A moist and delicious pumpkin cake recipe is something everyone should have on hand. This easy pumpkin cake is called the "best" because it is that good! It is definitely a Fall type dessert but I can eat it all year long.

You can technically call this a pumpkin bread since it is made in a loaf pan and because it is a more dense pumpkin recipe with no frosting. Honestly, this pumpkin cake tastes so good you do not need any topping at all.
I like to call it a cake since to me, cake is more like a dessert (which this is), it has plenty of sugar (way more than a bread) and this pumpkin cake is so delicious.
This pumpkin cake is so moist and delicious that it almost tastes like you are eating pumpkin pie. This is a pumpkin cake made with butter so it is nice and rich.
It honestly is that moist and full of flavor. Pumpkin pie is a favorite dessert around here and this cake can definitely rival it.
The ingredients you will need for this pumpkin cake
- canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling but plain canned pumpkin)
- milk
- sugar
- flour
- cinnamon
- sugar
- butter
- baking powder
- salt
- vanilla
- eggs
The ingredient list may seem long but it is actually very easy and manageable, I promise! It is also completely worth all the effort because this pumpkin cake is that good.
The steps to making this simple moist pumpkin cake are pretty straight forward. You will mix wet and dry ingredients separately and then combine them together.
There is a secret last step that really makes this cake moist which I will talk about later!
How to make this easy pumpkin cake
- In one bowl add your dry ingredients and mix.
- Grab a separate bowl and add your wet ingredients (except the milk).
- Now mix the wet and dry ingredients together with a mixer.
- Now add your warm milk and mix until combined.
- Pour into a prepared baking pan and bake.
That special step that I mentioned earlier is adding warm milk after you have mixed your wet and dry ingredients. It really makes for the most deliciously moist pumpkin cake.
Preparing your cake pan for this pumpkin cake
When I make pumpkin cake, I like to use a loaf pan and prepare my pan to the point of overload. I have had one too many times where my cake didn't lift out of a pan.
This is no fun and you may think you are saving time by not doing this but it only will come back to haunt you after baking.
Here is how I prepare my cake pan
- The first thing I do is butter the entire inside of the pan (sides and bottom). This is the glue that will hold your parchment paper in the next step.
- Now I cut two pieces of parchment paper: one that will sit inside the pan lengthwise and the other width wise. To figure out the size to cut I just place my baking pan on top of the parchment paper and make a cut mark in the paper just to the inside of where the cake pan sits on it. Then cut away!
- After I have my strips of parchment placed inside the cake pan in both directions, I butter or grease the tops of that.
- That is my cake preparation overload!
You can take it or leave it or use just some of it, but doing this whole process works every single time for me π I also like that my parchment paper makes easy lifting handles so I do not have to invert my cake on to a plate after baking.
Questions and tips when making this pumpkin cake recipe
What is the difference between canned pumpkin and pumpkin pie filling?
The difference between these two is the canned pumpkin pie filling is full of its own spices which we do not want. This will also have some sort of sweetener in too.
The plain canned pumpkin is just the pumpkin and nothing else. This is always the one you want to bake with since you can control all of the ingredients.
I love time savers in the kitchen but here is not one of those times to do that with the wrong canned pumpkin.
Does pumpkin cake need to be refrigerated?
Yes. Anytime you are working with moist cakes like this one, you will want to refrigerate it to keep it fresh. I will leave this out on the counter on the day I baked it but then I place it in the refrigerator after that.
Can I freeze this pumpkin cake?
You bet you can! Pumpkin cake is wonderful for the freezer and here is how I do it:
- Once your cake is cool, wrap it in parchment paper to cover all of the cake.
- Now place the wrapped cake in a freezer proof plastic ziploc bag.
- Freeze for up to 2 months.
To thaw your cake:
- Remove the pumpkin cake from the freezer and place it in the fridge overnight or until thawed. Leave the bag and everything on the cake while it defrosts.
- Once thawed, remove the cake from the bag and discard the parchment paper.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 1 week.
I have tried many pumpkin cake recipes and this is by far my favorite one. In fact, my family has been using this recipe for years now!
Give this a try and I am sure you will be adding it to your rotation for years to come.
