I’ve been experimenting with pumpkin cake recipes for a while now, and really wanted to create my own, using my vanilla layer cake recipe as a starting point. After quite a bit of experimenting with different amounts of pumpkin, buttermilk, and egg whites, I finally found the perfect balance.
This recipe is wonderful because it’s moist and so flavorful, but it also has great structure! It can be carved and sculpted if the layers are chilled, and it stacks wonderfully. One batch of batter can be used to make 4 seven-inch cake layers, or 4 thinner 8-inch cake layers.
Pumpkin Spice Layer Cake Recipe:
- 3 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (416 grams)
- 3 cups granulated sugar (600 grams)
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder (13 grams)
- 1 tsp salt (5 grams)
- 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp (pinch) cloves
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (226 grams) – 2 sticks
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract (9 grams)
- 1/2 cup egg whites (or about 3 egg whites) (122 grams)
- 2/3 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 1/2 cups buttermilk, room temperature (360 grams)
- 1/8 cup vegetable oil (28 grams)
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350°F. Line four 7 inch pans (for taller layers) or 8 inch round pans with parchment rounds, and grease with non-stick cooking spray.
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Mix together all dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves) in a stand mixer with a paddle until fully combined.
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Mix chunks of room-temperature butter slowly into the dry mix, on a low speed. Continue to mix until no large chunks of butter remain, and the mixture becomes crumbly.
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Pour in egg whites, and pumpkin puree, and mix on low until just incorporated. Mix in the buttermilk in two installments, on a low speed. Add in vanilla and oil, and mix at a low speed until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, then beat on medium speed for about 30 seconds.
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Divide batter evenly between the prepared cake pans. I like to use a digital kitchen scale to weigh my pans, and ensure they all have the same amount of batter. This guarantees your layers will bake to be the same height.
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If you want to color your cake batter, add gel food coloring at the end, and mix on low until the batter is the shade you’re after.
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Bake for 35-37 minutes if using 8 inch pans, or 37-38 minutes for 7 inch cake pans (or until a skewer comes out clean). Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then run an offset spatula around perimeter of the pan to separate the cake from the pan. Place cake layers into the freezer for 30 minutes, to accelerate the cooling process.
Recipe Notes
Once the layers have fully cooled, I sometimes like to trim the caramelized bits from the sides of the layers using a serrated knife. While these layers bake pretty flat, sometimes I’ll also trim the top of the layers too if I’m working a super special partnership 🙂
This cake recipe pairs wonderfully with my cream cheese buttercream.
I used this cake recipe to make this pumpkin-pie filled cake, which is frosted with my American buttercream, and filled with a pumpkin pie filling! It tasted just as good as it looks!!
