Pumpkin Spice Layer Cake is the perfect festive dessert to bring to your next Halloween or fall-themed party and as a Thanksgiving dessert. The cream cheese frosting complements it perfectly and looks beautiful with a rustic ombre look.
Are you one of those pumpkin spice latte fanatics? I’ve never gotten hooked on the drink, but I love pumpkin spice everything else including this scrumptious layer cake. If you have never made pumpkin spice cake before, promise me you’ll make this recipe. BONUS – It is easy (waaaay easier than it looks), delicious and beautiful. Bring it to a Halloween or fall-themed party if you want to become everyone’s new best friend (this Candy Corn Cake is a best-friend-maker, as well). Check out the video below for a tutorial on how to create the rustic ombre look you see in the photos.
LEARN HOW TO MAKE AN OMBRE FROSTED CAKE WITH THIS VIDEO TUTORIAL!
Enjoy the step-by-step video tutorial we have created for this recipe! Our goal is to make your time in the kitchen as easy as possible and to ensure that your version of this recipe is a success. See our full collection of cooking and baking videos on YouTube!
I cannot not mention the cream cheese frosting involved in this cake because it is quite possibly the creamiest, dreamiest frosting my lips have ever touched. When it was done mixing and I removed the whisk attachment that was filled with its ooey-gooeyness, I almost fell to my knees. Never had I seen or tasted such a delicious creamy frosting in all my life.
HOW TO MAKE A PERFECT SPICED PUMPKIN LAYER CAKE
Family and friends will be thrilled to have this gorgeous and yummy dessert arrive at Thanksgiving dinner! Even non-pumpkin fans will delight in it.
MAKE THE CAKE
Preheat the oven to 350°F and generously spray three 8- or 9-inch round cake pans (or you can use one at a time) with cooking spray. Make sure you’ve set out your eggs so they are at room temperature.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a large bowl with a hand mixer), combine the butter. Add eggs, oil, sugars and vanilla extract and beat on medium speed until creamy and free of lumps. Add the pumpkin puree and mix until just combined.
In a separate medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice. Mix well. Gradually add to the butter mixture and beat on medium speed until just combined. Divide the mixture evenly between the prepared baking dishes and bake one at a time in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centers come out clean.
Let cool in pan for 5 minutes, remove from pan and let cool completely on a wire rack. Using a serrated bread knife, cut the rounded tops off each cooled cake.
PREPARE THE FROSTING
Using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer), mix 3/4 cup salted butter, cream cheese and vanilla until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and beat on medium-high speed for 3 minutes.
Divide the frosting between three same-size bowls, adding a bit more to one than the other two. Keep the bowl with the most frosting white, not adding any food coloring. To one of the remaining bowls, add orange (or neon orange) food coloring and stir until deep orange in color. Add half the amount of food coloring to the last bowl and stir until light orange.
ASSEMBLE THE CAKE
Place one cake in the center of a rotating cake stand cut side down to begin to add your first cream cheese layer. Spread white frosting evenly and generously over the top in an even layer. Top with another cake and repeat with a layer of frosting. Top with the remaining cake.
Using the back of a spoon or an offset spatula, apply a row of the dark orange frosting to the outside of the bottom cake layer. Apply the light orange to the outside sides of cake of the middle cake layer and apply the white to the outside of the top cake layer. Use the spatula (or spoon) to blend the frosting colors together as you rotate the cake stand. Drop the different frosting colors on the top and blend together, rotating the stand and using the offset spatula. Top with pumpkin candies, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
HOW TO STACK A LAYER CAKE
First, make sure that you have removed the top rounded part of each cake that you plan to stack so that both of the surfaces are as flat as possible. A serrated bread knife works great for this.
Once your cakes have cooled completely, wrap them in either plastic wrap or foil that you have first sprayed with cooking spray. Place the wrapped cakes in the freezer for fifteen minutes before frosting them.