For More Fall Recipes
- Carrot and Acorn Squash Soup
- Fall Shortbread Cookies
- Pumpkin Rice Krispie Treats
- Pear Frangipane Tart
- Apple Galette
- Pumpkin Creme BrΓ»lΓ©e
- Carrot Cake Recipe
- Roasted Acorn Squash
- Pumpkin Sugar Cookies
- Easy 3 ingredient Vanilla Dessert Sauce
- Super Moist Chocolate Cake
- Italian Apple Cake
The Best Pumpkin Cake
Tried the Recipe? We Would Love To Hear From You In The Comments Below!
Equipment
- loaf pan or round cake pan
Ingredients
- 1 β cup All Purpose Flour
- 1 ΒΌ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie puree but plain pureed pumpkin
- Β½ cup softened unsalted butter
- Β½ cup warm milk microwave for about 30 seconds
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Β½ teaspoon baking powder
- Β½ teaspoon baking soda
- ΒΌ teaspoon nutmeg
- ΒΌ teaspoon kosher salt (or β teaspoon of table salt)
Instructions
- Pre heat your oven to 350 degrees
- Grease and flour a round cake pan or loaf pan (this is when you grease your pan then add a couple tablespoon of flour and coat the greased pan by turning the flour around your pan until it is all coated or follow my steps above on how to use parchment paper)
- Grab 2 bowls. In the first bowl add your flour, spices, salt, baking powder and baking soda and set aside.1 β cup All Purpose Flour, 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, Β½ teaspoon baking powder, Β½ teaspoon baking soda, ΒΌ teaspoon nutmeg, ΒΌ teaspoon kosher salt
- In your other bowl add your butter and sugar and cream it with a hand mixer until it is fluffy, about 2 minutes.1 ΒΌ cup granulated sugar, Β½ cup softened unsalted butter
- Next, add your eggs and mix well until it is incorporated.2 large eggs
- Now add your pumpkin, vanilla and mix well.1 cup pumpkin puree, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Next, add your dry ingredients from the other bowl and mix by hand just until it is all incorporated.
- Now add your warm milk and mix well into your batter.Β½ cup warm milk
- Pour your batter into your prepared pan
- If you are using a cake pan, bake for about 45-50 minutes or just until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. All oven temps vary so it may take more or less time depending on your oven.If you are using a loaf pan, place loaf pan on a sheet tray (to prevent any leaks) and bake for about 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. All oven temps vary so it may take more or less time depending on your oven.Do not over bake the pumpkin cake. A few crumbs on a toothpick when testing is ok. The cake will keep cooking a little while resting.
- When done, remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes
- Once cool, take a knife carefully around the edge and loosen the cake from the pan. Then invert it (place a plate on top and flip it over on to the plate) and let cool for another 15 minutes. If you used parchment paper just lift the sides of the parchment paper up and remove the cake from the pan.
- Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition Values are estimates only.
See full nutrition disclaimer here
Jen says
Awesome cake. My family loves it! Iβve made 5 of them since thanksgiving!!! Great way to use up our decorative pumpkins!!!
Melissa says
So glad to hear that Jen π
Ann says
Very delicious!
Stavoula says
Very easy to make and simply delicious!!!
Melissa says
So glad to hear that!
Lou says
Hi, can't wait to try this cake after Halloween to put the pumpkins to good use; it looks delicious! Would I be able to use light brown, dark brown or muscovado sugar? Or is white best for this recipe? Many thanks!
Melissa says
Hi Lou. White sugar (granulated sugar) is best for this recipe. This pumpkin cake is very moist and does not need any help from brown sugar π I hope you enjoy it!
Tina says
I have tried many pumpkin cake recipes and this is the best. It came out perfectly cooked all the way through and still very moist. It was delicious
Melissa says
Thank you Tina π I am glad you enjoyed it
Sandy says
I made this for a potluck and everyone really enjoyed it. A really great recipe.
Melissa says
So happy to hear that π
Dora says
I think this may be the best pumpkin cake I have ever had. It was gone in the first 3 hours of making it π
Melissa says
Love hearing that!
Amanda says
This was SO GOOD! Very easy and the tip about preparing the cake pan was helpful.
Melissa says
Hi Amanda. I am glad you enjoyed it and found the tips helpful π
Jen says
This was amazing!
Dan says
Wow! This was really good. It came out moist and so much flavor. Thanks for the recipe