Description
A moist and flavorful pumpkin layer cake with rich cream cheese frosting, perfect for fall celebrations.
Ingredients
- Dry Ingredients:
- 2 ½ cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 ½ tbsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- Wet Ingredients:
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ½ cup olive oil (or avocado oil)
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 cup canned pumpkin
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- ¾ cup milk of choice (cashew milk recommended)
- ½ tbsp apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice)
- ¼ cup water
- Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 12 oz cream cheese, softened (1.5 blocks)
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- 1 vanilla bean pod, seeds scraped
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp milk of choice
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat to 350°F. Grease and line the bottom of two 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, mix together whole wheat pastry flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk maple syrup, oil, brown sugar, and pumpkin until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla extract, mixing well.
- Incorporate Dry & Wet: Gradually add half of the dry mixture to the wet ingredients, stirring gently. Add milk, vinegar, and water, then gently stir in the rest of the dry ingredients.
- Bake: Divide the batter evenly between the two pans (about 2 ¼ cups per pan). Bake for 15 minutes, then rotate the pans and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cakes rest for 15 minutes in the pans, then cool completely on a wire rack.
- Prepare Frosting: Beat the softened cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add the scraped vanilla bean seeds and powdered sugar, mixing on low and then increasing to medium-high speed. Add milk to adjust the frosting consistency if needed.
- Assemble the Cake: Place the first cake layer upside down on a cake plate, then spread an even layer of frosting on top. Place the second layer on top (bottom side down). Frost the entire cake.
- Chill and Serve: Let the cake chill for at least 45 minutes before slicing. It can also be made a day ahead and stored in the refrigerator.
Notes
- Storage: Keep leftover cake covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Substitutions: You can use any milk of your choice, like almond or oat milk. For a dairy-free version, swap the cream cheese and butter for dairy-free alternatives.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 30g
- Sodium: 200mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 35mg
