Pumpkin Pecan Cake (Print)
Moist spiced pumpkin pecan cake topped with rich 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
# How To Make It:
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. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract and pumpkin purée until fully combined.
04 - Gradually fold the dry ingredient mixture into the wet ingredients using a spatula. Do not overmix. Fold in the toasted pecans until evenly distributed.
05 - Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for 32 to 37 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack.
06 - In a bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and butter together until light and creamy. Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar, then beat in the cinnamon, vanilla, and salt until fluffy and smooth.
07 - Spread the cinnamon cream cheese icing evenly over the completely cooled cake. Cut into squares and serve.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The spice blend hits every warm note without overwhelming the pumpkin, which I discovered only after tweaking it through five different batches.
- That cinnamon cream cheese icing is the kind of thing people will scrape off the serving plate with their fingers when they think nobody is watching.
02 -
- Overmixing the batter once the flour goes in will make the cake tough and chewy instead of tender, so resist the urge to keep stirring for aesthetic satisfaction.
- The cake must be completely cool before icing or you will end up with a swirled mess that looks like a craft project gone wrong, which I learned during a very humid September afternoon.
03 -
- Toast the pecans in a dry skillet over medium heat for about four minutes, shaking the pan constantly, because burnt pecans taste bitter and will ruin the entire cake no matter how good everything else is.
- Set the cream cheese and butter for the icing out on the counter at least two hours before you need them because cold butter will leave you with unappealing lumps that no amount of beating can fix.