The BEST pumpkin pie cake ever! Mom’s recipes are truly everyone’s favorites and we couldn’t wait to share with you this one!
I love my mom. I bet you love your mom too, but I just truly adore mine. She’s so darn giving, slow to get angry, and quick to give love. She’s a fantastic listener and good mercy is she a hard worker. My mom keeps the best garden all summer long, freezes, cans and stores like all of it, which is pretty amazing considering her garden is bigger than most back yards. But outside of all of that I love my mom’s cooking. Well, not goulash, but the rest. Like this pumpkin pie cake recipe.
Mom grew up in a little farming town and so her meals are good, basic, home cookin’ meals and I love that. Her cheesy rice and ground beef casserole and taco stew are literally our top two recipes on the site and many of her others are up there as well. How awesome is that?
It only uses a few ingredients and it literally tastes like pumpkin pie but with a soft, delicate texture of a cake. So the pie haters can still have their pumpkin without the texture issue of the pie filling. Which I honestly don’t understand as I’ve really grown to adore pumpkin pie, but to each his own.
Is Pumpkin Good For You?
Eating pumpkin is good for the heart.
It is packed with fiber, potassium, and vitamin C.
Pumpkin is rich in Vitamin A which is good for your eyes.
Does Pumpkin Pie Need to Be Refrigerated?
Because pumpkin pie is made with eggs and milk, it should be kept in the refrigerator after baking.
Pumpkin Pie will keep for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
Can Pumpkin Pie Cake Be Frozen?
Pumpkin pie cake will freeze very well.
Just wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or foil and freeze for up to 2-3 months.
Pumpkin Pie Cake
Pumpkin Pie Cake
Description
Ingredients
- 1/2 Cup Butter, softened
- 1 1/2 Cup Sugar
- 1 Can Pumpkin, 15 ounce
- 3 Eggs
- 1 Can Evaporated Milk, 12 ounces
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 3 teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice , * see note
- 1 Package Yellow or Spice Cake Mix
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9×13″ baking pan with nonstick spray.
- In the standing mixer, cream the butter and sugar until smooth.1/2 Cup Butter, 1 1/2 Cup Sugar
- Add the pumpkin and mix until smooth.1 Can Pumpkin
- Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing between.3 Eggs
- Add the evaporated milk.1 Can Evaporated Milk
- In a separate bowl, add the salt, pumpkin pie spice, and yellow cake mix.1 teaspoon Salt, 3 teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice, 1 Package Yellow or Spice Cake Mix
- Whisk together.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat until smooth.
- Pour into the pan and bake for 40-45 minutes.
- Serve warm with fresh whipped cream.
Notes
Nutrition
Recommended Products
Pumpkin Crumb Muffins
I love when the air turns chilly and the wind starts to blog because I know it’s time for pumpkin crumb muffins again.
Pumpkin White Chocolate Granola Bars
It’s not just that these granola bars are homemade that makes them wonderful, it’s also those little bits of white chocolate that melt in your mouth!
Maxie Moates
Can you use “Gluten Free” cake mix in this recipe? Please respond quickly. I want to make it today. Thanks.
Sweet Basil
Hi Maxie! Sorry if I’m too late! I have never tried a GF cake mix in this recipe, but it should work exactly the same. Enjoy!!
Amy
Can I use 1/2 brown sugar 1/2 white
Sweet Basil
You bet!
Denise Gendreau
Ive made this for years in a bundt pan with regular milk snd a spice cake mix. It makes the best pumpkin gingerbread cake. Drizzle with maple syrup or molasses, or frost with cream cheese, milk, and confectioners sugar, or dust with confectioners sugar.
Sweet Basil
Sounds amazing!!
C
Can I use pumpkin pie mix?
Sweet Basil
Yes, but then you can omit adding the pumpkin pie spice since the pumpkin pie mix already has spices in it. Enjoy!
Mary
I just finished baking this. I had to bake it longer. Oven temps vary so much. I did not have whipping cream, so I used 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar, 1/2 stick of melted butter and 1/4 cup of apple cider to make a glaze. It was delicious. Thanks for the note on pumpkin pie spice. I used 1 tsp. of cinnamon and 1/4 tsp of apple pie spice because my family is not a big fan of pumpkin pie spice. Great recipe.
Sweet Basil
Um, wow. That glaze with the apple cider is an awesome idea!! I’ve marked it on my recipe to make sure to try it!
