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Pumpkin cake, AKA pumpkin bars, are often shared at fall-time gatherings.
I am always excited to see pumpkin cake topped with white cream cheese frosting and a little pumpkin candy at football parties, Halloween Parties, or other fall gatherings. I love anything pumpkin spiced. I would happily take a slice of cake and dig in.
It was always good. Had that tender cake, laced with pumpkin and warming spices – topped with that rich cream cheese frosting, a real treat. However, I have always found the famous pumpkin cake to be so cloyingly sweet that my stomach often hurt afterwards. I enjoyed the dessert, but sort of regretted eating the entire slice, at the same time.
My friends, today, I present to you, my version of pumpkin cake that is not tooth-achingly sweet. It is tender, moist, filled with plenty of pumpkin and those warming pumpkin spices, and topped with a yogurt cream cheese frosting that’s tangy, with just the right amount of sweetness.
It’s what I always wanted those slices of pumpkin cake to taste like. Finally, I can enjoy a large slice of pumpkin cake without a stomach ache of regret.
I know, here I am talking about parties where cake is served and we are still in the middle of a pandemic. Sadly, we aren’t sharing cake with friends at parties in a traditional sense. But, we can still share our desserts.
I need to test desserts at least once. Most often two or three times, followed by making the final recipe to take photos. That’s a total of two to four cakes. That’s a lot of cake.
There is no way that Paul and I can eat all of that cake just the two of us.
So, I wrapped some slices of this pumpkin cake up and delivered it to the front door of my friend’s house, so that they could help us eat the cake. They were happy to take some cake off our hands. And, it was fun to share, even though I couldn’t see the reactions on their faces.
We can still share pumpkin cake (or any kind of cake) with friends and family, while still being social distanced this year. Look at us adapting to our current circumstances. Still finding ways to spread joy through homemade baked goods.
The best part about this pumpkin cake, is how stinking easy it is to make!
I decided to keep the cake simple, and classic. I baked it in a 9×13 baking dish. An easy yogurt cream cheese frosting spread on top, cut into squares, and topped with a candy pumpkins, if feeling a bit fancy.
This is my kind of cake baking. No pressure with a cake stand, or multiple cake layers, or making frosting look fancy – just spread it on.
This is a stress free, no fuss, ready-to-bring-anywhere kind of pumpkin cake.
To make this cake you don’t even need an electric mixer of any kind. Just a whisk and a spatula. Love that.
I frosted this pumpkin cake with a yogurt cream cheese frosting recipe I shared last week.
The frosting is super simple to make (you do need an electric mixer for the frosting). It’s lightened up a bit by using some fat free Greek yogurt in place of some of the cream cheese, without loosing any of the rich texture and iconic cream cheese frosting taste.
I love how the extra tanginess from the Greek yogurt goes so nicely with the cream cheese, and on top of this pumpkin cake. In the spirit of keeping this pumpkin cake less sweet, I only use 3/4 cup powdered sugar in the yogurt cream cheese frosting, versus the standard 3 to 4 cups of powdered sugar.
It’s just the right amount of sugar, for my taste.
I am obsessed with this new yogurt cream cheese frosting recipe.
However, you could also use my cream cheese frosting without powdered sugar recipe, if you prefer.
What is healthier about this pumpkin cake then most pumpkin cakes?
- White whole wheat flour in stead of all purpose flour – I have recently discovered white whole wheat flour. It’s a type of flour made from a type of whole wheat that is finer then your typical whole wheat flour, yet it’s packed with more fiber than all purpose flour.
- Less sugar – I developed this recipe to be just sweet enough, without being overly sweet. I use a combo of coconut sugar, and granulated sugar to cut down on the amount of refined sugar. Also, there is far less sugar used in the yogurt cream cheese frosting, then traditional frosting recipes. 3/4 cup vs 3 to 4 cups of powdered sugar.
- Coconut oil – I use coconut oil in most of my baked goods instead of a vegetable oil. Coconut oil has healthy fatty acids in it. Also, it doesn’t break down as easily as most baking oils do. Don’t worry, you don’t taste the coconut at all.
- Less fat – mostly because of the Greek yogurt used in place of some of the cream cheese in the yogurt cream cheese frosting. I also use some fat free Greek yogurt in the cake to replace a portion of the coconut oil, while still keeping the cake moist.
