Pumpkin Pecan Cake (Print Version)
Moist spiced pumpkin cake with toasted pecans and cinnamon cream cheese icing for fall gatherings.
# What You Need:
→ Cake
01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
03 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
05 - 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
06 - 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
07 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
08 - 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
09 - 1 cup granulated sugar
10 - 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
11 - 1 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
12 - 4 large eggs, room temperature
13 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
14 - 1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin purée
15 - 1 1/4 cups chopped pecans, lightly toasted
→ Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing
16 - 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
17 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
18 - 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
19 - 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
20 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
21 - Pinch of salt
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9x13-inch baking pan.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, beat together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and melted butter until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla extract and pumpkin purée, mixing until well combined.
04 - Gradually fold in the dry ingredients using a spatula; do not overmix. Stir in the toasted pecans until evenly distributed.
05 - Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for 32–37 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool completely on a cooling rack.
06 - Beat the cream cheese and butter together until light and creamy. Gradually add the powdered sugar, then beat in the cinnamon, vanilla, and salt until fluffy.
07 - Spread the cinnamon cream cheese icing evenly over the cooled cake. Cut into 12 slices to serve.
# Insider Tips:
01 -
- The crumb is impossibly tender thanks to the oil from melted butter and the moisture in pumpkin puree working together.
- Toasted pecans scattered through the batter give every slice a satisfying crunch that contrasts the plush icing.
- The cinnamon cream cheese icing is the kind of thing you will catch yourself eating straight from the bowl with a spoon.
02 -
- I once tried to speed up cooling by putting the cake in the refrigerator and ended up with a sticky top that tore when I spread the icing. Patience is genuinely the secret ingredient here.
- Sifting the powdered sugar seems fussy until you bite into a hard sugar lump in your otherwise perfect frosting and realize it is worth the extra sixty seconds.
03 -
- Room temperature eggs and softened butter are not optional suggestions. Temperature matters more in baking than almost anything else, and cold ingredients will fight you at every step.
- Toast the pecans in a dry skillet over medium heat for two to three minutes, shaking the pan constantly, until you can smell them. That one small step is the difference between a good cake and one people will not stop talking about.