The Easiest Pumpkin Cake Using Freshly Grated Pumpkin
About My Easiest Pumpkin Cake Recipe
This is my easiest and my best pumpkin cake recipe! It’s moist, delicious, and it melts in your mouth. There’s a good reason why it’s so delicious. You see, I think most pumpkin cake recipes miss a trick. They all seem to use canned pumpkin purée. My pumpkin cake recipe, though, uses freshly grated pumpkin. As I’ll show you, fresh pumpkin is almost as easy to use as canned, and it delivers a real step up in flavor and texture for the finished cake.
I’m not sure why so many pumpkin cake recipes use a cooked pumpkin puree when carrot cake recipes mostly use freshly grated carrot. Especially because we tend to crave pumpkin cake when it’s pumpkin season! There are so many amazing fresh pumpkins available - we should be using them!
I’m going to give you two versions of the cake to try. First, a snacking cake with a quick, easy cream cheese frosting; then, a traditional pumpkin bread.
Why this recipe works
I think one of the reasons why everyone uses canned pumpkin is that we don’t eat raw pumpkin in the way we eat raw carrots. So, we assume the pumpkin needs cooking before incorporating into a cake batter.
However, it turns out that using freshly grated raw pumpkin in pumpkin cake is delicious. The finely grated pumpkin cooks as the cake bakes, and the final cake is incredible and packed full of flavor!
This technique of using fresh pumpkin in pumpkin cake is taken from my new cookbook, Simple Pleasures. The book has an entire chapter on holiday baking, including cookies, cakes, breads, and an incredible panettone.
About my pumpkin snacking cake with cream cheese frosting
Emma Fontanella’s pumpkin snacking cake with cream cheese frosting (the cake is made with freshly grated pumpkin).
First up, we have an incredible snacking cake topped with a quick, easy cream cheese frosting. This is a single layer cake, so there’s no assembly required. Each bite gives you a taste of cake along with just the right amount of sweet, tangy cream cheese frosting.
About my traditional pumpkin bread
Emma Fontanella’s traditional pumpkin bread, made with freshly grated pumpkin.
For those who just want pure spiced pumpkin flavor and no frosting, I’ve given you an option for a delicious, traditional pumpkin bread. This version is made extra flavourful and super moist through the use of fresh pumpkin. Pumpkin bread is a fall favorite in my house, but sometimes it can be on the bland side. This version, though, packs a punch. A slice of this pumpkin bread with a cup of tea is the perfect way to take a little time out of your day for yourself! Oh, and it smells absolutely wonderful while it bakes—it will fill your kitchen with delicious fall aromas!
What if I have an 8 inch square cake pan?
The snacking pumpkin cake recipe I’ve given you calls for a 7 inch square cake pan. These are readily available on-line. However, if you want to use an 8 inch square cake pan instead, simply double the recipe. Please note, if you do that, the cooking time will be a little longer than for the 7 inch cake pan. Keep doing the toothpick test to check when it’s perfectly baked.
Can I use this recipe to make pumpkin cupcakes?
Yes! To make pumpkin cupcakes, line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. Make the batter for the snacking cake (see the Ingredients and Instructions below). Then, divide the batter evenly among the paper liners. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes (do the toothpick test to check when they're ready). Allow to cool completely before decorating with cream cheese frosting (see the Ingredients and Instructions below). The recipe makes 10 to 12 cupcakes.
Can I freeze pumpkin bread?
Both pumpkin bread and pumpkin cake freeze beautifully. To freeze pumpkin bread or pumpkin cake, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, then place inside a Ziploc bag. Store in the freezer for up to 4 weeks. Defrost it overnight in the fridge the day before you want to serve it.
How do you know when pumpkin bread is done?
The best way to tell when pumpkin bread is ready to come out of the oven is to use the toothpick test. Stick a toothpick into the cake, then remove it. If the toothpick comes out clean, the pumpkin bread is fully baked. If it has some wet batter or crumbs on it, the cake still has a way to go. Make sure to test different parts of the pumpkin bread for “doneness“, because it might not bake evenly.
What pairs well with pumpkin?
For sweet dishes like pumpkin bread and pumpkin cake, warming spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, ground ginger and cloves all work well. You can buy ready-made mixtures of these called “pumpkin spice”. For adding sweetness, I like to use brown sugar with pumpkin. It adds an extra depth of flavor. Maple syrup and honey also work well.
EQUIPMENT
For the pumpkin cake, a 7-inch (18cm) square cake pan
For the cream cheese frosting, a handheld mixer or stand mixer
For the pumpkin bread, an 8 × 4-inch (10 × 20cm) loaf pan
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE PUMPKIN CAKE
½ cup (115g) pumpkin, peeled, grated and packed
1 cup (150g) all-purpose flour
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
¾ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
½ cup (100g) brown sugar (light or dark)
1 large egg
½ cup (100g) neutral oil, such as canola or vegetable
½ cup (120g) whole milk, at room temperature
½ tsp white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
FOR THE FROSTING
6oz (150g) Philadelphia cream cheese, cold
½ cup (60g) powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
FOR THE PUMPKIN BREAD
1 cup (200g) pumpkin, peeled, grated and packed
1¾ cup (260g) all-purpose flour
½ tsp salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp vanilla extract
1¼ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¾ cup plus 1 tbsp (175g) brown sugar (light or dark)
2 medium eggs
¾ cup plus 1 tbsp (175g) neutral oil, such as canola or vegetable
¾ cup plus 1 tbsp (210g) whole milk, at room temperature
1 tsp white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
INSTRUCTIONS
For The Pumpkin Cake
Yield
The quantities given yield one 7-inch square pumpkin snacking cake, about 2 inches (5cm) tall. Please note, if you’re using an 8-inch pan, you will need to double the recipe, otherwise the cake won’t be deep enough.
Preheat the oven and prepare the pan
Preheat the oven to 320°F (160°C). Grease and flour the cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
Break down and grate the pumpkin
Using a sharp knife, cut the pumpkin into manageable size chunks. Then grate it using a good grater (I use a microplane grater which makes shredding the pumpkin by hand super easy).
If you don’t want to grate the pumpkin by hand, make sure to remove all the skin, and then pulse pieces of pumpkin in a small food processor/food chopper until it’s cut into tiny pieces.
Grating fresh pumpkin for the pumpkin cake
If you’re using cup measurements, make sure to pack the pumpkin tightly in the cup to get the correct amount.
Grated pumpkin packed into a measuring cup
Combine the dry ingredients
In a large bowl, mix the flour, salt, cinnamon, vanilla, baking powder, baking soda.
Combine the dry ingredients
Combine the sugar, egg and oil
In another large bowl, which the brown sugar, egg and oil until the mixture is uniform.
Combining the oil, egg and brown sugar
Make the cake batter
Add the dry ingredients to the sugar/egg/oil mixture. Then add the milk, pumpkin and vinegar. Using a rubber spatula, scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to finish combining all the ingredients.
Adding the milk to the cake batter.
Bake the cake
Transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan and bake for 22 to 25 minutes. Do the toothpick test. When the toothpick comes out clean, the cake is ready.
Cool the cake
Allow the cake to sit in the pan for 5 minutes, then gently turn it over onto a cooling rack, remove the parchment paper, and allow to cool completely.
Make the frosting
In a stand mixer with a whisk attachment (or in a medium bowl, if using a handheld mixer), beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until everything is well combined and the frosting has a loose, creamy texture.
The finished cream cheese frosting. Note the firm texture, suitable for frosting the cake.
Frost the cake
Spread the frosting over the top of the cooled cake.
Serve
Cut into pieces and serve.
A piece of the finished pumpkin cake
For The Pumpkin Bread
To make the pumpkin bread, use the quantities of ingredients I’ve given for the pumpkin bread, and follow the method above for the snacking cake up to and including, “Make the cake batter”; BUT prepare your loaf pan instead of a square cake pan (see below)
Prepare the loaf pan
Grease and flour the loaf pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhang to make it easy to lift the cake out of the tin. Grease and flour the parchment paper as well.
Bake the pumpkin bread
Bake in the preheated oven for between 1 hour and 1 hour and 20 minutes. (The timing will depend on your oven). Start doing the toothpick test after an hour. Mine was ready after 1 hour 10 minutes.
Cool the pumpkin bread
Cool the pumpkin cake in its pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Serve
Serve the pumpkin bread in slices.
The finished pumpkin bread, sliced
Watch the video for more tips
Hi! I’m Emma Fontanella. Here you’ll find trusted, tested recipes to satisfy your baking addiction and carb cravings. Learn more…
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