Pumpkin Olive Oil Cake with Cream Cheese Icing
This pumpkin olive oil cake is a moist cake topped with softened cream cheese icing. It's so easy- just mix the cake batter in one bowl, bake, and frost!
Cream cheese frosting is my favorite, especially when combined with moist pumpkin cake or cinnamon rolls!
Pumpkin Olive Oil Cake
Olive oil is not just an ingredient for savory dishes; it's great for desserts, like this pumpkin cake or homemade biscotti. Although pumpkin is more of a fall flavor, I am not waiting. This cake is too good.
This moist cake graced the tables at a family get-together last fall, and Annette (also known as Grammy) happily obliged when I asked for the recipe. Thank you, Annette, for this recipe! I've made this pumpkin cake a few times, and this is my version of the cake made with olive oil instead of vegetable oil.
What You Need
- Pumpkin puree: Use canned pumpkin or homemade pumpkin puree.
- Olive oil: Use high-quality extra virgin olive oil. Substitute equal parts vegetable oil or unsweetened applesauce (you can't even tell there's applesauce). Olive oil adds an earthy flavor.
- Flour: Weigh the all-purpose flour. Packed measuring cups add too much flour.
- Butter: I prefer salted butter, but unsalted butter works fine.
- Cream cheese: I recommend full-fat cream cheese, but the lightened-up version works well too.
How to Make Pumpkin Olive Oil Cake
In a large bowl, beat the pumpkin puree, sugar, olive oil, and eggs with a handheld mixer until combined.
Add the dry ingredients: flour, salt, baking soda, and ground cinnamon.
Mix the pumpkin cake batter for about one to two minutes until combined.
Grease the baking dish with butter or olive oil.
Pour the cake batter into the greased pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in a 350 ℉ (177 ℃) oven. Insert a toothpick in the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, the cake is done.
Allow the cake to cool completely (about 45 minutes to an hour).
Beat the softened butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth while the cake cools.
Spread the cream cheese icing on top of the cooled pumpkin cake.
Don't ice the cake until it has cooled! The icing will melt and not have any structure. This pumpkin cake can be refrigerated for the icing to set and firm up or left at room temperature before serving.
Substitutions and Variations
- Use pumpkin pie spice instead of ground cinnamon- just substitute equal parts.
- Make this pumpkin cake in a cake pan instead of a baking dish. Going a two-tier cake route, use two 8" cake pans. Double the icing so an icing layer can be in the middle.
- Add some ground cinnamon to the cream cheese icing to make this a cinnamon cream cheese frosting. Can't have too much cinnamon, right?
How I Serve Pumpkin Cake
Serve for dessert or a special occasion when you want something sweet. It reminds me of Thanksgiving, kind of like this sweet potato casserole. Another way to serve this cake is with your morning coffee or tea.
📋 Recipe
Pumpkin Olive Oil Cake with Cream Cheese Icing
Ingredients
Pumpkin Olive Oil Cake Batter
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups white sugar
- 15 ounce pumpkin puree canned
- 4 whole eggs
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
Cream Cheese Icing
- 8 tablespoon salted butter
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2½ cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Mix the pumpkin puree, olive oil, sugar, and eggs with a handheld mixer. Add the dry ingredients of flour, salt, baking soda, and ground cinnamon. Mix for about one to two minutes until smooth.
- Pour the pumpkin cake batter into a greased 9" x 13" baking dish. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes at 350 ℉ (177 ℃). Let the cake cool for 45 minutes to an hour.
- While the cake cools, beat softened butter, softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth. Spread the cream cheese icing on the cooled cake. Either refrigerate to firm up icing or serve right away.
Notes
- Top tips: Wait for the pumpkin cake to cool completely before frosting. Soften the butter and cream cheese before whipping the icing for a smooth texture.
- Substitutions - Substitute equal parts vegetable oil or unsweetened applesauce for olive oil. Use pumpkin spice instead of ground cinnamon. Add ground cinnamon to the icing for more cinnamon flavor!
- Cake pan variation: Split the pumpkin cake batter between two greased cake pans. Double the icing quantity.
- Storage - Store in the fridge covered for up to 5 days. Pumpkin cake (unfrosted) can be frozen or refrigerated ahead of time.
Delicious recipe
So yummy!