This easy pumpkin cake recipe with pecans is a quick and delicious healthy dessert, perfect for Halloween and throughout the pumpkin season. The post includes easy instructions for making your own pumpkin puree.
This easy pumpkin cake recipe with pecans comes with a lemony, low sugar cheese frosting that takes seconds to make. This cake is deliciously moist while still being light and fluffy. It contains a moderate amount of sugar, vegetable oil for a light texture and is super simple to put together. Preparation time takes minutes and you won't even need to use an electric mixer.
How to make homemade pumpkin puree
You can use either readymade pumpkin puree or easily make your own at home. To make your own use a small sugar/culinary pumpkin, NOT carving pumpkin. Simply cut the pumpkin in half (through the top) and place on a baking sheet lined with paper cut side down. Bake in a preheated oven at 190 C for about 40-50 minutes or until the top browns and comes away from the pulp. Remove from the oven, discard the seeds, then scoop out the pulp and place in a strainer. It will release water as it cools. Once cooled puree and make the cake!
You can prepare the puree in advance and refrigerate until you are ready to use it.
I've also used pumpkin puree in healthy pumpkin pancakes as well as this soft pumpkin cookies recipe.
Step-by-step recipe instructions
1.Preheat the oven to 180 C. Grease the bottom of the spring-form pan and line with parchment paper. Attach the ring, lock and grease lightly. Combine the flour with the baking powder, soda, cinnamon, ginger, orange zest and the pinch of salt and stir using a whisk. Set aside.
2. In another bowl whisk together the eggs, sugar and oil until smooth.
3. Add the pumpkin puree and stir well to combine.
4. Pour in the flour mixture and chopped pecans and stir just to combine. Do NOT overstir the batter.
5. Pour the batter into the pan and smooth out the top.
6. Bake for 1 hour in the centre of the oven.
Easy pumpkin cake recipe with healthy frosting
The simple lemony frosting I made for this easy pumpkin cake contains a combination of tangy cream cheese and naturally low in fat ricotta for a lighter, fluffier consistency. To make the frosting simply combine all the ingredients and stir using a large spoon until smooth and fluffy. Cover and refrigerate until you are ready to decorate the cake.
You may also like this healthy, baked chocolate ricotta cheesecake.
Top tips
- Use a whisk to combine the dry ingredients.
- Do NOT overstir the batter.
- Use readymade pumpkin puree or make your own. Cut a small sugar/culinary pumpkin in half (through the top) and place on a baking sheet lined with paper cut side down. Bake in a preheated oven at 190 C for about 40-50 minutes or until the top browns and comes away from the flesh. Remove from the oven, discard the seeds, then scoop out the pulp and place in a strainer. It will release water as it cools. Once cooled puree and make the cake. You can prepare the puree in advance and refrigerate until you are ready to use it.
- Cool the cake completely before decorating with the frosting.
- You can make the frosting ahead, refrigerate it and decorate the cake just before serving.
- Keep refrigerated.
- Freeze the cake without the frosting, covered, for up to 3 months.
You might also like
- Pumpkin Spice Skinny Cupcakes with Lemon Icing
- Healthy Baked Apples with Maple Pecans
- Healthy Pumpkin Cake with Dark Chocolate Drizzle
- Low Sugar Carrot Cake
Check out also this collection of 27 everyday healthy cacao recipes.
Keep in touch!
If you make this pumpkin cake recipe I'd love to know how it turns out for you. Let me know in the comments below, thanks!
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Easy Pumpkin Cake Recipe with Pecans (Healthy)
Ingredients
For the cake
- 340 g pumpkin puree 1.5 cup
- 2/3 cup roughly chopped pecans
- 250 g flour 2 cups
- 1 tsp each: baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and ground ginger
- 2 cinnamon
- 3 medium eggs
- 220 g sugar 1,1 cup
- 140 ml vegetable oil plus a little for greasing the pan
- Zest of 1 orange
- Good pinch of fine sea salt
For the frosting
- 200 g full fat cream cheese
- 120 g ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup powdered/icing sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice plus zest of 1 lemon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F /180C /gas mark 4. Lightly grease your spring-form cake pan bottom, line with baking paper, lock the ring in place and grease lightly.
