This pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting is a quick and delicious dessert, perfect for Halloween and throughout the pumpkin season. It comes with a citrussy twist, is simple to make and contains a moderate amount of sugar.
This pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting is one of my favourite autumnal desserts. It's full of flavour (a perfect marriage of citrus and spice), moist yet light and fluffy, quick to put together and comes with a healthy twist. Not only because pumpkin puree is naturally nutritious and low in carbs but also because the cake is not overly sweet.
Both the cake as well as the lemon cream cheese frosting are low in sugar!
This pumpkin cake with cream cheese is in fact for me an ideal dessert!
Pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting ingredients and substitutions
The cake
- Pumpkin puree: see paragraph below.
- Spices: use pumpkin spice or mixed spice. You can also combine it with ground ginger for a different flavour twist (50/50) if you like.
- Vegetable oil: use rapeseed, grapeseed or another good quality mild tasting oil.
- Flour.
- Baking powder and bicarbonate of soda.
- Sugar: I used a combination of light brown and dark brown sugars for added flavour and moisture. You can use light brown sugar only if you prefer.
- Eggs.
The frosting
- Cream cheese.
- Ricotta cheese: used for a lighter, fluffier consistency. It also tones down the sourness of the cream cheese.
- Powdered/icing sugar: adjust the amount to your taste.
- Lemon juice and zest.
Can I use homemade pumpkin puree
I do NOT recommend it. Canned pumpkin puree tends to be more dense than homemade and will yield better results. If you use homemade pumpkin puree (which usually has more water than canned) your cake is likely to crack and have a generally uneven surface.
Step-by-step recipe instructions
1.Preheat the oven to 350 F/ 180 C/ gas mark 4. Lightly grease a 23 cm/9.5'' pan and line with parchment paper. Set aside.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt, pumpkin spice and cinnamon.
2. In another bowl beat together the eggs, oil and sugars for a few minutes until pale and fluffy.
3. Add the pumpkin puree and stir well to combine.
4. Gradually add the flour mixture stirring until the dry ingredients are no longer visible (use a whisk or spoon). Do not overstir.
5. Pour the batter into the pan and smooth out the top. Bake in the centre of the oven for 45 minutes.
6. Remove from the oven and set aside for 15 minutes then lift out of the pan and place on a rack to cool completely before decorating.
7. To make the cream cheese frosting beat together both cheeses, zest of 1 lemon and lemon juice for a couple of minutes until smooth and fluffy. Cover and refrigerate until you are ready to decorate the cake.
Top tip
You can scatter more lemon zest over the top of your pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting before cutting.
What other toppings can be used
This pumpkin cake is delicious with the lemon cream cheese frosting, but you can use other toppings to keep the calories down. For instance you can simply dust the cake with a little powdered sugar or drizzle it with an easy lemon/orange glaze. It's also delicious with dark chocolate drizzle.
You could also use orange or lime zest and juice instead of lemon in the cream cheese frosting.
Top tips
- Use canned pumpkin puree, NOT homemade. Also make sure it's 100% pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling.
- Do NOT overstir the batter.
- Cool the cake completely before decorating with the frosting.
- You can make the cream cheese frosting ahead and keep refrigerated, covered for up to 2 days. Decorate the cake just before serving.
- You can scatter more lemon zest over the top of the cake if you like (as in photos).
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
How to store this cake
What I really love about this pumpkin cake is the fact that it's delicious the next day too. If you have decorated it with the frosting refrigerate the leftovers, covered, for up to 3 days.
If you have leftover cake without the cream cheese frosting you can, but don't need to, refrigerate it. It will retain all its moisture (possibly become even more moist!) if you keep it covered (for example, in an airtight container). This cake will be delicious for up to 3 days.
Top tip
Make sure the cake has cooled completely before covering or refrigerating.
You might also like
- Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Lemon Frosting
- Pumpkin Chocolate Muffins with Buttermilk
- Low Sugar Carrot Cake
- Pumpkin Brownies (Dairy Free)
Why not check out all my healthier dessert ideas!
Keep in touch!
If you make this pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting I'd love to know how it turns out for you. Let me know in the comments below, thanks!
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Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting (Low Sugar)
Equipment
- 23 cm/ 9½'' pan
Ingredients
For the cake
- 240 grams pumpkin puree canned
- 240 grams plain/all-purpose flour
- 1â…” teaspoons baking powder
- â…“ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- â…• teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1½ teaspoons pumpkin spice/mixed spice
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3 large eggs
- 140 grams light brown sugar
- 40 grams dark brown sugar approx. 4 tablespoons
- 130 millilitres vegetable oil plus a little for greasing the pan
For the frosting
- 200 grams cream cheese
- 120 grams ricotta cheese
- 60 grams powdered/icing sugar 6 tablespoons
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice plus zest of 1 lemon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F/ 180 C/ gas mark 4. Lightly grease a 23 cm/9.5'' pan and line with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt, pumpkin spice and cinnamon.
- In another bowl beat together the eggs, oil and sugars for a few minutes until pale and fluffy.
- Add the pumpkin puree and stir well to combine.
- Gradually add the flour mixture stirring until the dry ingredients are no longer visible (use a whisk or spoon). Do not overstir.
- Pour the batter into the pan and smooth out the top. Bake in the centre of the oven for 45 minutes (or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean).
- Remove from the oven and set aside for 15 minutes then lift out of the pan and place on a rack to cool completely before decorating.
- To make the cream cheese frosting beat together both cheeses, zest of 1 lemon and lemon juice for a couple of minutes until smooth and fluffy. Cover and refrigerate until you are ready to decorate the cake.
Notes
- Use canned pumpkin puree, NOT homemade. Also make sure it's 100% pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling.
- Do NOT overstir the batter.
- Cool the cake completely before decorating with the frosting.
- You can make the cream cheese frosting ahead and keep refrigerated, covered for up to 2 days. Decorate the cake just before serving.
- You can scatter more lemon zest over the top of the cake if you like (as in photos).
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
*Nutritional information is automatically generated and should be considered as an estimate.
**A note about baking: If using a fan-assisted oven refer to your appliance's instructions and adjust the temperature accordingly.
It's a pity we can't get canned pumpkin puree in Australia and have to make our own, often too moist, etc. However, I shall persist. Am I missing something, raw pumpkin? mentioned in comments? Thanks
Hi Frances, please ignore the comments, they were for another recipe, I've removed them now. Such a shame you can't get any canned pumpkin puree in Australia, I used to buy mine online but now it's started to appear in some supermarkets in the UK so I am thrilled (I am in the UK). As for using homemade pumpkin puree try adding another tablespoon of flour, or almond flour and perhaps a tablespoon of sugar too. Your cake might split or have an uneven surface because of the moisture but otherwise it should be ok. Let me know how it turns out if you do decide to make it.
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:)
Thank you Kat, this means a lot coming from a star baker like you:)
Thank you! Raw pumpkin is similar to raw carrot, as in carrot cake, maybe a little more watery.
This cake sounds so delicious Monika, I just love the way you've decorated your cake 🙂 Thankyou for joining in with #BakingCrumbs,
Angela x
Thank you for your kind words Angela:)
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!
Thanks Kate:)
Thanks! I just cut out shapes from a sheet of paper:)
Sorry for the weird sentence structure, I must have been tired typing it.
Thank you, I wish I had some left actually, just had my mid-morning coffee on its own:(
Thanks, it turned out pretty good:)
Adorable! And, more importantly, I bet it is delicious 🙂
Thank you:)
YUM! Looks lovely!
Thank you Midge:)