Pumpkin Loaf Cake

one slice of orange pumpkin cake with white frosting in a white plate.

This Pumpkin Loaf Cake is so soft, it will melt in your mouth! It is easy, mildly sweet with cozy Fall spices. Baked in a loaf pan, it's just as easy as pumpkin bread but with a finer, more tender crumb that makes it perfect for pumpkin dessert - So good!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword pumpkin cake, pumpkin loaf cake

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 1 45

Total Time 2 10

Servings Servings

Calories 445kcal

Author Maria Doss

Equipment

Ingredients

For the cake

1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon all spice
¼ teaspoon ground clove
½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick) at room temperature
½ cup sugar
¼ cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup pumpkin puree (I like to use Libby's)
¼ cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs (at room temperature)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the frosting

4 ounces cream cheese (at room temperature)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (at room temperature)
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
⅛ teaspoon salt
2 cups confectioners sugar

Instructions

Make the cake

Prep. Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and spray a standard loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.
Mix dry ingredients. Add 1 ¼ cups flour, 1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ginger, ¼ teaspoon allspice and ¼ teaspoon clove into a medium bowl and whisk to combine.
Mix wet batter. Combine ½ cup butter, ½ cup white sugar and ¼ cup packed brown sugar in a large bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat until light and fluffy (2 to 3 minutes). Add 1 cup pumpkin puree and ¼ cup oil and beat until well combined.
Add 2 eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure the ingredients are evenly combined.
Finish and bake. Add the dry ingredients and beat until it just comes together. Don't overmix. Remove the beaters and mix the batter using a rubber spatula. Transfer the batter into the prepared loaf pan, smooth the top, and bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool. Place the pan on a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

Make the frosting

Make frosting. Combine 4 ounces cream cheese, 4 tablespoon butter, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract and ⅛ teaspoon salt in a medium bowl and beat until smooth and creamy. Gradually add 2 cups confectioners' sugar and beat until smooth and light.
👉 Use full-fat cream cheese and not the spreadable type from a tub. The full-fat will give the frosting a perfectly creamy consistency.
Frost the cake. Remove the cake from the pan and place it on a serving tray. Spread the frosting over the cake and sprinkle toasted pecans on top (if desired). Slice and enjoy!
👉 The frosting might look like a lot, but trust me, you need that much! The cake is quite tall, and having plenty of frosting ensures you get a little with every bite.
Storage. Store any leftover cake in the fridge, but let it sit at room temperature for atleast an hour before serving.

Video

Notes

Pumpkin puree – I prefer Libby’s because it’s thick, has a rich color, and gives the cake a deep pumpkin flavor. Other brands can vary in consistency and may be lighter or more watery, which can affect the texture of the cake.

Use 100% pure pumpkin – Make sure to use plain pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. Pie filling already contains sugar and spices, which can throw off the sweetness and flavor of the cake.

Eggs – Use room-temperature eggs for a lighter, fluffier texture.

Spice variation – For an easy shortcut, replace the individual spices with 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice.

Make a square cake – You can bake the batter in an 8×8-inch pan instead of a loaf pan. The cake will be shorter and more like pumpkin bars with cream cheese icing, and it will bake much faster. Start checking around 25 minutes and bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes clean.

Nutrition