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Top view of pumpkin cake with brown butter cream cheese frosting in the baking pan with a slice of cake on a plate next to the pan.

Pumpkin Cake with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

Warm cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves spice this pumpkin cake just right and the nutty brown butter in the cream cheese frosting adds the perfect topping.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 2 hours
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 20 slices

Equipment

  • 13 x 9 cake pan
  • Mixing bowls
  • Kitchen scale
  • Measuring cups and spoons
  • rubber spatula
  • Whisk
  • Sauce pan
  • Hand mixer

Ingredients
  

Pumpkin Cake

  • 2 ¾ cups (330 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon (6 g) salt
  • 1 teaspoon (6 g) baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons (8 g) baking powder
  • 1 tablespoon (9 g) cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons (4.6 g) nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon (2.3 g) cloves
  • 1 ½ cup (320 g) light brown sugar
  • ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 cup (198 g) vegetable oil
  • 4 eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon (4 g) vanilla
  • 1 - 15 ounce (425 g) can pumpkin puree, room temperature

Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

  • ¼ cup (57 g) unsalted butter
  • 6 ounces (168 g) cream cheese softened
  • 2 cups (240 g) powdered sugar, measured then sifted
  • 1 teaspoon (4 g) vanilla
  • 1-2 tablespoons (15 g) heavy cream or milk
  • pinch of salt

Instructions
 

  • Prep: Preheat oven to 350° F (180° C). Spray 13 x 9 inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
  • Dry Ingredients: In a medium mixing bowl or stand mixer, whisk together all-purpose flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
  • Wet Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine light brown sugar, granulated sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla, and pumpkin puree. Whisk until combined.
  • Combine ingredients: Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until combined. Don’t over mix. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 28-35 minutes. Cake is done when a toothpick inserted to the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
  • Brown butter: In a saucepan, melt butter until it turns amber in color and has a nutty aroma. This takes about 4 minutes for this amount of butter. Stir continuously and immediately pour into a heat proof bowl when brown specks start to form on the bottom of the pan. Allow butter to cool for ten minutes, then refrigerate for 30-40 minutes.
  • Frosting: In a mixing bowl, combine solidified brown butter and cream cheese. With a hand mixer, beat until smooth. Add sifted powdered sugar, vanilla, heavy cream/milk, and salt. If frosting is too thick add an additional tablespoon of cream/milk.
  • Frost and enjoy: Once cake has cooled completely, frost and enjoy!
Keyword brown butter cream cheese frosting, fall dessert, pumpkin cake