The first time I ate this Pumpkin Cake, when I was visiting my home town in Ontario one day about fifteen years ago. My family and I had spent the afternoon in the park with my friend Heather and her kids. It was the same park where Heather and I had played together as children, and time seemed transient and ethereal as we watched the orange and crimson leaves falling off the trees.
When it began to feel like a cold front was blowing in, Heather invited us back to her house for a cup of tea and a slice of Pumpkin Cake. I hadn’t had pumpkin cake in years and this one really was extra special. I asked Heather for the recipe, and I still have the note card she wrote it on for me. It was waiting for me in the mail when I got home to England. I’ve made the cake often since then, and I enjoy warm memories of that autumn day every time.
Easy Pumpkin Cake
This Easy Pumpkin Cake recipe is delicately spiced, with a gorgeous nutmeg flavour. It’s as easy to make as muffins. You just mix together the wet ingredients in one bowl, the dry ingredients in another, and then beat them together.
The cakes are delicious served plain, or you can sprinkle them with icing sugar (confectioner’s sugar) just before serving. You can also frost the cakes with Cream Cheese Frosting when completely cool.
A Recipe Made For Sharing
This Pumpkin Cake recipe makes two 13 x 9 inch cakes. That means there is one to keep and one to give away, or you can keep them both to serve a crowd. Please note, the cake batter is thick and it may appear there isn’t enough to fill a two 13 x 9 inch cake pans, but this cake really rises. Simply spread the batter into the corners of the pans with a knife so that it reaches the edges and it will be fine.
Of course there is no reason that you could not bake this cake in two round layer cake pans and frost it to make one big celebration cake; you just need to adjust the baking time a little bit. I’d start with baking the layers for 25 minutes and then watch them carefully. The cakes are done when a skewer inserted in the centre of each layer comes out clean.
A Flexible Recipe
I like Pumpkin Cake best when it is studded with raisins and walnuts, but the recipe is flexible. If you don’t like nuts, just add raisins, or vice versa. You can also make the cake plain or with another dried fruit/nut combination.
Heather’s recipe originally called for 2 cups of sugar, but I’ve reduced it a bit. I also increased the amount of cinnamon in the recipe, just because I like it. By all means just use one teaspoon if you are not as enthusiastic about cinnamon as I am!
Keeping and Serving Pumpkin Cake
A plain pumpkin cake will keep covered at room temperature for up to three days. If you frost it with cream cheese icing you will need to keep it in the fridge, but it will keep for about the same amount of time.
Serve pumpkin cake with a cup of tea or coffee as a snack, or add a scoop of ice cream to make it into dessert.
Pumpkin Cake – Printable Recipe
Pumpkin Cake
Ingredients
- 4 eggs free range, pastured or organic if possible
- 1¾ cups white sugar
- 1 cup oil I use sunflower or mild olive oil
- 1¾ cups pureed pumpkin This is about one 14 ounce can. Please make sure you do not use pumpkin pie filling.
- 3 cups all purpose flour all purpose flour is also known as plain flour
- 1 generous teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons nutmeg
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 cups raisins or chopped nuts or you can use a mixture of the two. 2 cups of chopped nuts is approximately 300 grams.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (170ºC or 160ºC for a fan oven).
- Grease and flour two 13 x 9 inch pans.
- Mix the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Sift the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda and baking powder into a large bowl.
- Stir in the raisins or nuts, if using.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.
- Divide the mixture between prepared pans.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre of the cakes comes out clean.
- Remove the cakes from the oven and allow to cool before slicing.
- If desired, frost with Cream Cheese Frosting when completely cool.
Notes
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Comments & Reviews
Hilary Sanderson says
Thanks April
Served these last night using the ‘waste’ insides when Sutton in the Isle WI carved pumpkin lanterns. They went down a treat!
April Harris says
I’m so glad you enjoyed them, Hilary! I’ve featured your lovely photos on my blog Facebook page. Your cakes look wonderful!
Mary says
these sure look good April! I will need to try them asap! thanks for hosting a great link up and giving us a place to share our creations
April Harris says
Thank you, Mary! And it’s my pleasure! I appreciate your support of the Hearth and Soul Link Party.
Karren Haller says
Oh my goodness those look amazingly moist!!
Thank you for sharing on #omhgff, I hope you have a lovely weekend! xo
April Harris says
Thank you, Karren! I hope your weekend is lovely too xo
Miz Helen says
Your Pumpkin Cake will be amazing! Hope you are having a great week and thanks so much for sharing your awesome post with us at Full Plate Thursday.
Miz Helen
April Harris says
Thank you so much, Miz Helen! I hope you are having a great week too!
Sylvia | Grace for a Gypsy says
YUM! Saving this one! Thanks for linking up with us at the GATHER OF FRIENDS LINK PARTY 9. Pinned
April Harris says
Thank you so much, Sylvia!
Joanne says
This sounds so good! I love pumpkin desserts. Pinned.
April Harris says
Thank you so much, Joanne! And thank you for pinning too!
Jenna says
Pumpkin recipes are my favorite to make in the fall, so I will definitely be adding this to my list of things to try in the next few months. There is just something about pumpkin flavors that make fall so much better!
Jenna ♥
Stay in touch? Life of an Earth Muffin
April Harris says
I agree, Jenna. Pumpkin recipes are one of my favourite parts of the fall! Take care.
Miz Helen says
Hi April,
Your Pumpkin Cake looks so good and really starts to put me in the mood for fall, and especially cooler weather. Thanks so much for sharing your talent with us at Full Plate Thursday and please come back soon!
Miz Helen
April Harris says
Thank you so much, Miz Helen! I always enjoy Full Plate Thursday. Take care and have a lovely weekend!
Miz Helen says
Congratulations! Your awesome post is featured on our Top Ten at Full Plate Thursday, 499! Thanks so much for sharing with us and hope you come back soon!
Miz Helen
April Harris says
Thank you so much for the feature, Miz Helen! I really appreciate it 🙂 Take care and I hope you are having a lovely weekend 🙂
Marilyn says
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Thank you for sharing at #OverTheMoon. Pinned and shared. Have a lovely week. I hope to see you at next week’s party too! Please stay safe and healthy. Come party with us at Over The Moon! Catapult your content Over The Moon! @marilyn_lesniak @EclecticRedBarn
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April Harris says
Thank you, Marilyn! Hope you are having a lovely weekend 🙂
Laura @ Our Grand Lives says
Your recipe looks so moist and delicious, April! I’ll definitely be making it soon! YUM!
April Harris says
Thank you so much, Laura! I hope you and yours enjoy it as much as we all do!
Esmée Calloway says
I truly enjoyed how you shared the nostalgia behind this pumpkin cake recipe. It sounds deliciously simple to recreate. One thing I’m curious about, does the nutmeg overpower other flavors in the cake? Sometimes I find nutmeg to be a bit strong. I’ll definitely try this recipe and maybe tweak it a little to suit my taste. Great job on making it sound easy and inviting!
April Harris says
Thank you, Esmée. I find this amount of nutmeg perfect for the recipe, but it goes without saying that you can always adjust spicing to suit your taste.
Jackie says
Yum! I love fall because it means all the pumpkin flavored things! I am going to run to the store to get the ingredient for this as soon as our fence installer leaves this afternoon. Thanks for sharing!!!
April Harris says
I’m glad you like the recipe, Jackie. Please note any embedded links are removed automatically by the system.