Published On: 11.19.22 | 

By: Kate Wood

Recipe: Pumpkin Layer Cake

To make this pumpkin layer cake, we start with the cake layers. Unsalted butter and sugar come together in a stand mixer before eggs, extract and pumpkin puree are added. The dry ingredients are simple -- just a little flour, leavening, salt and pumpkin pie spice -- and are added alternatively with whole milk. The prepared batter gets divided between three prepared round pans before being baked in the oven. (Kate Wood / Wood and Spoon)

This pumpkin layer cake is right for winter: comforting flavors, cozy texture and relatively simple to make.

Here, fluffy pumpkin cake is layered between brown sugar and cinnamon filling and coated with a simple vanilla buttercream.

This cake pairs perfectly with a cup of coffee and stays moist for days – not that it will last that long.

The beautiful vanilla buttercream frosting tastes as great as it looks. (Kate Wood / Wood and Spoon)

Click here for a printable version.

Pumpkin Layer Cake

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Serves: 9

Ingredients

For the cake:

  • ¾ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 3 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 cup whole milk, at room temperature

For the filling:

  • ¼ cup light brown sugar
  • ¼ cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons water 

For the buttercream:

  • 2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature

    A delicious cake that’s an ideal winter dessert. (Kate Wood / Wood and Spoon)

  • 7 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2-3 tablespoons whole milk

Instructions

To bake the cake:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease three 8-inch round pans with baking spray and cut out rounds of parchment paper to fit into the bottom of the pan. Set aside.
  2. In a stand mixer or large bowl, cream the butter on medium speed for 2 minutes until smooth.
  3. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the sugar, creaming for an additional 2 minutes until smooth.
  4. Add the eggs, mixing on low speed after each addition until combined evenly.
  5. Add the vanilla and pumpkin, stirring on low to combine. Scrape the sides of the bowl.
  6. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice.
  7. Add half of the dry ingredients to the butter and egg mixture. Stir on low to combine.
  8. Add half of the milk, stirring on low to combine.
  9. Repeat this process with the remaining dry and wet ingredients. Scrape the sides of the bowl and fold in any unincorporated bits.
  10. Divide the batter evenly among the three pans and smooth with an offset spatula.
  11. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-23 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

To prepare the filling:

  1. Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl, whisking together until smooth.

To prepare buttercream and cake:

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter on medium speed until smooth and slightly pale, about 3 minutes.
  2. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, salt and cinnamon and whip 1 additional minute.
  3. Add the milk and beat until smooth and fluffy, about 1 additional minute.
  4. Assemble cake by first using a serrated knife to level the cakes. Spoon a small amount of the cinnamon sugar soak onto two of the layers to soak in.
  5. Spread a small amount of buttercream on an 8-inch cake board. Add your first cake layer with the cinnamon soak to the board and use an offset spatula to spread the buttercream on top. Continue layering your cakes and buttercream, finishing with the cake layer that didn’t have any soak on it, and use an offset spatula to smooth frosting on the outside as desired. Decorate with any remaining frosting.

Kate Wood’s recipes can be found on her Wood and Spoon blog and on FacebookInstagram and Pinterest.