Categories: CakesFall Baking

Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting – Simple Cake Mix Base

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This cake is so moist and delicious, and is packed with season spices and pumpkin! Truly a crowd-favorite, and it’ll taste like you spent hours in the kitchen, but the secret is that this cake whips up in 10 minutes or less using a yellow box cake mix! There are so many great pumpkin cake recipes out there, but I hope you’ll give this one a try! It’s perfect for both new and experienced bakers alike!

Why You’ll Love this Cake

  • I love doctoring up a cake mix- this cake uses a boxed yellow cake mix and I make no apologies for this, it is so good!
  • This seriously might be the most moist pumpkin cake you will ever eat!
  • This classic pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting is perfect for holiday hosting or just an anytime treat!

Recipe Notes

  • Variations of this pumpkin cake – I love this cake with cream cheese frosting! It is truly decadent and delicious. But, if it’s a little on the sweet side for you, give my Pumpkin Donut Bundt Cake a try! It’s the same base pumpkin cake recipe but is instead brushed with melted butter and topped with cinnamon and sugar.
  • Salted or unsalted butter? I always use salted butter in my baking, if anything just out of habit. However if you do not have salted butter on hand – no worries. Just add 1/2 tsp of salt to your batter.
  • Is the frosting shelf-stable? This cream cheese frosting calls for 2 tablespoons of milk which make the frosting a little lighter and fluffier. The frosting has a high enough sugar content that it is still shelf-stable despite having some dairy in it.
  • Storage – Despite this cake being shelf-stable, I still recommend storing the cake in the refrigerator especially if you need it to last more than 1-2 days. This cake is good at room temperature up to 2 days, and stays fresh in the fridge for 1 week.

Ingredients

For the Pumpkin cake

  • 1 box yellow cake mix
  • 1/2 cup salted butter, melted
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 -15oz can pumpkin puree
  • 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 tsp cinnamon

For the Cream Cheese Frosting

  • (1) 8oz block of cream cheese
  • 1/4 cup salted butter, room temperature
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons milk

Directions

Making your Pumpkin Cake

  • Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
  • In a microwave-safe bowl, melt 1/2 cup butter butter
  • Combine melted butter, sugar, eggs, milk, & pumpkin. Mix until combined.
  • Add cake mix, 1 tsp cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice, mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients until fully combined.
  • Grease bundt cake with non-stick cookie spray or coat pan with butter.
  • Pour batter into pan, bake for 35 minutes for a bundt cake.
  • While cake is baking, take 1/4 cup butter out of the refrigerator to come to room temperature.
  • Let cake completely cool before frosting.

Making your Frosting

  • With an electric mixer, cream together the cream cheese and butter.
  • Slowly add in powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time.
  • Once cream cheese, butter, and powdered sugar are combined, add in the 2 tablespoons of milk and beat together on high until frosting is light and fluffy.
  • Once cake is completely cooled, frost cake and enjoy!

Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting – Simple Cake Mix Base

Recipe by MaeganCourse: DessertDifficulty: Easy
Servings

16

servings
Prep time

18

minutes
Cooking time

33

minutes

Ingredients

  • Pumpkin Cake
  • 1 box yellow cake mix

  • 1/2 cup salted butter, melted

  • 1/4 cup milk

  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar

  • 4 eggs

  • 1 -15oz can pumpkin puree

  • 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

  • 1 tsp cinnamon

  • Cream Cheese Frosting
  • (1) 8oz block of cream cheese

  • 1/4 cup salted butter, room temperature

  • 4 cups powdered sugar

  • 2 tablespoons milk

Directions

  • Making Your Cake
  • Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
  • In a microwave-safe bowl, melt 1/2 cup butter butter
  • Combine melted butter, sugar, eggs, milk, & pumpkin. Mix until combined.
  • Add cake mix, 1 tsp cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice, mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients until fully combined.
  • Grease bundt cake with non-stick cookie spray or coat pan with butter.
  • Pour batter into pan, bake for 35 minutes for a bundt cake.
  • While cake is baking, take 1/4 cup butter out of the refrigerator to come to room temperature.
  • Let cake completely cool before frosting.
  • Making Your Cream Cheese Frosting
  • With an electric mixer, cream together the cream cheese and butter.
  • Slowly add in powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time.
  • Once cream cheese, butter, and powdered sugar are combined, add in the 2 tablespoons of milk and beat together on high until frosting is light and fluffy.
  • Once cake is completely cooled, frost cake and enjoy!
Maegan

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Maegan

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