Grandma’s Pumpkin Snack Cake
This Pumpkin Snack Cake is packed full of fall flavors, and topped with a easy cream cheese cinnamon-dusted frosting!
Is it fall weather in your neck of the woods yet? Here in the midwest, we’re finally getting some cooler days – while we were still in the 90’s at the beginning of the week, the high tomorrow is forecasted to be 58 degrees, with rain. That’s perfect fall baking weather, if you ask me. Especially when that baking involves pumpkin.
I swiped this pumpkin snack cake recipe from my grandma’s recipe box, although I think it’s a pretty standard/popular pumpkin cake recipe. Popular because it’s super easy to make and so soft and cinnamon-spicy good. Topped with an cream cheese frosting and dusted with just a bit more cinnamon, fall doesn’t get much better than this.
I always know a recipe is a winner when Doodle scarfs it down and asks for more – although who wouldn’t want more pumpkin snack cake is beyond me. 😉
Bonus? It’s a super easy recipe that mixes up in just a few minutes – it really doesn’t take much more work than opening a box mix. I love homemade recipes that don’t require a lot of extra elbow grease on my part. I don’t have a lot of extra time for baking and I’d really rather be eating cake than making it. With this recipe, I have the best of both worlds.
And when you spread an easy cream cheese frosting over the top of this, well…all seems right with the world. 😉
Tell me: what’s your favorite fall flavor?
- 2 cups flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 4 eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 cups white sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 15-ounce can pumpkin
- 3 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 tablespoon milk
- Preheat oven to 350 F and spray a 9x13 pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, stir together flour, salt, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine eggs, sugar, oil, and pumpkin. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture, and beat at low speed until combined and the batter is smooth.
- Spread batter into pan and bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow cake to cool completely before frosting.
- To make the frosting, beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth. Add in the sugar and milk and mix at low speed until combined. Stir in the vanilla and mix again. Spread over cooled bars. Dust lightly with cinnamon, if desired.
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Hello There!
Interestingly enough, I didn’t grow up with an interest in cooking. In fact, I informed my mother on multiple occasions that I was not getting an advanced education so I could spend my evenings preparing meals.
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I didn’t think I was ready for pumpkin, but this cake changed my mind! looks delicious
Thanks Heather!
Just made this and it’s delightful! The frosting was perfect and the cake divine.
how much sugar can I omit and have this still turn out correctly? Is there something I can add instead? I am not supposed to have much sugar. Thank you.
Laurie, I have not tested this with less sugar or with substitutions. You may try baking stevia but the taste will be altered.
I LOVE easy, fabulous cake recipes like this one Ashley! Pinned and sharing on FB tomorrow!
I just made this cake following the recipe as written and there is no vanilla in the cake and only 3 ounces of cream cheese in the frosting. I should have questioned this before I made this cake. Was this the correct recipe?
Yes.
I’m dying for a pan of this RIGHT NOW.
You are so lucky the weather is cooling down for you! It’s like the 2 hottest weeks ever down here. That is the downside of September. I am so ready for fall and it’s always SOOO hot in September. Pumpkin cake would solve all of those issues!
What type of flour are you using in this recipe?
All-purpose. 🙂
I was also wondering if there is suppose to be vanilla flavoring added in the cake also .
Can you make this in cupcake liners in a mini muffin tin?
I was wondering if the cake had to be refrigerated?
I made this tonight only because I had some canned pumpkin left over from another pumpkin cake recipe. Wow, I’m glad I did because this cake was DELISH! It really does taste like Grandma made it 🙂
I didn’t make the icing, just topped with a simple glaze and some caramel. It was even yummy straight out of the pan. This cake is nice and moist, not dense like some pumpkin cakes/bars. Very flavourful, will be making again. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for the feedback, Selena. And your glaze sounds phenomenal!
is the pumpkin puree pumpkin puree or pumpkin pie filing ?
Pumpkin purée. 🙂
Do you omit salt, baking soda and powder if you use self rising flour
i substituted the oil for unsweetened apple sauce – same amount. And I also used the whole 8 oz of cream cheese and it all worked out great!
Everyone at work loves it!!
I made this cake this past weekend, because it was 98 degrees and I wanted something to make it feel like fall. This was DElicious! Even my 11-yr old twins loved it and they don’t agree on anything! So, my carb-day turned into a carb-4 days. Thanks for the recipe!
Oh, so glad to hear it, Tiffany! We’re still having warm weather here, too–I’m so ready for fall!
I also wondered if this has to go in the fridge?
I refrigerated mine since it has cream cheese in the frosting.
so yummie! I also added 1/2 tsp of ginger and 1/2 tsp nutmeg.
Call me crazy but I use to collect cups 🙂 and have various volumes , also I do have in mind what could be a measurement for a ” cup ” , as my grandma use to do so… But can you confirm what volume you are talking about when you say – cup ? :)) Thank you
We just did this recipe (me, my 4yr old and my almost 2yr old…. yep, we love baking a bit!)…. anyways, it turned out DELICIOUS!!!
I followed the recipe almost as posted….with a few little tweaks:
– I used about 3/4 can pumpkin puree (that was left from a batch of equally yummy flour free pumpkin and sunflower seed butter cookies I tried a couple of days ago)
– 1 1/2 cup brown sugar
– Instead of 2 cups all purpose flour I used 2 cups gluten free flour ….almond meal (Pamelas Kitchen)…is amazing how it could be used 1 to 1 and everything tastes, rises and feels as it should!!
– added 3/4 cup sliced almonds
– added about 4-6 oz pineapple juice (to help the moist and because of adding more dry components)…
I know it sounds like a lot of changes…. but they just take a few seconds more…. and believe me IT. TASTES. AWESOME
Thanks for posting the recipe!!
It has made its place to a family favorite!!!
I just made a second small cake to give as a bday present for my brother….
This will be the first pumpkin cake in my life. But, looks so delicious, that i had o try 😉
thanks for the recipe.
Wow!!! Scrumptious and did I say scrumptious? Lol Rave reviews from the eaters. Easy to make. Basic wholesome ingredients…Have shared the recipe already and making for the second time (per request) today. Thank you so much for sharing. It’s a keeper! P.S. I added conf sugar to my frosting because I just love that combo–yup, more sugar!)
Um….just saw that there was conf sugar in the frosting lol as I’m making again. I must have speed read the recipe first time. Oh boy?. Thanks again!
Can someone please tell me if this cake needs to be refrigerated? Thank you!
Is there really only 3 ounces of cream cheese in the frosting? Can only find 8 oz at grocery. If I add more, will I also have to adjust the other frosting ingredients?
I found that the 3 oz of cream cheese wasn’t enough so I used 6 oz and doubled the remaining frosting ingredients and it worked better. This is a wonderful easy recipe. I did refrigerate and cover it and the frosting got a thin crisp to it but once it warmed to room temp it was yummy.
Do you know the nutritional information?
I made this today and it was AMAZING. I followed the recipe and it was perfect. Will definitely be making this again!
I really want to make this but I am allergic to cinnamon. Will it make a big difference if I omit or can someone suggest maybe an alternative?
Hi,
I REALLY want to make this cake but I am allergic to cinnamon. Would it make a big difference if I left it out or is there a good substitute I could use instead?
OMG this cake is DELICIOUS!!!!!!!!! I didn’t change the recipe at all. I was concerned that the frosting recipe wouldn’t make enough but it was the perfect amount. Next time I think I’ll probably add some walnuts to the top of the icing but wouldn’t miss them if I don’t. This recipe is going straight to my “hard copy” recipe box! I’m also taking this to Thanksgiving this year…it will be a hit!!! Thank you so much!!!!!