Pumpkin Cake With Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
User Reviews
4.9
Pumpkin Cake With Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
Description
Pumpkin Cake With Maple Cream Cheese Frosting features a spiced cake using cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, salt, and freshly ground black pepper to build complex flavor. The batter incorporates brown sugar, granulated sugar, butter, eggs, buttermilk mixed with vanilla, and canned solid-pack pumpkin for moistness and taste.
After baking the two cake layers in prepared pans, they cool before being frosted with a smooth maple cream cheese frosting made from softened Philadelphia cream cheese, butter, confectioners' sugar, and pure grade B maple syrup. This frosting adds a subtly sweet maple note that balances the spices well.
The cake’s tender crumb and rich frosting make it suited for celebrations or a comforting dessert during pumpkin season. Serving at room temperature preserves the frosting’s texture.
Store the cake covered at room temperature for up to three days. Both the cake layers and frosting freeze well separately for up to three months—wrap cooled layers in plastic and keep frosting airtight. Use room-temperature ingredients for the frosting to avoid lumps.
Ingredients
For the pumpkin cake
- 2 cups cake flour plus more for the pans
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon cloves ground
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper I mean freshly ground!, freshly ground
- 1 tick (4 oz) butter at room temperature, plus more for the pans, unsalted
- 1 cup dark brown sugar firmly packed
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large egg
- 1/2 cup buttermilk mixed with 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups pumpkin canned solid-pack
For the maple cream–cheese frosting
- Two (8-ounce) packages cream cheese fully softened, Philadelphia brand
- 1 tick (4 oz) butter at room temperature, unsalted
- 2 cups confectioners' sugar
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup preferably grade B amber
Instructions
Make the pumpkin cake
- Crank the heat to 350° (175°C) and position a rack in the middle of the oven.
- Butter two 8-by-2-inch cake pans and line them with parchment circles cut to fit the pans. Butter the parchment and coat the pan with flour, tapping out any excess. (You can instead spritz the pans with cooking spray for baking, if that's easier for you than buttering and flouring.)
- Whisk the 2 cups cake flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper in a bowl until well combined. Take a whiff. Heaven.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large bowl using a good old-fashioned hand mixer on medium speed, beat the 1 stick (4 oz) unsalted butter, 1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar, and 1/3 cup granulated sugar until fluffy, about ⏲ 5 minutes.
- Plop the 2 large eggs, 1 at a time, into the bowl, beating and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Alternate adding the flour and 1/2 cup buttermilk mixed with 1 teaspoon vanilla extract mixtures to the bowl, starting and ending with the flour.
- Scrape in the 1 1/4 cups canned solid-pack pumpkin and beat just until the pumpkin is incorporated and the cake batter is smooth.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared cake pans, dividing it evenly. Give each filled pan a good smack flat against the counter to release any air bubbles.
- Bake the cakes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, ⏲ 30 to 35 minutes. Let the cakes cool in the pans on a wire rack for ⏲ 10 minutes. Carefully turn out the cakes from the pans onto the rack, peel off the parchment paper, turn them right side up, and let them cool completely.
Make the maple-cream cheese frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a bowl using a good old-fashioned hand mixer on medium speed, beat the Two (8-ounce) packages Philadelphia brand cream cheese, 1 stick (4 oz) unsalted butter, 2 cups confectioners' sugar, and 1/4 cup pure maple syrup until fluffy.
- To assemble the cake, place a cake layer on a plate or cake stand and generously frost the top of it. Place the other cake on top and frost the sides and top, swirling the frosting like the pro that you are. ☞ TESTER TIP: If the frosting seems a touch on the soft side, slip the cake in the fridge for at least 30 minutes until the frosting is set or, if you notice it before you frost the cake, see our note above the recipe.
Notes
- Use room-temperature ingredients for frosting to ensure a smooth texture without lumps.
- Store the cake covered at room temperature for up to 3 days to maintain freshness.
- The cake layers and frosting can be frozen separately for up to 3 months; wrap cooled cake layers in plastic and keep frosting in an airtight container.
- Thaw frozen components at room temperature before assembling the cake.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 8servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 833 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1slice | |
| Calories | 833kcal | 42% |
| Carbohydrates | 102g | 34% |
| Protein | 10g | 20% |
| Fat | 45g | 69% |
| Saturated Fat | 26g | 130% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 11g | 55% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 171mg | 57% |
| Sodium | 513mg | 21% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 74g | 148% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
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