Pumpkin Layer Cake with Maple Buttercream Frosting
This is the perfect cake for any fall season birthday or as a fun twist on classic flavors for Thanksgiving! It’s also easy, delicious and will make an impression on any dessert table!
I created this recipe for a friend’s fall birthday. It was a hit with every adult and child at the party and it immediately became one of my family’s favorite pumpkin recipes. The pumpkin flavor comes from pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice and the maple flavor in the frosting comes from pure maple syrup and maple extract. I think it’s this layering of flavors and the fun flavor combination that really take this cake to the next level.
I have used my Maple Buttercream recipe every time I’ve made this cake but I also think it would be amazing with cream cheese buttercream frosting! I’ve included the Maple Buttercream ingredients and instructions on the recipe card but find more detail in my Maple Buttercream Frosting post.
Ingredients for Pumpkin Layer Cake
- KAMUT® White Flour or other All-Purpose White Flour
- Baking Soda
- Baking Powder
- Pumpkin Pie Spice
- Ground Cinnamon
- Fine Salt
- Eggs
- White Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Olive Oil
- Canned Pumpkin
- Vanilla Extract
- Buttermilk (or Whole Milk & Apple Cider Vinegar)
- Cooking Spray
Tools to Make Pumpkin Layer Cake
- Cake Pans
- Parchment Paper
- Liquid Measuring Cups
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Sieve or Fine Metal Mesh Strainer
- Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer and Large Bowl
- Optional: Kitchen Scale
- Aluminum Foil
All About Ingredients for Pumpkin Layer Cake
Flour
No need to use cake flour for this delicious cake! I used my favorite KAMUT® White Flour but you can also sub in your favorite all-purpose flour. Read all about KAMUT® Brand Wheat here to find out why I use this flour in the vast majority of my recipes!
Spices
The combination of pumpkin pie spice and extra cinnamon creates the perfect spice mix for this cake. The pumpkin pie spice brings those nostalgic fall flavors while the extra cinnamon brings more warmth and flavor without too much spice.
Olive Oil
Olive Oil creates a moist pumpkin cake and the subtle taste, though indistinguishable in this recipe, just adds to the richness of flavor.
Canned Pumpkin
Make sure you use canned pumpkin puree for this pumpkin cake recipe and not pumpkin pie filling.
Buttermilk
If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, create some with whole milk and apple cider vinegar! I’ve made this pumpkin cake recipe both ways and it’s turned out the same, either way! Definitely don’t skip the vinegar if you are substituting milk for buttermilk because the acid helps the cake rise and results in a fluffier cake than when using regular milk alone.
How to Make Pumpkin Layer Cake
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
This recipe will make three 6” cakes (pictured here) or one 9” cake (which you can cut in half to make a 2-layer cake or decorate as a single layer cake).
Decide your size and cut parchment paper to line the bottom of your pan or pans. Spray cake pan(s) with cooking spray, set parchment paper in the bottom, spray again then lightly coat with flour. Set aside.
Measure buttermilk in a liquid measuring cup and set aside. If using a milk and apple cider vinegar mixture, add 1 tsp of apple cider vinegar to a liquid measuring cup and fill to ½ cup with milk. Stir and set aside.
Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon and salt together three times and set dry ingredients aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl if using a hand mixer, combine the eggs and both sugars. Mix on medium-high until color lightens and volume increases.
Reduce mixer speed to low and add oil, in a steady stream. Mix until combined.
Stop mixer to add canned pumpkin then mix until just combined.
Add buttermilk and vanilla and mix until just combined.
Remove the bowl from stand mixer or set aside hand mixer. Add flour mixture to the wet ingredients in a few batches and fold in by hand until just combined. Do not overmix. Cake batter may look a little lumpy and that’s okay.
If you are using one cake pan, simply pour batter into the cake pan. If you are using multiple cake pans, a kitchen scale can help you evenly disburse cake batter and lead to more uniform baking. But if you do not have a kitchen scale, try to measure out the same amount of batter in each pan.
Bake 6” cakes for 42-45 minutes and bake 9” cake for 55-60 minutes. Remove the cake pans halfway through bake time and wrap the edges of the pan in foil. This allows the cake to keep baking but prevents the edges from browning too much.
Cake has finished baking when a cake tester or a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Transfer cake pans to a wire rack and let cool for around 15 minutes before removing from pans to cool completely. Cooled cake can be decorated right away or stored in an airtight bag in the freezer until ready to decorate.
Pumpkin Layer Cake with Maple Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
Pumpkin Layer Cake Ingredients
- ½ cup buttermilk (or 1 tsp apple cider vinegar plus whole milk to equal ½ cup)
- 1 ¾ cups (270g) KAMUT® White Flour (or 2 ¼ cups all purpose flour)
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¾ cup olive oil
- 1 can pumpkin
- 1 tsp vanilla
Maple Buttercream Frosting Ingredients
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
- 10 oz powdered sugar
- 2 TBSP heat-treated flour
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 ½ tsp maple extract
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla
Instructions
Pumpkin Cake Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉ .
- This recipe will make three 6” cakes (pictured here) or one 9” cake (which you can cut in half to make a 2-layer cake or decorate as a single layer cake).
- Cut parchment paper to line the bottom of your pan or pans. Spray cake pan(s) with cooking spray, set parchment paper in the bottom, spray again then lightly coat with flour. Set aside.
- Measure buttermilk in a liquid measuring cup and set aside. If using a milk and apple cider vinegar mixture, add 1 tsp of apple cider vinegar to a liquid measuring cup and fill to ½ cup with milk. Stir and set aside.
- Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon and salt together three times and set dry ingredients aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl if using a hand mixer, combine the eggs and both sugars. Mix on medium-high until color lightens and volume increases.
- Reduce mixer to low speed and add oil, in a steady stream. Mix until combined.
- Stop mixer to add canned pumpkin then mix until just combined.
- Add buttermilk and vanilla and mix until just combined.
- Remove the bowl from stand mixer or set aside hand mixer. Add flour mixture to the wet ingredients in a few batches and fold in by hand until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Pour batter into cake pan(s). Optional: use kitchen scale to
- Bake 6” cakes for 42-45 minutes and bake 9” cake for 55-60 minutes. Remove the cake pans halfway through bake time and wrap the edges of the pan in foil to prevent edges from browning too much.
- Cake has finished baking when a cake tester or a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Maple Buttercream Frosting Instructions
- Cream the butter until smooth.
- Meanwhile, sift powdered sugar and heat-treated and cooled flour. *(see note)
- Add the sifted sugar-flour mixture in a few additions to the bowl of the stand mixer or to the mixing bowl if using a hand mixer.
- Measure the maple syrup in a liquid measuring cup and when the powdered sugar and butter are combined and smooth, set the mixer to low speed and slowly add the syrup in a steady stream. Mix until incorporated and then add the extracts and salt and mix until incorporated.
- Increase the mixer to medium-high speed and mix until the frosting lightens in color and increases in volume. Pause mixing and use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- This recipe will make enough frosting for one 9” cake or one 6” 3-layer cake. Store any extra frosting in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week. To use refrigerated buttercream, let it come to room temperature and mix again using stand or hand mixer until smooth.
Notes
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Spread a thin, even layer of flour on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake for approximately 8 minutes.
- Let cool completely and set aside.
