperature for at least 20 minutes before, that will help immensely. Plan on scraping the sides down 2-3 times while mixing to ensure even mixing as well.

The frosting layer will whip up better and faster if the cream cheese and butter are also at room temperature. Make sure to use powdered sugar, not granulated, to keep it from becoming grainy. If you are out of powdered sugar simply add granulated sugar to a high-speed blender or food processor to grind into a powder.

How to Serve This Pumpkin Cake

Once assembled, you can serve it right away or refrigerate for about an hour to help the flavors come together even more. Serve with coffee or your favorite tea.

Recipe FAQ’s

How do I store the cake?

pumpkin cake with no bake cheesecake layer on white plate

In case of leftovers (which hardly happens in our house!), store the Pumpkin Cakes in a container with an airtight lid. When refrigerated, it still holds well for up to 3 days.

Can I use sweet potato instead of pumpkin puree?

Absolutely! You can use store-bought sweet potato puree or you can make your own. When buying canned sweet potato, leave out the syrup because you’re already going to use maple syrup and sugar in the recipe.

Can I freeze the leftover cake?

I wouldn’t recommend freezing the cake because the texture of the frosting and cheesecake layer won’t be as good as when they were just made.

Pumpkin Cake

Yield: 12

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes

When cooler weather hits, it'll be time for all things pumpkin! This Pumpkin Cake is a great treat!

Ingredients

11/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 15 ounce can pumpkin puree
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 8 ounce packages cream cheese
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup unsalted butter
8 ounces cream cheese
4 cups powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup

Instructions

1. Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the first 5 ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Stir until combined.

2. Add the remaining cake ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix until just incorporated, being careful not to overmix.

3. Spray 2 (9-inch) pans with non-stick cooking spray, and line the bottoms with a parchment paper circle. Pour batter evenly between the two cake pans.

4. Bake the cake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and let cool on a cooling rack.

5. To make the cheesecake layer, cream together cream cheese and sugar until smooth, with a hand-held mixer. Next, in a standing mixer, whip heavy cream until thick. Stir whipped cream and vanilla into the cream cheese and sugar mixture until smooth.

6. Spray a 9-inch cake pan with non-stick spray, and insert a parchment circle on the bottom of the pan. Scoop cheesecake filling into the pan and press down to flatten it. Refrigerate for a couple of hours to overnight to firm up before assembling the cake.

7. To make the frosting, beat the butter and cream cheese in a medium-sized mixing bowl until smooth. Add in the powdered sugar and mix to combine, and then mix in the maple syrup.

8. Remove the rounded tops of the cake layers with a cake leveler.

9. To assemble the cake, put the first cake layer top side down on a cake plate. Add a small amount of icing and spread that around the cake layer. Top the cake layer with the cheesecake layer, another thin layer of icing, and then the second cake layer top side down. Decorate the top as desired with the remaining icing.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1204Total Fat: 60gSaturated Fat: 26gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 29gCholesterol: 150mgSodium: 446mgCarbohydrates: 163gFiber: 2gSugar: 143gProtein: 9g

Other Fall Treats to Try

Fall-themed Hot Chocolate Cocoa Bombs

Applesauce Cake Recipe

Apple Pie Filling Cinnamon Rolls

No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake

What is your favorite fall treat? Will you try this pumpkin cake with no-bake cheesecake layer? If you try this recipe, please come back and leave me a comment letting me know how you liked it. And if you have any questions, please feel free to ask! I love hearing from you!