Cinematic overhead shot of a three-layer spiced pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting on a weathered wood table, surrounded by autumn elements like cinnamon sticks and nutmeg, creating a cozy kitchen atmosphere.

Spiced Pumpkin Layer Cake: The Ultimate Fall Showstopper

Spiced Pumpkin Layer Cake: The Ultimate Fall Showstopper

Spiced pumpkin layer cake is the dessert that makes everyone lean in closer when you set it on the table.

I’ve made this cake more times than I can count, and every single time, someone asks for the recipe before they’ve even finished their first slice.

It’s moist without being dense, spiced without overwhelming your palate, and that cream cheese frosting?

It’s the kind that makes you want to lick the spatula clean when no one’s looking.

Key Info

Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes
Total time: 2 hours (including cooling)
Servings: 12-16 slices
Difficulty level: Intermediate
Dietary tags: Vegetarian

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Equipment Needed

Here’s what you’ll actually use:

  • Stand mixer with paddle attachment (hand mixer works too, but your arm will hate you)
  • Three 8-inch round cake pans (or two 9-inch if that’s what you’ve got)
  • Offset spatula for frosting
  • Medium and large mixing bowls
  • Whisk
  • Cooling racks
  • Parchment paper
  • Toothpick for testing doneness

Simple alternatives:
Don’t have three pans? Bake in batches with two pans.
No stand mixer? A hand mixer and some patience work perfectly fine.

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Ingredients

For the Cake:

Dry ingredients:

  • 3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour, sifted
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1½ teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt (don’t skip this—it makes the pumpkin sing)
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • 1½ teaspoons ground nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon ground cloves
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger

Wet ingredients:

  • 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1½ cups (300g) granulated sugar
  • ¾ cup (150g) packed brown sugar
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 can (15 oz/425g) pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
  • ½ cup (120ml) vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup (120ml) buttermilk (or make your own: ½ cup milk + 1½ teaspoons white vinegar, let sit 5 minutes)
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
  • 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 16 oz (452g) cream cheese, room temperature (BRICK STYLE, not spreadable)
  • 7-8 cups (840-960g) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon salt

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Method

Make the Cake:
  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
  2. Spray three 8-inch pans with cooking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper circles.
  3. Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger in a medium bowl. Set aside.
  4. Cream the butter in your stand mixer on high for 2 minutes until it’s fluffy and pale.
  5. Add both sugars and beat for another 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl—there’s always butter hiding on the sides.
  6. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. This is where your cake gets its structure, so don’t rush it.
  7. Mix in the pumpkin puree and oil on medium speed for about 1 minute. The batter will look a bit separated—that’s normal.
  8. Add vanilla extract and stir until combined.
  9. Turn mixer to low and add half the flour mixture. Mix until just combined.
  10. Pour in the buttermilk and mix briefly.
  11. Add remaining flour mixture and mix only until you don’t see dry streaks anymore. Stop mixing here—overmixing creates tough, dense cake.
  12. Divide batter evenly between your three pans (about 2⅔ cups per pan if you want to be precise).
  13. Bake for 35-40 minutes. The centers should spring back when you touch them lightly, and a toothpick should come out with just a few moist crumbs.
  14. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then flip onto cooling racks. Let them cool completely before frosting—I mean it. Warm cake plus frosting equals a melted disaster.

Cinematic overhead view of a rustic kitchen counter featuring three golden-brown cake pans lined with parchment paper, surrounded by cinnamon sticks, nutmeg, and pumpkin puree, illuminated by soft autumn light from a window.

Make the Frosting:
  1. Beat butter and cream cheese together on high speed for 5 full minutes. I know it seems long, but this is what makes frosting light and fluffy instead of dense and heavy.
  2. Turn mixer to low and add powdered sugar 2 cups at a time, mixing well after each addition.
  3. Add vanilla and salt.
  4. Mix on low for another 5-6 minutes until the frosting is silky smooth. If it feels too thick, add a tablespoon of heavy cream. Too thin? Add more powdered sugar.

Close-up of cream cheese frosting being whipped in a stainless steel stand mixer bowl, transforming from pale yellow to cloud-white, set against a cozy kitchen backdrop with warm wood tones and a vintage vanilla extract bottle.

Assemble:
  1. Place your first cake layer on a cake stand or serving plate. I slide strips of parchment under the edges to keep the plate clean while frosting.
  2. Spread about ¾ cup of frosting on top, going almost to the edges.
  3. Add second layer and repeat.
  4. Place final layer on top, flat side up.
  5. Apply a thin “crumb coat” of frosting over the entire cake. This traps all the loose crumbs.
  6. Refrigerate for 15-20 minutes until the crumb coat is firm to the touch.
  7. Apply final thick layer of frosting, smoothing with your offset spatula. For clean sides, hold the spatula at a 45-degree angle and rotate the cake stand as you smooth.
  8. Pipe decorative borders if you’re feeling fancy, or keep it rustic. Both work beautifully.

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Crucial Tips

For the moistest cake:

  • Use canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling
  • Don’t overbake—set a timer for 35 minutes and check early
  • Room temperature ingredients are non-negotiable for proper mixing

For frosting that doesn’t slide off:

  • Use brick-style cream cheese, never the spreadable tubs

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