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Pumpkin everything!
Nobody loves pumpkin-flavored everything in the autumn more than Americans. Take it from us, if you walk around a grocery store in the fall, you will find things you never even thought could exist in a pumpkin version! From pumpkin cake to pumpkin mac and cheese, there’s something out there for everyone.
While you may have to get used to this if you are not American, we absolutely love it. Pumpkins are so festive, as we associate them with Halloween and autumn colors, and they are actually very tasty. They don’t have a particularly strong flavor but more of a subtle one, especially when roasted and used for cooking.
In baking, pumpkin mostly serves as a source of moisture for cakes and an enhancer of the added spices (like cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, etc.) that we love to use in the autumn.
Developing today’s pumpkin cake recipe
So, with that brief introduction, it comes as no surprise that today’s recipe is a pumpkin one! We have been working on this recipe for a little over a year. Needless to say, it has come with a few challenges. Pumpkin is not easy to add to baked goods in a large amount. We first tried to just substitute it into some of our other cake recipes with some small adjustments. But this often resulted in a dense or collapsed cake. And since we were looking for fluffiness, we struggled with this!
At the same time, though, it didn’t make sense to us to use only half a can of pumpkin. This is not very realistic for home bakers who then have to figure out how to use up the rest of the can. Therefore, we had to test this recipe a lot to get to this version, which uses an entire can but gives you a beautifully fluffy end result. The cake itself is wonderfully spiced and moist, while the cream cheese frosting adds a sweet and creamy balance. The perfect combination!
Baking our pumpkin cake recipe
Luckily, our long-winded developing process means that the recipe itself is pretty straightforward and should turn out delicious. Simply mix together your dry ingredients in one bowl and wet ingredients in another. Combine them and mix so that there are no dry spots of flour left. Pour into a cake tin and bake.
Let this cool, then make your frosting and smear it on top of the cake. You can increase this recipe to make multiple layers if you want to make a layer cake. Or, you can stick to the sheet pan version we have created. Either way, decorate with some candied orange slices, sprinkles, or whatever you like, and this cake is certain to be an autumnal hit!
If you love cream cheese frosting like we do, make sure to check out our carrot cake and carrot cake roulade recipes, both of which include this lovely and delicious topping.
Watch Our Video
Græskarkage (Pumpkin Cake)
A deliciously spiced and moist cake topped with a smooth cream cheese frosting. We would recommend decorating with candied oranges or orange zest. This recipe just screams autumn!
Ingredients
CAKE
- 1 can (15oz or 425g) pumpkin puree
- 240 ml (1 cup) vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs (room temperature)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 200 g (1 cup, packed) brown sugar
- 100 g (1/2 cup) granulated sugar
- 250 g (~2 cups) flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 tbsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
FROSTING
- 170 g (1.5 sticks, 12 tbsp) unsalted butter, softened
- 170 g (6 oz) cream cheese, softened
- 150 g (1 + 1/3 cup) powdered sugar
- Orange zest from one orange
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (176C) and prepare a baking pan (we used a 9" x 13" rectangular pan) by greasing the sides and lining the pan with parchment paper.
- Mix together your wet ingredients (pumpkin puree, vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla extract, brown sugar, and granulated sugar) in a mixing bowl. Whisk well to combine.
- In a separate bowl, mix together your dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt). Whisk well to combine.
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients by whisking together until the mixture is just hydrated – don't overmix!
- Transfer the batter to the prepared baking dish. Spread into an even layer.
- Bake the cake for 30-40 minutes until a cake tester inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool completely. In the meantime, prepare the cream cheese filling. Add butter to the bowl of a stand mixer and whip until it becomes lighter in color and texture.
- Add in the powdered sugar, a pinch of salt, and orange zest. Continue to whip this until it's a light and fluffy consistency.
- Add the cream cheese in two batches, mixing until well-combined, and this should give you a smooth, lump-free cream cheese frosting.
- When the cake has cooled, spread cream cheese frosting across the top. Add any additional decoration, such as candied orange slices, orange sprinkles, or orange zest. Slice and enjoy!
Amazing! I substituted Bob’s Red MIll GF flour by weight and it came out perfect. I will make this again and again, even in summer when I find a hidden can of pumpkin in the pack of my pantry… Thank you for such a wonderful recipe!
Ahhh great to hear that it turned out well with GF flour! We don’t usually get the chance to test a lot of variations (GF, vegan, etc.) of our recipes so I’m always really happy when I hear that it was successfully adapted 🙂 Thanks for your comment and lovely words!