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Pumpkin Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

This Pumpkin Spice Cake starts with a boxed cake mix with pumpkin puree and topped with a delicious homemade buttery cream cheese frosting!

FALL FLAVORS WRAPPED UP IN AN EASY CAKE

This tasty and incredibly easy cake combines those spice flavors of fall with creamy pumpkin and is topped off with a buttery cream cheese frosting. This is definitely a family favorite in our house and makes for a great potluck dessert as well.

slice of pumpkin spice cake with cream cheese frosting, shown on a small round white plate.

TIPS FOR MAKING PUMPKIN SPICE CAKE:

  • If you can’t find spice cake mix, try using a carrot cake mix.
  • This can also be made into muffins as well.
  • The cream cheese needs to be fully softened before making the frosting. This will help it whip up more creamy without any lumps.
  • This cake needs to be kept refrigerated.
Pumpkin Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting recipe from The Country Cook, slice shown on a small white plate and topped with a candy pumpkin.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE IN THE RECIPE CARD AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)

  • spice cake mix
  • pure pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
  • large eggs
  • cream cheese
  • butter
  • powdered sugar
  • vanilla extract
  • milk
spice cake mix, canned pumpkin puree, large eggs, cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, milk.

HOW TO MAKE PUMPKIN SPICE CAKE:

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spray a 9″x 13″ baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. I like the cooking spray that has flour in it (Baker’s Joy). In a bowl, mix together cake mix, pumpkin puree and eggs.

pumpkin puree, eggs and spice cake mix in a large, clear mixing bowl.

Spread batter into prepared baking dish.

pumpkin spice cake batter spread evenly into a rectangle, white baking dish.

Bake for about 30 minutes until cake springs back to the touch and a toothpick comes out clean.

fully baked pumpkin spice cake in a white baking dish.

In a mixing bowl, combine cream cheese and butter until smooth. This is easiest using a stand mixer or handheld electric mixer.

butter and cream cheese mixed with an electric mixer until smooth in a clear bowl.

Add in powdered sugar and mix until smooth.

powdered sugar added to cream cheese and butter mixture in a bowl.

Then stir in vanilla. Remember, if using a stand mixer, it’s important that you periodically scrape down the sides of the bowl so all the ingredients get incorporated. And lastly, mix in the milk.

cream cheese frosting, fully mixed, in a clear bowl.

Mix until smooth then spread on cooled cake.

cream cheese frosting spread onto goole pumpkin spice cake in a white baking dish.

Cut and serve.

sliced pumpkin spice cake in a baking dish, one slice shown raised above the cake on a spatula.

I like to put these little mallow creme pumpkins on top of the slices. If you are taking it to a potluck, it lets folks know that this is something with pumpkin in it.

Two slices of pumpkin spice cake shown on small white plates with a bottle of milk in the background.

CRAVING MORE RECIPES?

Pumpkin Spice Cake (+Video)

This Pumpkin Spice Cake starts with a boxed cake mix with pumpkin puree and topped with a delicious homemade buttery cream cheese frosting!
4.79 from 66 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Pumpkin Spice Cake
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 12
Calories: 361kcal

Ingredients

  • 15.25 ounce box spice cake mix
  • 15 ounce can pumpkin not pumpkin pie filling
  • 3 large eggs
  • 4 ounce (1/2 block) cream cheese softened
  • 1/3 cup salted butter, softened
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 Tablespoon milk

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spray a 9" x 13" baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
  • In a bowl, mix together cake mix, pumpkin puree and eggs until thoroughly combined.
  • Spread batter into baking dish. (Batter will be thick)
  • Bake for about 30 minutes until cake springs back to the touch and a toothpick comes out clean. Allow cake to cool completely then make frosting.
  • In a mixing bowl, combine cream cheese and butter until smooth (this is easiest with an electric mixer).
  • Add in powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
  • Then stir in vanilla extract.
  • And lastly, mix in the milk.
  • Mix until smooth then spread on cooled cake.
  • Cut and serve.

Video

Notes

  • If you can’t find spice cake mix, try using a carrot cake mix.
  • This can also be made into muffins as well.
  • The cream cheese needs to be fully softened before making the frosting. This will help it whip up more creamy without any lumps.
  • This cake needs to be kept refrigerated.

Nutrition

Calories: 361kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 64mg | Sodium: 375mg | Potassium: 175mg | Sugar: 40g | Vitamin A: 355IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 2.3mg

Nutritional Disclaimer

“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

Did you make this recipe?Share it on Instagram @thecountrycook and mention us #thecountrycook!

Originally published: October 2012
Updated & republished: November 2020

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Recipe Rating




48 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I made this for my co workers. I had this recipe years ago but had lost it.
    Simple recipe with so little ingredients! I did add a crumb topping and then drizzled cream cheese frosting on it instead of just the cream cheese frosting. So good! Thank you!

  2. 5 stars
    Used a gluten free yellow cake mix and added 3tsp of pumpkin pie spice. Came out delicious and perfect for my wife with celiacs. Thank you for the base recipe.

  3. If I make this recipe the night before do you think it will be okay for the day after? What about the frosting?

  4. Sound delicious. Can I make cupcakes with this batter and how many do you think they will makes. Thank you

  5. 5 stars
    Is this cake stackable? I’d like to use this recipe for a six inch baby shower naked cake. It sure does sound yummy!

  6. 5 stars
    I haven’t even cut into it yet, but I can TELL already that it is going to be moist and delicious! It only took 25-26 minutes for my cake to bake because my oven is only a few years old and tends to bake faster than most. Like one of the earlier comments, I also appreciate substituting for oil in recipes whenever possible. A can of pumpkin puree is a wonderful way to avoid the oil called for in the boxed mix instructions. It also adds moisture and nutrition! Besides, when it comes to making anything with a boxed mix, DUNCAN HINES has always been my favorite brand!