- Combine the flour, baking powder, soda, cinnamon, ginger, orange zest and the pinch of salt and stir using a whisk..
- In another bowl whisk together the sugar, eggs and oil until smooth. Add the pumpkin puree and stir well to combine.
- Add the flour mixture and pecans and stir just to combine (do not overstir).
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth out the top with a spatula and bake for 1 hour in the centre of the oven.
- Remove from the oven, leave to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then run a spatula along the edges to ensure the cake doesn't stick to the ring and remove the ring.
- To make the icing combine all the ingredients and decorate the cake (once completely cooled).
Notes
- Use a whisk to combine the dry ingredients.
- Do NOT overstir the batter.
- Use readymade pumpkin puree or make your own. Cut a small sugar/culinary pumpkin in half (through the top) and place on a baking sheet lined with paper cut side down. Bake in a preheated oven at 190 C for about 40-50 minutes or until the top browns and comes away from the flesh. Remove from the oven, discard the seeds, then scoop out the pulp and place in a strainer. It will release water as it cools. Once cooled puree and make the cake. You can prepare the puree in advance and refrigerate until you are ready to use it.
- Cool the cake completely before decorating with the frosting.
- You can make the frosting ahead, refrigerate it and decorate the cake just before serving.
- Keep refrigerated.
- Freeze the cake without the frosting, covered, for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
*Nutritional information is automatically generated and should be considered as an estimate.
Hi, I am Monika, welcome to Everyday Healthy Recipes! This blog is all about creatively simple recipes with a healthy twist, old classics with a modern take, and an occasional Polish dish thrown into the mix - all easy to make, healthy and delicious, perfect for everyday cooking. 
I love the simple sugar dusting on the cake. I suppose I can always use a stencil. Hey, maybe I can do that to my Thanksgiving pies, too! Thanks for the idea, Monika! And for cohosting!
Thanks Angie, and you are welcome, it was a pleasure to co-host:)
This cake looks so cute and delicious, Monika. Thank you for sharing and for co-hosting Fiesta Friday!
Thank you Jhuls:)
I've never used raw pumpkin in baking before, but it sounds like a great idea! I love the simple but oh-so-festive way that you decorated this 🙂
Thank you! Raw pumpkin is similar to raw carrot, as in carrot cake, maybe a little more watery.
This is so much fun Monika, I just love the way you've decorated your cake! The flavour combination sounds absolutely delicious 🙂 Thankyou for joining in with #BakingCrumbs,
Angela x
Thank you for your kind words Angela:)
Wow this look stunning! That pumpkin face on top looks so cool!
Thank you Kat, this means a lot coming from a star baker like you:)
Wow I think this is a great looking cake. and I bet it tastes fantastic too.
Thank you Jacqui, it was fun to make and eat too:)
This cake looks amazing!! I have yet to make something with pumpkin, but I am hoping to start soon!
Love the halloween face on the top Monika and pumpkin is always a winner in my book xx
Thanks Kate:)
Hey, this does look easy indeed. How did you sprinkle on the icing sugar, did you you different shapes you had cut out or do you happen to have a smiley like that?
Thanks! I just cut out shapes from a sheet of paper:)
Sorry for the weird sentence structure, I must have been tired typing it.
Yum - this cake sounds utterly delicious. Great idea to use ricotta...and I love all those spices. Wish I could just reach into my computer screen and grab a slice. Eb x
Thank you, I wish I had some left actually, just had my mid-morning coffee on its own:(
Adorable! And, more importantly, I bet it is delicious 🙂
Thank you:)
YUM! Looks lovely!
Thank you Midge:)
What a wonderful idea! I love ricotta cakes and adding pumpkin is such a great idea!
Thanks, it turned out pretty good:)