
Moist Pumpkin Cake with Maple Frosting Recipe
This pumpkin snack cake with maple frosting is the BEST. It has a moist, tender, yet fluffy texture, and the perfect level of sweetness. It’s one of my favorite cakes. It bakes quickly and easily with pantry and fridge-friendly ingredients like cinnamon, pumpkin spice, brown sugar, and pumpkin puree. Easy-to-follow recipe. So good!
Equipment
- 2 Large mixing bowls
- Stand Mixer
- 8×8 baking pan
- Parchment paper
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Silicone spatula
Ingredients
Pumpkin Cake
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree (8 oz)
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup olive oil, or similar vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Maple Frosting
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon maple extract
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon milk
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
Pumpkin Cake
- Prep: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper for easy removal.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, and ¾ teaspoon cinnamon. Set aside.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, add ½ cup olive oil, 2 eggs, 1 cup canned pumpkin puree, ½ cup light brown sugar, ¼ cup granulated sugar and 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract. Mix until smooth and fully combined.
- Combine: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
- Bake: Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan and bake for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Oven temperatures may vary so be sure to check before the 25-minute mark as you may need more or less baking time.
- Cool: Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting.
Maple Frosting
- Cream the Butter: In a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, beat 1/2 cup softened unsalted butter until creamy and the color lightens.
- Combine: To the creamed butter add 2 tablespoons maple syrup, ½ teaspoon maple extract, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon milk, a Pinch of salt and 2 cups confectioners’ sugar (one cup at a time). Mix the ingredients together until fully incorporated and smooth. Feel free to adjust the amount of milk as needed to create desired texture.
- Spread & Enjoy: Spread the maple frosting on the completely cool pumpkin cake. The frosting is quite sweet, so taste it first to see how much you like on the cake. A little bit goes a long way! Enjoy!