Easy Pumpkin Cake Recipe

This easy pumpkin cake recipe is a super moist bundt cake recipe made with Greek yogurt and topped with an easy and delicious cream cheese whipped cream. Make it for Halloween or another fall party. These pumpkin brownies are another great pumpkin option.

[This recipe was originally posted in November 2016. It has been updated with new photos, cooking instructions, expert tips, FAQ, related recipes, video and ways to repurpose/use up ingredients]

How will this pumpkin cake make your life easier?

This recipe doesn’t require a ton of ingredients or any special/complicated instructions. The worst thing that could happen is that it breaks when you remove it from the pan, which happened to me. And you just top it with the cream cheese whipped cream and all is well in the world. This recipe is also easy to cut in half and cook in either muffin tins or in a loaf pan.

Make sure to try these other pumpkin recipes: curry pumpkin soup, or pumpkin turkey chili. Or these classic fall recipes to eat with your cake: apple pecan and kale salad, stuffed squash with beef & rice, pan seared pork chops with apples, and broccoli salad with grapes.

What makes this easy pumpkin cake recipe so good?

• Greek yogurt
• Eggs
• Sugar
• Brown sugar
• Pumpkin puree
• Pumpkin pie spice
• Baking powder
• Whole wheat flour
• White flour

How do I make this pumpkin bundt cake?

NOTE: if making cream cheese whipped cream, take cream cheese out of fridge and let it sit out at room temperature for at least an hour or 2.

Start by Preheating oven to 350 degrees F. While oven is preheating, mix wet ingredients by mixing together 1/2 c Greek yogurt, 3 eggs, 1/4 c brown sugar (packed), 1/2 c white sugar, and 1 1/2 c pumpkin puree in large mixing bowl. Beat together with hand mixer until ingredients are smooth. Set aside.

Expert Tip: If you have one, use a stand mixer to mix together wet ingredients. Use the stand mixer instead of the hand mixer in the instructions. If you have neither, use a good whisk.

Expert Tip: No need to remove water from the pumpkin puree!

Add 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice, 1 1/2 tsp salt, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, 3/4 c white flour, and 1 c whole wheat flour to a medium sized mixing bowl. Whisk together.

Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, while mixing with hand mixer. Mix just until wet and dry ingredients are combined. 

Spray bundt cake pan with cooking spray immediately before pouring batter into the pan.

Expert Tip: You can use butter or oil to oil your bundt pan. Just add it right before adding the batter or the cake might stick (watch the video, it happens!)

Bake in bundt pan for 30-35 minutes, until cooked through. Test with a fork or toothpick, it will come out clean when the cake is done.

Make cream cheese whipped cream by adding 3 oz softened cream cheese to large mixing bowl. Mix on a low speed until it’s softened and smooth. Next slowly add in 1 1/2 c heavy whipping cream to cream cheese.

Expert Tip: Buy Neufchatel cream cheese, it’s lower in fat than regular cream cheese and tastes/has the same texture.

Then add 1/4 c powdered sugar and 2 tsp vanilla extract. Once cream cheese and whipped cream are incorporated, turn up speed to medium-high. Beat until soft peaks emerge.

Expert Tip: To know if you’ve got soft peaks, lift up your hand mixer (turned off) and if the whipped cream stands up like cones, it’s ready. if it looks like it’s melting into the rest of the cream, it needs to be mixed longer.

Expert Tip: For the whipped cream, if you’d like to just use a whole pint container of whipped cream, add 4 oz cream cheese, 1/3 c powdered sugar, and 1 T vanilla extract.

Expert Tips

• Make sure to take cream cheese out at least an hour before you make the whipped cream. This will give it time to soften. Find a warm spot on your oven to speed up the process. (if you don’t soften the cream cheese the whipped cream will be
• If you have one, use a stand mixer to mix together wet ingredients. Use the stand mixer instead of the hand mixer in the instructions. If you have neither, use a good whisk.
• No need to remove water from the pumpkin puree!
• You can use butter or oil to oil your bundt pan. Just add it right before adding the batter or the cake might stick (watch the video, it happens!)
• For the whipped cream, if you’d like to just use a whole pint container of whipped cream, add 4 oz cream cheese, 1/3 c powdered sugar, and 1 T vanilla extract.
• Buy Neufchatel cream cheese, it’s lower in fat than regular cream cheese and tastes/has the same texture.
• To know if you’ve got soft peaks, lift up your hand mixer (turned off) and if the whipped cream stands up like cones, it’s ready. if it looks like it’s melting into the rest of the cream, it needs to be mixed longer.

FAQ

What is pumpkin spice made of?

Pumpkin pie spice typically has cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and sometimes allspice in it. It’s typically used in baking, but can be used in other recipes as well.

What can be made with pumpkin?

curry pumpkin soup or pumpkin turkey chili. You can also make pumpkin muffins, pumpkin bread, pumpkin pancakes. The list goes on and on.

Do you refrigerate pumpkin cake?

Since there’s Greek yogurt & cream in the cake & frosting, definitely cover and refrigerate it. Your cake will also last longer if refrigerated.

What can I make with the leftover ingredients?

• (pumpkin) curry pumpkin soup or pumpkin turkey chili.
• (whipping cream) Add leftovers to a creamy soup like this sweet potato soup, or make extra whipped cream to top chocolate pudding, waffles, chocolate waffles, a shamrock shake, or bananas foster pancakes.

Did you make this pumpkin cake? Leave me a comment & rating to share how it turned out!

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