Pumpkin Pecan Cake (Printable)
Moist spiced pumpkin pecan cake crowned with luscious cinnamon cream cheese icing for fall gatherings.
# What You’ll Need:
→ For the Cake
01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
03 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
05 - 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
06 - 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
07 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
08 - 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
09 - 1 cup granulated sugar
10 - 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
11 - 1 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
12 - 4 large eggs, room temperature
13 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
14 - 1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin purée
15 - 1 1/4 cups chopped pecans, lightly toasted
→ For the Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing
16 - 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
17 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
18 - 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
19 - 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
20 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
21 - Pinch of salt
# How To Make It:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9x13-inch baking pan, ensuring even coverage on all sides and corners.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, and ground cloves until evenly distributed. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, beat together the granulated sugar, packed light brown sugar, and melted butter until smooth and no lumps remain. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract and pumpkin purée, mixing until fully incorporated.
04 - Gradually fold the dry ingredient mixture into the wet ingredients using a spatula, mixing just until combined. Do not overmix. Gently fold in the toasted chopped pecans.
05 - Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and spread it into an even layer. Bake for 32 to 37 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let the cake cool completely on a wire rack before adding icing.
06 - In a mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and softened butter together using an electric mixer until light and creamy. Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar, beating on low speed until incorporated. Add the ground cinnamon, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt, then increase speed and beat until fluffy and smooth.
07 - Spread the cinnamon cream cheese icing evenly over the completely cooled cake using an offset spatula. Cut into 12 squares and serve. Optionally, sprinkle additional chopped pecans over the top for garnish.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The combination of warm spices and real pumpkin keeps the cake incredibly moist for days, which means it actually tastes better the next morning with your coffee.
- That cinnamon cream cheese icing is dangerously good and transforms a simple spiced cake into something people will request by name at every gathering.
02 -
- If you ice the cake while it is even slightly warm, the cream cheese will soften into a runny mess and slide right off the edges, so patience is genuinely the most important ingredient here.
- Toasting the pecans in a dry skillet for about four minutes before adding them to the batter unlocks a nutty depth that raw pecans simply cannot provide.
03 -
- Sift the powdered sugar for the icing even if you are in a hurry because a single clump will ruin the silky texture you worked so hard to achieve.
- Room temperature cream cheese and butter are the secret to lump free icing, so set them out first thing before you do anything else.