Brenda
Made this today – I took it out after about 15 min longer cooking time (brand new stove that seems to cook everything fine) 🙂 the edges were slightly higher at that point but within a couple minutes the center took a nose dive :-/ it settled almost 1/2 inch lower so I didn’t think it was pretty enough to just serve with whipped cream so I made a simple cream cheese frosting. It was delicious and everyone wanted to take an extra pc home. The cake was very moist, very tasty, (I think it would have been awesome even without the cream cheese frosting – did that more for looks – great recipe even if it didn’t turn out quite as pretty! Oh and I did use the yellow cake mix – nummy!
Thank you!!
Sweet Basil
Ohhh, I just made it and am wishing I would have added the cream cheese frosting. Thanks for sharing Brenda! Oh, and often a cake falls with a change in temperature or movement. Sometimes I turn off the oven and leave the door open and then once it’s sat in there for a bit remove it so it doesn’t fall. 🙂
Kelly
Question; If I use a Spice cake mix do I still need to add the spices?
Emma
I was wondering the same thing? I hope she answers you. I was hoping to make this over the weekend.
Sweet Basil
Hi Emma,
I replied. xoxo!
Emma Divens
Thank you. I’m making this today since the office is closed due to Hermine.
Sweet Basil
Oh please be safe! Where are you located?
Sweet Basil
Hi Kelly,
We often add half of the spices or a pinch of pumpkin pie spice but that’s it when it’s the spice cake. Great question!
Vicky loyd
I have just made this cake, and i baked it in a bundt pan for 70mins it turned out absolutely delicious!!! Thanks for sharing your recipes!!!
Sweet Basil
Love that you did it as a bundt! Thank you for sharing!
Walter
Hi. Your recipe might be useful to me. I’m planning something different. Would you know if this cake would survive being “poked” and filled with pumpkin pudding? Also, I need to use a 10 x 14 spring form pan. Would you know if a cake extender will work for this?
Pat
I’m going to make this for Thanksgiving but why so many eggs?? Thanks
Sweet Basil
Hi Pat, there’s only 3 eggs unless you double it, then there’s 6. 🙂
Kentuckylady717
This pumpkin pie cake looks delicious….I too dislike pumpkin pie, but love pumpkin anything else lol…..can you believe that ? Love pumpkins donuts too…..yum and pumpkin cookies…..just not the pie….my favorite is the Pecan pie or a butterscotch pie……love them both….. thanks for posting this recipe…..
Sweet Basil
Hope you love it!
Lauren
Sooo I’m baking this as I type and it has been in the oven for 50 mins and is still very raw in the middle….
Sweet Basil
Hi Lauren,
The cake should be springy but the center should move a little. If it’s very raw in the middle I worry that the oven isn’t keeping a strong constant temperature which is very important in a pumpkin cake recipe. I would cover it with foil to keep the top moist and bake until set, but also avoid opening the door when baking as it can quickly lower the temperature.
Sweet Basil
Lauren, it also appears that it was showing double the eggs, it should only be 3. I’ve checked and the error has been resolved. Sorry about that!
Melissa @ Bless this Mess
This looks amazing! And I love that it uses a cake mix! Easy!!!
Sylvia
Recipe showed I large can of pumpkin which is 28oz so I used 2 small 15oz.. I seen ur post where it was 1 14oz.. Which was it?
Olga
My cake wasn’t done at 45 minutes,so I put it back in for 20 more minutes,not done,finally back in for 10 minutes done,baked it in a 9×13 pan at 350 so don’t know what happened.
Sweet Basil
Hi Olga,
I’m sorry that happened for you. Have you checked your oven and made sure that it’s staying at the same temperature? That’s a long time for a 9×13″ cake which generally is 30-35 min for baking and this recipe is 45 which should have been more than perfect as we’ve been doing it for 30 years. I would for sure check on that oven and make sure the door is never getting opened or the temperature will be lost. Good luck!
Kim
I am having the same problem…….mine has been in for almost 65 minutes, and just now finally getting done! Smells and looks yummy! Thank you for the recipe!
Sally johnson
I’m having the same problem… The first one I made 1 lg can of pumpkin was way too much and it took over and hour to bake… It turned out more like a bread pudding. I tried it again but only used 1 1/2 can but it still too over an hour… ????
Sweet Basil
Sally, are you measuring the amount of Pumpkin or just using the can? I’m sorry you had poor results, I’m trying to figure out how to trouble shoot though as this is an old recipe we’ve all been making with perfect results for years so I am unsure what the issue is…
Sally Johnson
Measured the pumpkin purée, 1 1/2 cans of a 15oz can gives you 3 cups
Sweet Basil
I’m going to start testing and I’ll report back soon! Stick with me and we will figure it out. 🙂 For one thing, I know that my mom’s always comes out more like a pudding cake as in the bottom has a pumpkin layer, but mine is always cooked through, so maybe it’s actually my oven with the issues and I didn’t know until now. Yikes! Thanks for your patience and chat soon!
