Name: Pumpkin Cake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 4 eggs; 1-2/3 cups sugar; 1 cup vegetable oil; 1 15 ounce can pumpkin puree; 2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted; 2 teaspoons baking powder; 2 teaspoons cinnamon; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 8 ounces cream cheese, softened; 4 ounces (1 stick) butter, softened; 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

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This Pumpkin Cake with cream cheese frosting is better than pumpkin pie any day of the week. Full of abundance energy and prosperity spices this simple sheet cake will make you feel rich and happy. It's just like magic.

Pumpkin Cake with cream cheese frosting with text

From fairy tales to Halloween, pumpkins have long been associated with magic and witchcraft, but often it's in a negative light. We're all so impressed by the transformation of a pumpkin into Cinderella's luxurious carriage, but somehow the part that seems to get mentioned most often is the moment when that carriage turns back into a pumpkin and gets dashed to bits in the street. Pumpkins then become associated with disappointment.

And the one time of year when most of us actually handle pumpkins is when we're making jack-o-lanterns at Halloween. We're turning this big, gorgeous gourd into something grotesque and scary. So pumpkins become associated with fear.

But they actually hold the energy of abundance, growth, and endurance. They're orange color is symbolic of courage and creativity. They're full of seeds and grow prolifically. They're life force is indomitable. You definitely want some pumpkin energy in your life.

What makes Pumpkin Cake so awesome?

You're also gonna want this cake in your life. Pumpkin Cake with cream cheese frosting is possibly my very favorite pumpkin dessert. It stays super moist for days, and it's full of flavor without being overly sweet. It's also so sharable because it's made in a 13x9 inch baking pan which is much easier than making a layer cake. I've tried this as a layer cake, and it's a bit much. You'll be perfectly happy with a smaller piece.

A rectangular cake also means you don't have to turn it out or decorate it if you don't want to. This simple cake doesn't need any frills to make it impressive. It's perfectly capable of standing out for flavor alone. You can have an understated style if your substance is extremely awesome.

Make it magical

If you want to make this cake into a spell, I'd focus on the abundance and prosperity it can bring. Besides an abundance of pleasure you'll get from eating it, the pumpkin itself holds strong abundance energy, as I've already mentioned. This cake also contains cinnamon which is known for its money drawing properties. I actually swapped out the cinnamon for my prosperity spice mix here, so this cake can definitely help bring a little wealth to you and your guests.

And of course, wealth and abundance can carry a different meaning for everyone. It could be straight up cash money, but it could also be an abundance of love or peace or whatever you need. Let your guests know you've infused the cake with this energy, and ask them to take a breath to meditate on what they'd like to invite into their lives in greater abundance before you dig in.

To see the correspondences for the ingredients in this recipe, check out the Kitchen Magick page.

How to Make Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

This cake is a pretty simple dump and stir situation. It uses oil instead of butter and a whole can of pumpkin puree, so that makes it much simpler. Use an electric mixer of a stand mixer to bring together your wet ingredients then mix in the dry. Pour your batter in a 9x13 inch baking pan and bake for about 30 minutes. Let it cool completely before frosting.

To make the frosting, we will need softened butter and cream cheese. I just measure this out after putting the cake in the oven, and it's soft enough by the time the cake is ready for frosting. You'll just beat these together with powdered sugar and a bit of vanilla to form a fairly thin but delicious frosting. Since we're making a rectangular cake, you can just dump it all on top and spread it evenly. I like to store this cake in the fridge.

Right now, I could go for an abundance of cake. You're gonna want to make this Pumpkin Cake with cream cheese frosting over and over again. Happy baking. Make it magical. Make it awesome.

Looking for more awesome pumpkin desserts? Try a No-Bake Double-Layer Pumpkin Pie or some Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes.

Pumpkin Cake

Print Recipe

Author: Renee Rendall
Prep Time: 15
Cook Time: 30
Total Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 9x13-inch cake 1x
Category: Dessert
Method: Baked
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

Scale

For the cake

4 eggs
1-⅔ cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 15 ounce can pumpkin puree
2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

For the frosting

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 ounces (1 stick) butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

For the cake

Preheat oven to 350 F (175 C) and lightly spray a 13x9 inch baking pan with non-stick spray.
Beat together the eggs, sugar, vegetable oil, and pumpkin until light and smooth. I used a stand mixer, but a wooden spoon and a strong arm should also work.
Sift together the fllour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda. Gently stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until combined.
Pour the batter into your cake pan, and even it out. Bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. You'll know it's almost ready when your house starts to smell outrageously awesome.
Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting

Using an electric mixer, beat together butter and cream cheese until smooth and light. I just left my stand mixer running while I sifted my powdered sugar, about three to five minutes.
Don't skip the sifting of the powdered sugar. You want your frosting to be super smooth. Slowly add it to the bowl, beating until combined. I like to turn the mixer up to high for about 30 seconds at the end to make sure everything's smooth and light.
Just go ahead and spread all the frosting on to the cake. It's the perfect thickness.