6 Inch Pumpkin Layer Cake Recipe
A moist pumpkin cake loaded with pumpkin flavors and fall spices. This cake is topped with a silky cream cheese frosting. It's the perfect pumpkin recipe to make each fall!
Servings 10 servings
Calories 378kcal
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- pinch ground cloves
- 4 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 15 ounce pumpkin puree (1 - 15 oz can pumpkin puree)
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 2 1/2 -3 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease and flour 3 – 6 inch round cake pans. Set aside.
- In a medium size bowl whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and cloves. Set aside.
- In bowl of your electric mixer, add the eggs, oil, vanilla, pumpkin puree, and sugars. Mix until combined.
- With mixer on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined. Don’t overmix.
- Pour the batter amongst the 3 cake pans. Smooth out the top with a spatula. Bake for 35-38 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove cakes from the oven and allow them to cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Turn the cakes out and let them cool completely. Frost the cakes, or you can cover the cakes with plastic wrap and place them in the fridge overnight. Remove them the next day and frost them.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- In bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth and creamy. Add a splash of milk until you reach your desired frosting consistency. Frost the cake.
Notes
Serve the cake immediately, or leave at room temperature for 2 days, or in the refrigerator for 5 days.
To freeze cake layers, let the pumpkin cake layers cool completely and wrap each cake layer twice in plastic wrap, then freeze. If storing for 1+ weeks, finish with a layer of aluminum foil and then freeze. Cake layers can stay in the freezer for up to 2 months.
To freeze a completed cake, chill the frosted/decorated cake in the freezer until firm (about 20-30 minutes). Wrap the entire cake in plastic wrap twice then freeze. If storing for 1+ weeks, finish with a layer of aluminum foil. The completed cake will stay in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Nutrition
Calories: 378kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 121mg | Sodium: 363mg | Potassium: 230mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 7175IU | Vitamin C: 1.8mg | Calcium: 81mg | Iron: 2.5mg