Sweet Basil
Hi Sally! I’ve been testing and testing over here and I’m pretty much eating a fat slice of humble pie and preparing to beg for your forgiveness, so here goes… In the holiday bustle I had written down 3 cups of the puree when I was measuring out cans, mistakenly too close to mom’s recipe which is in face 1 15 ounce can of pumpkin. I am totally embarrassed and just could not figure out the problem until it finally dawned on me what I had done. Please accept my apologies and I promise to not be so sloppy in note taking again.
Sally johnson
Ok … Thank you… I will try it with the One can of pumpkin
Sweet Basil
I’ve made so much with one can these past few days just to make sure there’s no possible way for it to not work, and my neighbors are eating more cake than they ever imagined so I’m sure it will all be great. 🙂
Sweet Basil
There should be only 3 eggs, I just noticed that there was an error and it was showing up with half the recipe as double the amounts. Thanks for your patience~!
Sweet Basil
HI Kim, please see my note to Sally and accept my humble apologies.
Sweet Basil
Hi Olga, please see my note above to Sally and accept my apologies. The recipe has been corrected.
Sally Johnson
will this work in a bundt pan?
Sweet Basil
Sally, I’ve never made it in a bundt pan, and it’s texture is different than a bundt cake so I’d be a little worried. But, you can always try it and I’d love to hear if it works~
Ashley Duplechin
making it right now how about if I put it in two round cake dishes how long would it bake?
Sweet Basil
Hi Ashley,
I have not done it in two round pans so I’d hate to give you the wrong time, but if it were me I’d bake a few minutes longer for 8″ and about the same time for 9″ pans. Good luck!
Annie @ Annie’s Noms
Wow, I love how much pumpkin is in this recipe! I’m not too keen on Pumpkin pie, but I love the spices, so this cake version sounds like the perfect recipe for me 🙂
Michael
On this page, the sugar amount says 1 1/2; however on the main page of Yummly, it says 1/2. Just want to make sure that I do not add too much or too little. Thanks!
Sweet Basil
Oh, how interesting, it’s definitely 1 and 1/2. Thanks so much for checking!
Roseann Viola
Is large can (14 ozs.) of pure pumpkin or the can of pumpkin pie mix?
Sweet Basil
Hi Roseann, it’s just pumpkin puree but the pumpkin pie mix would work you just wont need all of the seasoning. 🙂
Stacy
I think I’ll try this with a gluten free cake mix. I hoe it’s just as good!
Vicki
Please share how it turns out!
terry
Fresh pumpkin… still 3 cups?
Sweet Basil
As long as you’ve got it pureed it’s equal. 🙂
Rose
large or small can of evaporated milk?
Sweet Basil
Rose, thank you so much for catching that. It’s a 12 ounce can 🙂
Effie
Hi I live in Melbourne Australia. Our butter is always weighed. I’m assuming that the 1/2 cup of butter weighs 125 grams or 4 ounces of butter.
Sweet Basil
Yes, that’s correct. 🙂
brittany
Did you use the yellow cake mix or the spice?
Sweet Basil
Hi Brittany, this photo is a yellow cake mix but I love both!
Amanda
I loved reading this post, your Mom sounds wonderful! I need to make this cake right now!!!
Sweet Basil
You are the queen of cake, I need one of yours!
Gaby
I love using recipes that have been passed down, they always seem to taste extra special! This cake looks delicious!!!
Sweet Basil
Absolutely!
Christina @ The Beautiful Balance
Your mom sounds like the sweetest, just like this cake looks! YUM!
Rocky Mountain Woman
Yep, that looks perfect! If I make it in muffin tins, I can call it breakfast!
Sheila Bourque
How many cups in the cube of butter in the Pumpkin Cake recipe. I live in Canada and our butter is sold in one pound cube. Recipe sounds good and I wouldn’t want to put too much or too little butter in the recipe. Thank-you
Sweet Basil
OOops! Sorry about that, my Mom always has her recipes written in cubes. It’s 1/2 cup 🙂
Baby June
Mmm that looks amazing! I love pumpkin pie (who doesn’t?) but of course everything is better in cake form 🙂
Sweet Basil
I totally agree!
Tori@gringalicious.com
Pumpkin breads and cakes are one of my favorite thanksgiving treats. This looks like a great recipe for the holidays. I can’t wait to try it!
Sweet Basil
Thanks so much, Tori!