Description
This moist, tender pumpkin spice snack cake is topped with a tangy cream cheese frosting. It’s an easy, crowd-pleasing fall dessert that comes together in under 15 minutes of prep and tastes like autumn in every bite.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 ½ cups (180g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (100g) packed light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- ½ cup (120ml) vegetable oil
- 1 cup (245g) pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 8 ounces (226g) cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup (56g) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups (240g) powdered sugar, sifted if lumpy
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×9-inch baking pan and line it with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk the eggs, vegetable oil, pumpkin puree, and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Fold gently with a rubber spatula until just combined. A few streaks of flour are okay.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread evenly.
- Bake for 28-32 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then lift it out using the parchment overhang and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- While the cake cools, beat the softened cream cheese and butter together in a large bowl until smooth and creamy.
- Add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Beat on low speed until combined, then increase to medium-high for 2 minutes until fluffy.
- Once the cake is completely cool, spread the frosting evenly over the top.
- Slice into 9 or 12 squares and serve.
Notes
For best results, use room temperature ingredients. Do not overmix the batter. Let the cake cool completely before frosting to prevent the frosting from melting. For cleaner slices, chill the frosted cake for 20 minutes before cutting.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 square (based on 9
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 35
- Fat: 18
- Carbohydrates: 52
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 5
Keywords: pumpkin spice snack cake, cream cheese frosting, fall dessert, easy pumpkin cake, moist pumpkin cake