Smear a spoonful of frosting on the stand or serving plate you’ll be using and place a cake straight from the freezer onto the center of the stand (pressing down into the glob of frosting so it sticks). Coat a generous layer of frosting over the top of the cake, spreading all the way to the edges.
Center the next cake directly over the top (preferably top-side-down) and repeat with remaining frosting and cakes. If your cake is more than three layers, consider using a dowel rod to stick down the center of the cake while you frost and decorate it.
STORING LEFTOVER CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
A cream cheese based buttercream needs to be stored in the refrigerator and is good for about a week. When getting ready to use it again, give it a few minutes to come to room temperature. If you don’t think you’ll have a use for it right away, freeze it! That’ll give you a couple of months to put it away and then make another batch of these cookies.
OTHER DELICIOUS LAYER CAKES TO TRY
PERFECT FALL TREATS
Best Pumpkin Bars -These bars make the perfect fall dessert. They are moist, irresistible and full of yummy pumpkin flavor. Dab some whipped cream on top! Great for your next fall gathering.
Halloween Snack Mix – This sweet and salty Halloween Snack Mix is a great Fall snack to have on hand. It is perfect for a handful on the run or a great snack for kiddos after school! It’s also great for Fall- or Halloween-themed parties! Mix and match the snacks you have on hand to build your snack mix.
Salted Caramel Apple Cheesecake -The only thing better than salted caramel apples is Salted Caramel Apple Cheesecake! This is the perfect fall treat and a great way to use up any type of apples.
Best Apple Crisp – This delicious Apple Crisp recipe is the best. It is tried, tested and NEVER fails! It is the perfect way to use up apples in the fall. You’ll love the oatmeal brown sugar topping and the flavors of the apples dusted with cinnamon shines through. It also tastes great with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
Pumpkin Spice Layer Cake
Ingredients
CAKE
- 1/2 cup salted butter softened
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil or canola oil
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 4 eggs at room temperature
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 15 oz. can pumpkin puree
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
FROSTING
- 3/4 cup salted butter softened (1 1/2 sticks)
- 2 8 oz. packages cream cheese softened
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 6 cups confectioners sugar
TOPPING
- 12 candy corn pumpkin candies
Instructions
MAKE THE CAKE
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and generously spray three 8- or 9-inch round cake pans (or you can use one at a time) with cooking spray. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer), combine the butter, oil, sugars, eggs and vanilla extract and beat on medium speed until creamy and free of lumps. Add the pumpkin and mix until just combined.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice. Mix well. Gradually add to the butter mixture and beat on medium speed until just combined. Divide the mixture evenly between the prepared cake pans and bake one at a time in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centers come out clean. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes, remove from pan and let cool completely on a wire rack. Using a serrated bread knife, cut the rounded tops off each cooled cake.
PREPARE THE FROSTING
- Using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer), mix the butter, cream cheese and vanilla until smooth. Add the confectioners’ sugar and beat on medium-high speed for 3 minutes.
- Divide the frosting between three same-size bowls, adding a bit more to one than the other two. Keep the bowl with the most frosting white, not adding any food coloring. To one of the remaining bowls, add orange (or neon orange) food coloring and stir until deep orange in color. Add half the amount of food coloring to the last bowl and stir until light orange.
ASSEMBLE THE CAKE
- Place one cake in the center of a rotating cake stand. Spread white frosting evenly and generously over the top in an even layer. Top with another cake and repeat with a layer of frosting. Top with the remaining cake.
- Using the back of a spoon or an offset spatula, apply a row of the dark orange frosting to the outside of the bottom cake layer. Apply the light orange to the outside of the middle cake layer and apply the white to the outside of the top cake layer. Use the spatula (or spoon) to blend the frosting colors together as you rotate the cake stand. Drop the different frosting colors on the top and blend together, rotating the stand and using the offset spatula. Top with pumpkin candies, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
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