Pumpkin Pecan Cake Cinnamon Icing (Printable)
Spiced pumpkin cake with toasted pecans and cinnamon cream cheese icing, ideal for fall gatherings.
# What You Need:
→ Cake Batter
01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1½ teaspoons baking powder
03 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
04 - ½ teaspoon salt
05 - 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
06 - ½ teaspoon ground ginger
07 - ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
08 - ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
09 - 1 cup granulated sugar
10 - ½ cup packed light brown sugar
11 - 1 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
12 - 4 large eggs, room temperature
13 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
14 - 1½ cups canned pumpkin purée
15 - 1¼ cups chopped pecans, lightly toasted
→ Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing
16 - 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
17 - ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
18 - 2½ cups powdered sugar, sifted
19 - 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
20 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
21 - Pinch of salt
# How-To:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9x13-inch baking pan.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, beat together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and melted butter until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract and pumpkin purée until fully combined.
04 - Gradually fold the dry ingredient mixture into the wet batter using a spatula. Do not overmix. Fold in the toasted pecans until evenly distributed.
05 - Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly. Bake for 32 to 37 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow the cake to cool completely on a cooling rack.
06 - In a mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and butter together until light and creamy. Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar, then beat in the cinnamon, vanilla extract, and salt until the icing is smooth and fluffy.
07 - Spread the cinnamon cream cheese icing evenly over the completely cooled cake. Cut into 12 squares and serve.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The crumb stays impossibly moist for days thanks to the pumpkin and melted butter working together.
- Cinnamon cream cheese icing is the kind of thing you will want to eat off a spoon before it ever reaches the cake.
02 -
- The cake must be completely cool before icing or the cream cheese will slide right off in a warm, disappointing mess.
- Toasting the pecans in a dry skillet for about four minutes doubles their flavor and is absolutely worth the extra step.
03 -
- Use the spoon and level method for measuring flour or your cake will turn out dry and dense instead of moist and tender.
- Beat the cream cheese icing longer than you think you should, about three full minutes, to get it airy and cloudlike.