Pumpkin Spice Cake

With a quick an easy spice cake base and a custardy pumpkin topping, this pumpkin spice cake recipe is a cross between cake and pumpkin pie. This cake takes only 15 minutes of prep time before baking for 45-50 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar or top with a dollop of whipped cream before serving!

I’m well known for baking from scratch, especially during the fall and holiday seasons. It’s what I grew up with—after all, I was raised by the Pie Queen who exclusively made homemade pie crust for her famous pecan raisin pie.

But over the years, I’ve come to learn that there’s a time and a place for a cake mix. With a little doctoring, you can turn a box of cake mix into something that tastes homemade. And when you’re short on time and energy, that can absolutely be the way to go.

This pumpkin spice cake recipe leans on this philosophy. The base is an easy spice cake made with a doctored cake mix using my friend Jamie’s favorite method. Meanwhile, the top is a layer of custardy pumpkin, reminiscent of pumpkin pie filling.

Thanks to the cake mix, the entire thing can be assembled in 15 minutes with just 2 bowls before it goes in the oven for 45-50 minutes. Add a dusting of powdered sugar and/or a dollop of whipped cream for serving and you’ve got an easy fall dessert you can throw together any time.

Ingredient notes

• Spice cake mix: Make sure to grab a 15.25-ounce mix. I typically use Duncan Hines mixes, since some of the other brands have reduced their mixes to 13.35 ounces.
• Instant vanilla pudding mix: Not cook-and-serve.
• Sour cream or plain Greek yogurt: Vanilla Greek yogurt would also work fine. This adds a bit of tang, moisture, and tenderness to the cake.
• Oil: Any neutral oil will work. I typically use vegetable oil, but avocado oil is a great option as well.
• Eggs: You will need 5 total; 3 for the cake and 2 for the topping.
• Vanilla: Extract or vanilla bean paste.
• Pumpkin puree: Make sure you use pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, which has extra ingredients that will throw off the ratios in the recipe.
• Brown sugar: For the topping.
• Pumpkin pie spice: If you don’t have this on hand, you can use a mix of ground cinnamon, ginger, and cloves instead. See the notes in the recipe card for more details.

Storage

Store leftovers in a covered container at room temperature for 1-2 days. If you need to stretch it for longer, you can keep the pumpkin spice cake in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Pumpkin Spice Cake

A quick and easy spice cake base gets topped with a custardy pumpkin layer for a simple sheet cake you'll enjoy all fall long.

No ratings yet

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 50 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Servings16

Equipment

• 13×9-inch pan

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

For the cake base:

• ▢ 1 (15.25-ounce) box spice cake mix
• ▢ 1 (3.4-ounce) box instant vanilla pudding mix
• ▢ ¾ cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
• ▢ ¾ cup vegetable oil
• ▢ ½ cup warm water
• ▢ 3 large eggs lightly beaten
• ▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the pumpkin layer:

• ▢ 1 (15-ounce) can pure pumpkin puree
• ▢ 2 large eggs
• ▢ 6 tablespoons lightly packed brown sugar
• ▢ 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ Pinch of salt

Want to save this recipe for later?

We’ll email you a link so you can come back to it later! Plus, we’ll send new recipes right to your inbox weekly.

I agree to be sent email.

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch cake pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer, beat together the cake mix, pudding mix, sour cream or yogurt, oil, water, eggs, and vanilla for 1-2 minutes or until well combined.
  1 (15.25-ounce) box spice cake mix, 1 (3.4-ounce) box instant vanilla pudding mix, ¾ cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, ¾ cup vegetable oil, ½ cup warm water, 3 large eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Spread the cake batter evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, eggs, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, and salt until smooth and well combined.
  1 (15-ounce) can pure pumpkin puree, 2 large eggs, 6 tablespoons lightly packed brown sugar, 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, Pinch of salt
• Spread the pumpkin mixer on top of the cake batter. Swirl the end of a butter knife, skewer, or chopstick through the assembled cake; you won’t notice much of a difference visually, but this will help as the cake is baking.
• Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs clinging to it. Allow the cake to cool. If desired, dust the top with powdered sugar before serving with a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream.

Notes

Ingredients

• Any neutral oil, such as avocado oil, can be used in place of the vegetable oil.
• Make sure to buy pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
• If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice on hand, substitute with 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, and 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves.

Storage

• Store covered at room temperature for 1-2 days or in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 301kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 58mg | Sodium: 242mg | Potassium: 189mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 4279IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 2mg

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

More fall dessert recipes

If you loved this pumpkin spice cake recipe and are looking for more fall dessert recipes, check out:

• Fresh apple cake is packed with sliced apples and pecans and topped with a sweet sauce for the perfect finish.
• My sweet potato pie recipe is topped with streusel for a pie you’ll want to make every Thanksgiving.
• Chewy maple walnut blondies started off as a Trader Joe’s copycat recipe and have become a seasonal staple around here.
• Deep-dish Dutch apple pie swaps the top crust for a brown-sugar crumb topping. This one is a mile high and impossible to resist!