The Ultimate Pumpkin Cake Recipe with Cream Cheese Buttercream

This pumpkin cake recipe is a must-bake this fall season! Layers of deliciously moist pumpkin cake filled with fall spices and just the right amount of pumpkin, all held together by the creamiest cream cheese buttercream. Okay, YUM. Nothing screams fall like pumpkin, am I right?

If you are new to baking, don’t worry! You can absolutely make this easy pumpkin cake recipe. With simple steps and an easy-to-follow recipe, you’ll have your kitchen smelling like fall in no time!

Ingredients for this Pumpkin Cake Recipe with Cream Cheese Buttercream: 

• Electric Hand Mixer
• (3) 8 Inch Round Cake Pans or (4) 6 Inch Round Pans
• Non-Stick Baking Spray
• Yellow Cake Mix (I prefer Duncan Hines)
• All-Purpose Flour
• Granulated Sugar
• Unsalted Butter
• Pumpkin Puree
• Pumpkin Pie Spice
• Cinnamon
• Sour Cream
• Vegetable Oil
• Milk
• Vanilla Extract
• Eggs
• Cream Cheese
• Powdered Sugar
• Heavy Cream
• White Gel Food Coloring (optional)
• Salt
• Food Scale (Optional, but highly recommended!)

[Related Post: The Only American Buttercream Recipe You’ll Ever Need]

Tips for Perfect Cake Layers:

This Pumpkin Cake Recipe is super easy to follow, and nearly fail-proof in my opinion. But these baking tips will help you achieve the perfect cake texture, every time!

BEFORE BAKING: 

1. Room Temperature Ingredients: Let your eggs, milk, and sour cream come to room temperature before mixing. This helps the ingredients combine more evenly, resulting in a smoother batter and a finer crumb.
2. Precise Measuring: Use a food scale for accuracy, especially when measuring flour. Too much flour can make cake layers dry and dense. Spoon flour into your measuring cup and gently level off with a knife for the most accurate measurement, if you can’t get your hands on a food scale!
3. Pan Preparation: Prepare your pans with a baking spray, or homemade pan release. My absolute favorite is Wilton Bake Easy Spray or Pam Baking Spray. I have never had a cake stick when using these sprays! You can also use parchment paper rounds at the bottom of the pans for extra anti-stick protection.

MIXING INGREDIENTS & BAKING:

1. Mixing Technique: “Don’t over-mix the batter!” This is a common phrase in the baking world! Believe it or not, with recipes using a box cake mix, this isn’t the case! When you beat air into a cake mix recipe, something magical happens. With that being said, don’t be afraid to use your hand mixer on a medium-high setting until your batter is smooth and all ingredients are fully incorporated!
2. Don’t Overbake: Overbaking can lead to a dry and crumbly texture. Use a toothpick or knife and insert into the center of the cake – if it comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, it’s good to go. You can also gently press your finger into the top of the cake, if it springs back slowly, it’s done!

AFTER BAKING:

1. Cooling: Let your cake cool for 10-15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. This allows the cake to set and prevents tearing when being moved.
2. Storage: Be sure to store properly to lock in that moisture! I recommend double wrapping the cake layers in plastic wrap, and storing in the freezer until you are ready to decorate with buttercream.

[Related Post: A Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe That Isn’t Weird and Cakey]

Benefits of Doctored Cake Mix Recipes

1. Easy Upgrades: Doctored box cake recipes are so convenient, and can be unbelievably good. A few added ingredients such as butter, vanilla extract, pumpkin pie spice, and sour cream, create a homemade taste with the best texture.
2. Flexibility: You can customize a doctored box cake however you’d like. Add-ins like chocolate chips, pudding mixes, or flavored extracts can transform a basic cake mix into something truly gourmet. I’m telling you, people won’t believe it started with a cake mix!
3. Consistency: Box cake mixes provide an extremely reliable base, no messing with baking powder or baking soda, and the end result is super consistent. Doctored cake mixes also allow you to add your personal touch, and shows off your unique flavor and baking style.
4. Time-Saving: Doctored box cake recipes are absolutely delicious, without spending hours in the kitchen. It can be so discouraging spending time and ingredients on a cake that doesn’t turn out right. I’ve been there! With simple tweaks, you can gift your friends and family with a homemade taste they’ll fall in love with!

Well, there you have it – the ultimate pumpkin cake recipe with cream cheese buttercream! A fail-proof, and out-of-this-world pumpkin cake that will have your friends and family dying for the recipe. Whether it’s for a special occasion, or just to kick-off the fall season, this recipe won’t disappoint!

