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Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
If cooler fall weather has you craving pumpkin desserts, try this old-fashioned pumpkin cake recipe. This homey pumpkin layer cake is made with brown sugar, cinnamon, and buttermilk for a fragrant, warmly spiced, not-too-sweet treat.
Feel free to use canned pumpkin puree for an easy way to speed up this recipe. The cake is delicious eaten on its own, or you can whip up a quick Spiced Whipped Cream to spread over and between the layers. The whipped cream keeps this cake light and fresh for the season.
Pumpkin Cake Ingredients
To make this simple layer cake, you'll need:
- Baking spray with flour: To coat the pans so the cakes will come out of the pans easily.
- Light brown sugar: Adds a bit of caramel sweetness to the cake.
- Unsalted butter: Adds richness and moisture. If you use salted butter, just scale back on the salt you add.
- Granulated sugar: Adds sweetness and makes the cakes tender.
- Egg: You'll need one.
- Mashed cooked pumpkin: You can use canned pumpkin puree, or make your own.
- Whole buttermilk: Adds tang and helps the cake batter rise.
- Baking soda and baking powder: These leaveners help the cakes rise during baking.
- Salt: Balances out the sweetness of the sugars.
- Ground cinnamon: Warm spices are the perfect pair for pumpkin.
- All-purpose flour: Adds the bulk of the cake batter.
- Chopped pecans: For a tiny bit of crunch in each cake layer.
- Freshly grated nutmeg: To add more flavor and spice to the pumpkin cake.
For the Spiced Whipped Cream, you'll also need whipping cream, powdered sugar, ground cinnamon, and ground ginger.
![ingredients for pumpkin cake](https://www.southernliving.com/thmb/Fo3lSU92pKqSt_MTbnh89A9zC7w=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Pumpkin_Cake_001-0129c5985d1b4657a9ca9950bc7e2c33.jpg)
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
How To Make Pumpkin Cake
This cake is a classic recipe, so even novice bakers should be able to make it. These directions are a brief outline. The full recipe is further below:
- Step 1. Cream the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and butter.
- Step 2. Add the egg and pumpkin.
- Step 3. Combine the dry ingredients. Combine the buttermilk and baking soda. Mix all the batter components together.
- Step 4. Spoon the batter into two cake pans coated with baking spray.
- Step 5. Bake the cake layers, and cool completely.
- Step 6. Make the whipped cream by first beating the cream until foamy. Then, add powdered sugar, cinnamon, and ground ginger. Continue whipping until cream forms stiff peaks.
- Step 7. Spread whipped cream between the two layers of pumpkin cake, then spread the remaining whipped cream on top. Garnish with freshly grated nutmeg if desired.
Variations
This pumpkin cake is generously spiced and easy, which makes it a great dessert for a little fun. Consider these alternatives as you're planning your dessert:
- Change frostings: The whipped cream is a light, creamy topping for this cozy cake, but if you want a more decadent dessert, use frostings like Swiss meringue buttercream, cream cheese frosting, or vanilla buttercream.
- Add a drizzle: Instead of the freshly ground nutmeg, give this cake a fancy appearance with a drizzle of salted caramel sauce.
- Add more crunch: Top the cake with candied pumpkin seeds or candied pumpkin spice pecans.
How To Store Pumpkin Cake
The whipped cream on this pumpkin cake won't be stable at room temperature for long, so you should store any leftover cake, covered, in the fridge. Leftovers will last 2 to 3 days, though the whipped cream may deflate.
Make-Ahead Tips
If you're planning to share this pumpkin cake at Thanksgiving, you can get ahead by baking the cake layers in advance. Let the cake cool completely. Then, wrap them in storage wrap and aluminum foil. Store in the freezer up to 3 months.
Defrost the cake layers in the fridge overnight. Whip the cream and build the cake just before your dinner or party.
More Classic Fall Cakes:
Looking for a showstopper for a holiday meal of fall dinner party? Try one of these:
![pumpkin cake with whipped cream on top](https://www.southernliving.com/thmb/9yWI2YNSOeZhNBmJz15fNIQ7GRk=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Pumpkin_Cake_015-1124c6883c85479cb44bb31224811ced.jpg)
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Ingredients
Pumpkin Cake:
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Baking spray with flour
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1 cup packed light brown sugar
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1/2 cup (4 oz.) unsalted butter, softened
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1/2 cup granulated sugar
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1 large egg
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3/4 cup mashed cooked pumpkin
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1/3 cup whole buttermilk
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1/4 tsp. baking soda
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1 Tbsp. baking powder
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1 tsp. table salt
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1 tsp. ground cinnamon
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2 cups (about 8 1/2 oz.) all-purpose flour, divided
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2/3 cup chopped pecans
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1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg (optional)
Spiced Whipped Cream:
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1 cup heavy whipping cream
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3 Tbsp. sifted powdered sugar
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1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
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1/4 tsp. ground ginger
Directions
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Prepare oven and cake pans:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously coat 2 (8-inch) round cake pans with baking spray.
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
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Cream butter and sugars:
Beat brown sugar, butter, and granulated sugar with a hand mixer on high speed until creamy, about 2 minutes.
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Add egg and pumpkin; beat well.
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
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Complete batter:
Stir together buttermilk and baking soda in a small bowl until dissolved.
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Stir together baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and 1 3/4 cups of the flour in a separate bowl until combined.
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Add to sugar-butter mixture alternately with buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating on low speed until incorporated after each addition.
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Toss together pecans and remaining 1/4 cup flour in a separate small bowl; fold into batter.
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
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Add batter to pans:
Pour batter evenly into prepared cake pans.
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
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Bake and cool completely:
Bake in preheated oven until a wooden pick inserted in centers comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool in pans 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely on a wire rack, about 30 minutes.
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
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Make the Spiced Whipped Cream:
Beat cream with an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment on high speed cream until foamy, about 1 minute. Gradually add powdered sugar, cinnamon, and ginger, beating on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 1 1/2 minutes. Store in refrigerator up to 30 minutes.
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
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Layer cake:
Spread Spiced Whipped Cream between layers and on top of cake. If desired, sprinkle cake with nutmeg.
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox