I’ve made some version of this pumpkin cake for years, it’s become almost a yearly ritual welcoming fall. When Sara and Aimee invited me to be a part of this year’s virtual pumpkin party, it didn’t take me long to decide what to make. This is such a versatile recipe and works well baked as a sheet cake and made into mini cakes layered into small jars or served individually plated. The cake keeps beautifully for days and is perfect for making in advance for a party.
I paired the pumpkin cake with a simple cream cheese buttercream and crunchy, salty, spiced bits of gingersnap toffee between each layer of cake. You could absolutely skip the flowers and top the cake with a heaping pile of gingersnap toffee bits, I promise no one will mind. I hope you enjoy the ritual of making (and eating!) it as much as I do.
Scroll down below the recipes for a list of all of the pumpkin party posts from this year, I’m headed out to buy every grocery store in a 10 mile radius out of pumpkin so I can make everything. Pumpkin Creme Brulee Cake! Mascarpone Pumpkin Pie! Pumpkin + Pear Butter Baked Melty Cheese!
- 3 c (594 g) sugar
- 1.5 c vegetable oil
- 6 eggs at room temperature
- 1.5 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 c (360 g) all-purpose flour
- 3 tsp baking soda
- 1.5 tsp baking powder
- 3 tsp cinnamon
- ¾ tsp ground ginger
- pinch freshly-grated nutmeg
- ¾ tsp salt
- 3 c pumpkin puree
- Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees. Butter 2 x 6 inch and 2 x 8 inch cake pans (or 3 x 8 inch cake pans), line with a round of parchment paper, dust with flour and tap out the excess.
- Beat oil and sugar in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium speed for about 3 minutes, then reduce the speed and add the eggs one at a time. Beat on medium speed until combined and creamy, about 3 more minutes. Add the vanilla and mix for 30 seconds.
- Sift the dry ingredients together and add slowly, mixing on low speed just until combined. Add the pumpkin and mix by hand until combined.
- Distribute the batter evenly in the prepared pans and bake for 20 minutes without opening the oven, then rotate the pans and bake for an additional 5 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Place the pans on cooling racks for 15-20 minutes or until the pan is cool enough to handle.
- Run a sharp knife around the edges of the pans to loosen the cakes, then turn the cakes out onto the cooling racks, remove the parchment paper, and allow to come to room temperature.
Assembly// Level cakes if desired. Place first layer on a cake board or a serving plate smooth side down and spread a generous layer of buttercream on top. Sprinkle with gingersnap toffee. Place second layer face down, and ice the top with buttercream. If you've used all 8 inch cake pans, sprinkle with toffee, place final layer face down and roughly ice the top and outside of the cake. If you are using the 6 inch pans as well as the 8 inch, place your first 6 inch layer centered on the 8 inch cake smooth side down. Ice with buttercream, sprinkle with toffee, and place the final layer face down (smooth side up) and ice. Decorate with flowers or more toffee and serve. Keeps well for 3 days, allow to come to room temperature before serving.
- 20 gingersnap cookies
- ¼ c plus 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- ¼ c plus 1 tbsp brown sugar
- flaked salt
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a 9 inch round )or something close, you really just want the cookies close to each other and in one layer) baking pan with foil. Heat the butter and brown sugar in a small saucepan on the stove over medium heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture begins to boil. Pour the syrup evenly over the cookies and bake for about 10 minutes or until the sugar smells caramelized. Don't worry if the cookies are not soaked in the syrup, it'll boil and expand while it's in the oven. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with flaked salt, and allow to cool to room temperature. Chop roughly and store in an airtight container at room temperature until ready for use or up to 3 days.
- 2 sticks (1 c) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
- 2¾ cups confectioners’ sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk, more as needed
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- Whip the butter and cream cheese together until light and fluffy. Sift the powdered sugar. Beat in sugar, milk and vanilla until combined well. Add milk as needed to come to a spreadable consistency.
—————————————————————————————————–
Cake Over Steak • Quick Pumpkin and Kale Risotto + Arancini
Twigg Studios • Sausage Stuffing Baked in a Pumpkin
Donuts, Dresses and Dirt • Pumpkin Spice Latte Popsicles
Cloudy Kitchen • Pumpkin Cake with Vanilla German Buttercream
Vegetarian Ventures • Smoky Pumpkin & Black Sesame Hummus
Eat Boutique • Pumpkin Scallion Dumplings
A Little Saffron • Pumpkin Stuffed Shells
Two Red Bowls • Pumpkin & Maple Caramel Baked French Toast
Wallflower Kitchen • Mini Pumpkin & Cinnamon Sugar Donuts
Wit & Vinegar • Pumpkin Butterscotch Banana Split
Style Sweet CA • Pumpkin Creme Brulee Cake
Nommable • Pumpkin Biscuits with Mushroom Thyme Gravy
With Food + Love • Cinnamon Raisin Pumpkin Seed Bread
Hortus • Creamy Roasted Squash Soup + Pumpkin Risotto
Sevengrams • Vegan Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream
Jojotastic • 1 Pumpkin, 2 Ways: Pumpkin Trail Mix & Dog Treats
Grain Changer • Pumpkin Spice Baked Oatmeal
Girl Versus Dough • Pumpkin Cranberry Flax Crisps
Earthy Feast • Pumpkin Grits + Pumpkin Home Fries + a Fried Egg
Harvest and Honey • Truffled Pumpkin Papardelle Alfredo with Frizzled Sage
Tasty Seasons • Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake
Broma Bakery • Pumpkin Butter Pop Tarts
Tending the Table • Roasted Pumpkin and Barley Salad
The Sugar Hit • Super Soft Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Delicious Not Gorgeous • Waffles with Spiced Pumpkin Butter and Brown Sugar Walnut Crumble
Taste Love and Nourish • Pumpkin Bread Pudding
The Green Life • Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chunk & Hazelnut Skillet Cookie (Vegan)
Foolproof Living • Pumpkin Creme Fraiche Pasta with Sage
The Monday Box • Pumpkin Mini Bundt Cakes
Design Crush • Pumpkin Bourbon Hot Toddy
The Road to Honey • Pumpkin Pie & Chocolate Layer Cake
My Name is Yeh • Roasted Pumpkin with Yogurt and Hazelnut Dukkah
Give Recipe • Orange Chocolate Pumpkin Bread
Heartbeet Kitchen • Magic Vegan Pumpkin Pie Fudge
Beard and Bonnet • Marbled Pumpkin Muffins
Eat Within Your Means • Vegan Pumpkin Blender Muffins
Snixy Kitchen • Pumpkin Tapioca Pudding with Candied Pumpkin Seeds
Ruby Josephine • Moroccan Sweet Pumpkin + Beef Tagine
Lab Noon • Pasta Bake with Roasted Pumpkin and Saffron Sauce, Pistachio and Goat Cheese
An Edible Mosaic • Pumpkin Spice Chia Seed Pudding
Hey Modest Marce • Mascarpone Pumpkin Pie
Inspired By the Seasons • Pumpkin Applesauce Smoothie
CaliGirl Cooking • Pumpkin Praline Cinnamon Rolls with Spiked Cream Cheese Glaze
Sally’s Baking Addiction • Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bundt Cake
Well and Full • Spicy Chipotle Pumpkin Hummus
Appeasing a Food Geek • Cheese Fondue Stuffed Roasted Pumpkin
SweetPhi • Pumpkin Chili Biscuit Bake
Warm Vanilla Sugar • Buttermilk Pumpkin Doughnuts
Mademoiselle Poirot • Cinnamon-Pumpkin Mousse on Honey Panna Cotta topped with Hazelnut Brittle
Heart of a Baker • Pumpkin Sticky Buns with Vanilla Bean Frosting
Flourishing Foodie • Massaman Curry with Pumpkin and Chickpeas
Ginger & Toasted Sesame • Pumpkin Jeon
Lindsay Jang • Best Ever DIY Pumpkin Spiced Latte
Fix Feast Flair • Hokkaido Pumpkin + Sage Mac and Gouda
Will Frolic for Food • Pumpkin Kale Patties with Coconut Cilantro Rice
A Couple Cooks • Pumpkin Pecan Baked Steel Cut Oats
Vermilion Red • Pumpkin Pie Souffle
Britnell • Vegan Pumpkin Pie
Displaced Housewife • Brown Butter Pumpkin Donuts
Sweet Gula • Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
La Pêche Fraîche • Pumpkin and Condensed Milk Cakes
Kitchen Konfidence • Pumpkin Ricotta Gnocchi with Rosemary Brown Butter Sauce
Loves Food, Loves to Eat • Savory Pumpkin Bread Pudding
Kale & Caramel • Goat Cheese & Sage-Stuffed Pumpkin Challah
Okie Dokie Artichokie • Pumpkin Chorizo Chili with Sweet Potatoes + Pinto Beans
Salted Plains • Easy Pumpkin Bread
Liliahna • Chicken Legs with Pumpkin and Tortellini
TermiNatetor Kitchen • Whole Wheat, Pumpkin & Brown Sugar Brioche
Vermilion Roots • Sweet Rice Dumplings with Pumpkin
Celebrate Creativity • Pumpkin Mini Cheesecake Tarts
Serendipity Bakes • Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake
So Much Yum • Vegan Maple-Glazed Pumpkin Spice Doughnuts
The Brick Kitchen • Pumpkin, Pecan & White Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwiches
Lisli • Pumpkin Pie Cake
Cookie Dough and Oven Mitt • Pumpkin Pie Dip
Fig+Bleu • Pumpkin Granola
The Speckled Palate • Pumpkin Caramel Cream Cheese Swirl Blondies
Cook Til Delicious • Fall Cliche Cake (Pumpkin Spice Cake / Maple Cream Cheese Frosting / Apple Cider Caramel Sauce)
Floating Kitchen • Chicken and Pumpkin Chili
The Wood and Spoon • Pumpkin Pecan Cake with Burnt Sugar Frosting
Fork Vs Spoon • Pumpkin Streusel Muffins
Lemon & Vanilla • Pumpkin and Coconut Caramel Flan
Dunk & Crumble • Pumpkin Chocolate Icebox Cake
Chicano Eats • Pumpkin Butter Pan de Muerto
On the Plate • Pumpkin Pancakes, Salted Caramel & Pecans
Rough Measures • Cosy Pumpkin Spice Latte (Caffeine and Dairy Free)
Brewing Happiness • Pumpkin Ginger Breakfast Cookies
A Butterful Mind • Pumpkin Cheesecake with Vanilla Whipped Cream
The Little Loaf • Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Fork to Belly • Pumpkin Gnocchi
The Little Epicurean • Chocolate Hazelnut Pumpkin Pie
Bourbon and Honey • Spicy Roasted Pumpkin with Honey and Feta
What to Cook Today • Spicy Pumpkin Noodle Soup
Food by Mars • Pumpkin Pie (Grain-Free, Diary-Free)
The Bojon Gourmet • Pumpkin Butterscotch Pudding
Long Distance Baking • Layered Pumpkin Cheesecake
The Jam Lab • Pumpkin Madeleines Dipped in White Chocolate
The Lemon Apron • Pumpkin Gingerbread Loaf with an Olive Oil Glaze
Sun Diego Eats • Thai Pumpkin & Sticky Rice Cakes
A Cozy Kitchen • Pumpkin Chai Scones with Black Tea Glaze
A Cookie Named Desire • Pumpkin Shrubs
Eating Clean Recipes • Vegan Pumpkin Chia Pudding
Kingfield Kitchen • Vegan Fresh Pumpkin Soup
Drink and Cocktail Recipes • Pumpkin Dirty Chai
The Pig & Quill • Pumpkin Sage Cannelloni (Dairy-Free)
My Lavender Blues • Pumpkin, Banana & Olive Oil Bundt Cake
Betty Liu • Pumpkin + Pear Butter Baked Melty Cheese
Happy Hearted Kitchen • Cinnamon Roasted Pumpkin with Tahini Yogurt + Hazelnut Dukkah
InHappenstance • Pumpkin Scones with Maple Butter
Live Eat Learn • Pumpkin Gingerbread Hot Cocoa
Holy. Moly, my friend. This is one absolutely beautiful cake!! xoxo
Thank you so much! One of my favorite recipes. Thanks for saying hi!
Wow that a stunning cake x
Thank you, Aimee!
Oh my this cake is STUNNING. Your photography/cake skills are awe-inspiring! So glad to have found you through this pumpkin party- it’s so fun! xx
Thank you so much, Ruby!! So kind! I was so glad to be a part of it, I love finding new ways to connect with people!
The gingersnap in between is genius!
Thank you! It’s SO good! I’m a sucker for crunchy textures in cakes.
Thanks for saying hello!
That toffee flavor sounds to die for. I love gingery bites in my food and am always surprised how versatile the flavor of ginger can be. I think my Asian roots are to blame for! 🙂 Don’t you just love those recipes that you keep coming back to? I have a few like that myself and I never grow tired of them <3
YES, I love ginger! I have a cake recipe coming that uses chopped candied ginger and it’s soooo good! I especially love the seasonal recipes that you’ve made and altered year after year until they taste exactly the way you wanted them to, you know? Thanks for saying hi! Xx
This recipe is absolutely WONDERFUL! Ive made it several times and always comes out perfect. The cake’s texture is moist and has a lovely spice. The cook time for me is about an hour since I use three, 3 x 8 cake pans. I haven’t made the toffee yet, Ive convinced myself I need to make gingersnaps from scratch then proceed to make the toffee. So, I’ll wait until i can undertake that task :). Ive put chopped pecans and chopped candied ginger on top, very good!
AMAZING CAKE!! I absolutely love pumpkin, and this cake is my favorite, it tastes exactly like the one I get from my local bakery. THANK YOU! Much love !
Hi Marie! Thank you SO much for the lovely feedback! This one is one of my favorites, too. I’ve been making some version of it for years. The chopped pecans and candied ginger sound WONDERFUL. Thank you again for saying hello!
Definitely your pumpkin cake with gingersnap toffee are awesomeness! This is a great recipe Tiffany, as you know I made it a short while ago and it was lovely, in fact have made it again since. Thanks for sharing!
Hello! Oh, I’m so glad you liked it! That is one of my favorite cakes, I make it a couple times a year! Thank you so much for saying hi! Xx
This pumpkin cake with gingersnap toffee looks absolutely fantastic. Beautiful photos, too. I look forward to trying this cuz I prefer pumpkin – it may reduce cancer risk, protect the skin, boost your mood and other! Thx For sharing Tiffany!
Pumpkin is so good for you, isn’t it?? Thanks so much for saying hello!!
Hey there, I’m a huge fan of pumpkin and this pumpkin cake with gingersnap toffee look way awesome!
Thank you so much! I loooove pumpkin cakes, too!