Continue below for the easy-to-follow recipe, dig in, and enjoy every bite!

Print Recipe

Pumpkin Cake Recipe with Cream Cheese Buttercream

This Pumpkin Cake Recipe is a must-bake this fall season! Layers of deliciously moist pumpkin cake filled with fall spices and just the right amount of pumpkin, all held together by the creamiest cream cheese buttercream.

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time40 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr

Course: Dessert

Ingredients

• 1 Box Yellow Cake Mix Duncan Hines
• 1 Cup Granulated Sugar 7 oz
• 1 Cup All-Purpose Flour 5 oz
• 1/4 Tsp Nutmeg
• 1/4 Tsp Cloves
• 2 Tsp Cinnamon
• 1/2 Tsp Salt
• 3 Eggs Room Temperature
• 1 Stick Unsalted Butter (melted) 113 grams
• 1/2 Cup Sour Cream 4 oz
• 1/4 Cup Vegetable Oil 2 oz
• 1 Cup Milk 8 oz
• 3/4 Cup Pumpkin Puree 6 oz
• 1 Tbsp Vanilla Extract

Cream Cheese Buttercream

• 1 stick Unsalted Butter 113 grams
• 4 oz Plain Cream Cheese 113 grams
• 2 lbs Powdered Sugar 907 grams
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract 4 grams
• ½ teaspoon Salt 3 grams
• 2 teaspoons White Gel Food Coloring optional
• 4-6 tablespoons Heavy Whipping Cream

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 345°F. Prepare (4) 6 inch cake pans or (3) 8 inch cake pans with baking spray or a homemade pan release. You can also use parchment paper rounds at the bottom of the pans for extra insurance.
• In a microwave-safe bowl, microwave the butter at 15-30 second intervals until completely melted. Set aside until ready to incorporate into your recipe.
• Measure sour cream and milk into a small, microwave-safe bowl. If not already at room temperature, microwave for 30 seconds to bring to room temperature and set aside.
• If eggs are not room temperature, add whole eggs into a bowl with warm water and let sit for 5-10 minutes. Crack eggs into a separate bowl, and set aside. Doing this gives you a chance to fish out any unwanted egg shells!
• Add the flour, sugar, yellow cake mix, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, and salt to a large mixing bowl. Use a whisk or spoon to gently combine the ingredients until they are evenly distributed.
• Combine all ingredients into the bowl containing the dry ingredients. Don't forget to add the vegetable oil, pumpkin puree, and vanilla extract!
• Mix ingredients together with an electric hand mixer, starting on low and increasing speed to med-high. Scraping bowl periodically to make sure all ingredients are incorporating and not stuck on the bottom. Mix until batter is smooth and fluffy, usually 1-2 minutes!
• Pour batter into prepared cake pans. If you can, use a food scale to evenly distribute batter between pans for consistent cake layer size.
• Bake for 30-32 min for 6 inch pans, and 28-30 min for 8 inch pans. Use a toothpick or knife and insert into the center of the cake – if it comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, it’s good to go. You can also gently press your finger into the top of the cake, if it springs back slowly, it’s done!
• Let cakes cool in pan for 10-15 minutes, and transfer to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling.

Instructions for Cream Cheese Buttercream

• Start by adding the room temperature butter and cream cheese to a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment. Whip the butter on a medium speed for about 1-2 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl at least once during this time.
• Add 2 tablespoons of heavy cream or milk to the butter and cream cheese mixture, along with the vanilla extract and salt.
• Turn mixer on medium speed until these ingredients are incorporated. This should only take about 30 seconds. Scrape the bowl.
• Lower mixer speed to the lowest setting, now start adding the powdered sugar in increments. Adding a tablespoon of heavy cream or milk between each.
• Slightly increase the mixer speed to help blend these ingredients, but do not turn on too high or you will whip too much air into the buttercream.
• Remember to scrape the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl to make sure all of the ingredients are incorporated!
• When finished adding all powered sugar and heavy cream, finish by adding the 2 teaspoons of white gel food coloring. (This step is optional, and only necessary if you want a bright white buttercream)
• Mix on low-medium until all ingredients are incorporated, at this point you should have perfectly white, smooth cream cheese buttercream!

Notes

Keep in mind, all oven’s bake differently. I highly recommend an oven thermometer for oven temperature accuracy!

You can adjust the heavy cream amount in this recipe. For a stiffer buttercream, add less than recommended amount. For an ultra-creamy buttercream, add a max of 6 tbsp of heavy cream.

 

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