Cutie Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting is just enough cake for 2-4 servings. Made from scratch pumpkin cake is filled with all of your favorite warm spices, ground cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and ginger. Baked in two 4 inch cakes and mini 2″ cakes with leftover batter. I don’t know which cake I like better, the double layer 4″ cake or the mini 2″ bite cakes? You don’t have to decide you can make both. Everyone will love this fall favorite Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting.

One of my fall favorite flavors is pumpkin of course cinnamon is right there in the mix. Pumpkin spice lattes to my Spice Nut Crust Pumpkin Pie, this cutie pumpkin cake takes the cake. Simple to make the cake batter using ingredients you have in your pantry Plus canned pumpkin puree, (not the pie filling) but you will need 2-4″ cake pans and mini 2″ round cake pans with removable bottoms.

How to Make Cutie Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Equipment Needed:

2-4″ round cake pans, recipe will make three 4″ cakes or 5 mini 2″ cakes using mini 2″ round cake pans with removable bottoms.

Piping Tip: 6 B for pumpkin shapes, Tip # 3 for stems, Tip #67 for small leaves

Disposable piping bags with two couplers for tip # 3 and # 67

Making the Pumpkin Cake

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place oven rack in center of oven. Lightly grease 2-4″ round cake pans with cooking spray and line with parchment 4″ circle. Lightly spray the parchment round. Set the two cake pans on a baking sheet for even baking. Lightly grease mini 2″ cake pan with removable bottoms. If you would rather make cupcakes, line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners. Do not grease the cupcake liners. Set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, add dry ingredients, 2/3 cup all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add to flour mixture, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon all spice, 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamon. Toss spices in with the flour mixture to blend. Set aside.

In a separate medium bowl, add 1/3 cup packed brown sugar, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, 1/3 cup of vegetable oil, 1 large egg, 1/2 cup pumpkin puree, tested Libby’s, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Whisk these ingredients to blend. Add dry ingredients with spices to this mixture. Whisk to mix pumpkin batter.

Pour the batter evenly into the 2-4″ round prepared pans. Pour remaining batter into mini 2″ cake pan or cupcake liners, mini or standard. You will only get two standard cupcakes or 5-6 mini cupcakes or 5 Mini 2″ cakes.

Bake 4″ cakes for 22 minutes, Bake mini 2″ cakes, 17-20 minutes and cupcakes 17 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool 5-7 minutes. Release cakes onto a cooling rack while you make the Cream Cheese Frosting.

How to Make Cream Cheese Frosting with Pumpkins

Set out the butter and cream cheese 30 minutes before whipping together to soften. Cream cheese can be tricky if the cheese gets too soft so be sure not to soften in microwave. In a small mixing bowl, add softened butter, whip on medium high speed with hand mixer and beater attachments about 2 minutes.

Add to butter, half of the cream cheese, about 2 tablespoons, whip into the butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add 1 cup confectioner’s sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla beat until smooth, add remaining softened cream cheese and additional 1 cup confectioners sugar. There is no cream or milk in this recipe. Whip on medium speed until everything is mixed together and smooth and creamy.

Assemble Cake

For the 2-4″ round cakes, if cakes are not even, slice horizontally with serrated knife to even both cakes the same height and level. Place a small dollop of cream cheese frosting in center of 4″ cake board. Add one cake layer onto board. Place board on the swivel cake turntable if you have one, if not place cake on an upside down small bowl. Elevating the cake will help you frost this small cake. Use a small off set spatula to spread a thin layer of cream cheese frosting as the crumb coat. Place in refrigerator for 15 minutes to set. Place cutie cake on a small cake stand or flat plate.

Crumb Coating is a process that will collect all the loose cake crumbs and will make your finishing frosting smooth. Remove cake from refrigerator and spread finishing frosting all over the top and sides of cake. Use a warm off- set spatula to help the frosting to be smooth all around the cake. I usually dip the metal spatula under warm water, remove some of the water so it’s not dripping and then smooth the cake.

With leftover frosting, divide into three small custard cups. Fill one cup with 2/3 of the frosting that you will tint bright orange food gel, second cup fill cup with half of the remaining frosting and tint dark brown for stem, last cup of frosting tint with leaf green food gel.

To Make the Pumpkin Garnish and Decorating the Cakes

Fill disposable piping bag fitted with shell design 6 B with orange cream cheese frosting, tip 3 with brown frosting and tip 67 with green frosting.

Gently squeeze orange frosting bag into a rounded dollop forming a pumpkin around the outer edge of the frosted cake. If you get a candy kiss peak, use confectioners sugar on your finger and tap it down. Pipe brown frosting for the stem, and green frosting for the leaves. Practice the leaf piping on your counter top to get the leaf you desire. The V on the piping tip should be horizontal to create pretty leaves.

Add additional frosting pumpkins, stems and leaves around the base of cake as you desire. For the extra mini cakes, no need to frost all over the cake, just pipe single pumpkin, stem and leaf on top of each mini 2″ cake. For cupcakes, frost the top with cream cheese frosting, then pipe the orange pumpkin, stem and leaves.

Cake is finished and ready to serve! Cake will serve 2-4 people. Keep cakes refrigerated due to cream cheese frosting.

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Enjoy this recipe, It’s perfect for fall entertaining.

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