Layered pumpkin cake filled with pumpkin puree and warm fall spices then topped with cream cheese frosting. This mini spiced pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting is delicious and perfect for the fall holidays.
Happy Sunday!
We’re less than two weeks away from Thanksgiving!
Have I ever mentioned that Thanksgiving and Christmas are my favorite time of year? There’s something about the last two months of the year that feels just a little different, a little magical. And I wish that we could be out enjoying the holiday festivities. Instead it’s going to be a different type of holiday this year. But it doesn’t mean that we have give up all the food that we normally enjoy for the holidays. We definitely deserve a feast for all that we had to deal with.
So I thought we could use a little cake in our lives. To make the end of the year extra special even if the holidays are looking different this year.
This mini pumpkin is only 6 inches so it’s perfect for a small family or even for just two people. It’s enough to indulge but not too much that you’ll have leftovers for the next month.
The pumpkin cake is soo moist and perfectly spiced. Each layer is filled with pumpkin puree and cozy fall spices like cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, all spice, cloves, and black pepper. Each layer is lightly covered in cream cheese frosting. This cake embodies all the flavors of fall.
And I can’t wait for you to try it. <3
To make the pumpkin cake, preheat the oven to 350F. Line a 6 inch springform pan with parchment paper. Set aside for now.
I baked the cake in two separate batches since I only had one springform pan, but if you have two, you can do this simultaneously. I also made the cake batter in two separate batches so that I know that the cake will be even.
In a medium sized mixing bowl, add flour, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cardamom, ground nutmeg, all spice, ground cloves, a pinch of black pepper, a pinch of salt, baking soda, baking powder. Whisk until all the ingredients are well combined.
In another medium sized mixing bowl, granulated sugar, brown sugar, egg, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and pumpkin puree. Mix until all the ingredients are combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan, and bake for about 20 minutes. Test the cake’s readiness by inserting a toothpick into the center. If it comes out clean, the cake is done.
Repeat with the second layer of the pumpkin cake. The two cake layers can be baked at the same time or one after another.
In a medium bowl, use a hand mixer to mix together butter, powdered sugar, cream cheese, and vanilla extract until well combined. Make sure that the butter and the cream cheese are at room temperature so that the frosting won’t be lumpy. Refrigerate the cake so that the frosting will be firmer.
Allow the cakes to completely cool before using a sharp knife to cut the top of the cakes to even it out.
Use a spatula to spread the cream cheese on the cake.
Serve this mini spiced pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting.
Enjoy!
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ⅛ teaspoon all spice
- ⅛ teaspoon ground clove
- Pinch of black pepper
- Pinch of salt
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup pumpkin puree
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ⅛ teaspoon all spice
- ⅛ teaspoon ground clove
- Pinch of black pepper
- Pinch of salt
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup pumpkin puree
- ¼ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 4 oz cream cheese
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a 6 inch springform pan with parchment paper. Set aside for now.
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, add flour, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cardamom, ground nutmeg, all spice, ground cloves, a pinch of black pepper, a pinch of salt, baking soda, baking powder. Whisk until all the ingredients are well combined.
- In another medium sized mixing bowl, granulated sugar, brown sugar, egg, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and pumpkin puree. Mix until all the ingredients are combined.
- Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. And whisk until combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan, and bake for about 20 minutes. Test the cake’s readiness by inserting a toothpick into the center. If it comes out clean, the cake is done.
- Repeat with the second layer of the pumpkin cake. The two cake layers can be baked at the same time or one after another.
- In a medium bowl, use a hand mixer to mix together butter, powdered sugar, cream cheese, and vanilla extract until well combined. Make sure that the butter and the cream cheese are at room temperature so that the frosting won’t be lumpy. Refrigerate the cake so that the frosting will be firmer.
- Allow the cakes to completely cool before using a sharp knife to cut the top of the cakes to even it out.
- Use a spatula to spread the cream cheese on the cake.
- Serve this mini spiced pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting.
At what point do you remove the cake from the pan? I only have one pan.
I do too. I just let it cool for several minutes and then transfer it a cooling rack while I do the second layer.
Could you use regular 6 inch cake pans?
Yes! You can use regular 6 inch cake pans. It’s just easier with the spring form pan since you can release them. Just grease the regular pans really well