See, this really is a pumpkin cake you can feel good about digging into.
However, as I say with any of my healthier desserts: Yes, there are healthier swaps made, more fiber, a little less fat, and less sugar used, so that you can feel good. But, it is still a dessert that should be eaten in moderation. I am not claiming that this pumpkin cake is a health food.
Those healthier ingredient swaps do add up and make a difference in the long run. Which, is what we’re here for – sustainable healthy eating (most of the time).
Can I make this pumpkin cake gluten free?
Yes. I have tested this recipe using a 1 for 1 gluten free flour blend.
It was great, and my parents, who have gluten intolerances both enjoyed the treat.
I recommend Bob’s Red mill gluten free 1 to 1 Baking Flour
This pumpkin cake with yogurt cream cheese frosting would be prefect served at any fall parties, or even made for Thanksgiving.
Remember, if you have leftovers because we are keeping festivities small this year, don’t forget, you can always drop some slices of cake off at a friend’s house. Share this little slice of heaven, homemade baked treats are meant to be shared.
More pumpkin recipes for you to love:
- mini pumpkin pies with ginger cookie crust
- healthy pumpkin muffins
- date sweetened pumpkin smoothie
- pumpkin oatmeal with yogurt “whipped cream”
- pumpkin spice protein pancakes with sautéed apples
More cake recipes to help you celebrate life:
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to leave a comment down below, along with a star rating. It really helps me out, and I love earing from you. Thanks, friends. Hope you are doing well.
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Pumpkin Cake with Yogurt Cream Cheese Frosting
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 35 mins
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 16 to 18 1x
- Category: baking, dessert, easy
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: gluten free, vegetarian
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This pumpkin cake is easy to make, and the perfect dessert for any fall festivities. It is loaded with pumpkin, and laced with warming pumpkin spices. It’s topped with a rich, tangy, yogurt cream cheese frosting.
Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup white whole wheat flour (see notes for GF alternative)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (click here for the recipe)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 large eggs, room temp
- 1 cup coconut sugar (or sub brown sugar)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup plain fat free Greek yogurt, room temp
- 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1 15 ounce can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Frosting options
Instructions
- Prepare: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 9×13 baking pan, set aside.
- Mix the dry ingredients: In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the all purpose flour, white whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ground ginger, allspice, ground cloves, nutmeg, and salt until well combined. Set aside.
- Mix the wet ingredients together: In a separate large mixing bowl add the eggs and the coconut sugar and granulated sugar, whisk until well combined and slightly fluffy. Whisk in the Greek yogurt until well combined. Then whisk in the coconut oil, pumpkin puree, and vanilla until well combined and smooth.
- Combine: Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, use a spatula to gently mix the dry ingredients into the wet, until well combined.
- Bake: Transfer the batter to the prepared baking dish. Smooth the batter out into an even layer. Tap the pan a few times on the counter to release any air bubbles. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until a cake skewer, or toothpick comes out clean when it’s inserted into the center of the cake. Another good sign it’s done is when the cake feels springy to the touch and the sides begin pulling away from the edges.
- Cool: Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan before frosting.
- Make the frosting: While the cake is cooling (or even baking), you can make your frosting (10 mins to make the frosting). I frosted this pumpkin cake with my yogurt cream cheese frosting, which was big hit. You could also frost it with my cream cheese frosting without powdered sugar. Either one will have that classic cream cheese frosting taste you’re used to with pumpkin cake.
- Serve: Once the frosting is fully cooled, and frosted, cut the cake into squares, You should get about 15 to 16 generous squares of cake.
- Store leftovers: since the frosting you’re likely using uses cream cheese, and possibly Greek yogurt, this cake needs to be stored in the fridge. You can simply cover the pan of cake with foil. Or you can remove the cake squares to air tight containers. The cake will last in your fridge for up to 4 days. The cake is best served at room temp, so allow it to sit out for 20 minutes before serving.
Notes
pumpkin pie spice – I love making my own – it’s so easy. Click here for the recipe.
Flour options: You can use either all white whole wheat flour, or all all purpose flour. Either one will make a delicious cake. White whole wheat flour is just less processed, and has more fiber then regular all purpose flour. Or you can use a combo of both, like I did for both the best texture, and a little more nutrition.
Gluten free option: I tested a version of this cake using Bob’s Red Mill gluten free 1 to 1 baking flour and it turned out great.
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