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Home » Fall Favorites » Pumpkin Spice Latte Cake

Pumpkin Spice Latte Cake

Published: Sep 6, 2022 by Allison · 10 Comments

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We took the popular fall beverage and turned it into a CAKE! This is a single layer pumpkin spice cake topped with a creamy espresso frosting. The perfect combination of flavors: warm spices, pumpkin, vanilla, and coffee. Not only is the cake delicious, but it’s super easy, too. 

If you follow me on social media you may have seen me mention that this is my favorite pumpkin dessert. Yes, ever. I don’t know what it is about the combination of espresso frosting and spiced pumpkin cake but I just can’t get enough! And since this is a single layer “snack” cake we don’t need a special occasion to make it.

Slices of pumpkin spice latte cake on brown parchment paper.
Jump to:
  • This cake is
  • Basic recipe overview
  • Ingredient spotlight: espresso powder
  • Recipe tips
  • Serving and storage
  • More pumpkin recipes
  • Recipe

This cake is

Easy: The cake batter comes together in minutes! Since it is a single layer cake you don’t have to bother with stacking and frosting multiple layers.

Flavorful: Plenty of spices, just enough pumpkin, and a bold coffee-flavored frosting.

Soft and moist: Pumpkin puree, vegetable oil, and sour cream keep this cake from being dry.

Perfectly sized: This is a single layer 9×9 square cake. The size is large enough for a small gathering but small enough that you don’t need a special occasion to make it.

Slice of pumpkin spice cake latte next to a gold fork.

Basic recipe overview

*Full recipe below in recipe card*

Cake: Whisk pumpkin, spices, sugars, eggs, oil, sour cream, and vanilla. Add flour, baking powder, spices, and salt. Pour into a greased 9×9 pan. Bake and cool.

Pumpkin cake batter in a glass bowl.

Frosting: Beat butter. Add powdered sugar followed by milk, espresso powder, and vanilla.

Espresso frosting in a glass bowl.

Assembly: Spread the frosting on the cake. Serve!

Frosting being spread on a square pumpkin cake.

Ingredient spotlight: espresso powder

This recipe calls for espresso powder or instant espresso. Espresso powder is finely ground coffee crystals that have a strong and concentrated coffee flavor. This ingredient is sold in most well stocked grocery stores near the coffee or on the baking aisle. You can also purchase it on Amazon or here.

I often use it in chocolate recipes like Espresso Chocolate Chip Cookies or Coffee Brownies, but in this application it flavors the frosting for the pumpkin cake.

Overhead slice of cake topped with espresso frosting.

Recipe tips

Use pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling. I highly recommend Libby’s brand.

Don’t overmix the cake batter. Mix just until the ingredients are incorporated.

Use fresh spices. Pumpkin pie spice only gets used one season a year so check and make sure what you have in your spice cabinet is fresh and flavorful.

Not a fan of coffee? If you’d prefer to skip the coffee-flavored frosting you can swap the espresso powder for 1 teaspoon of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice.

Leftover pumpkin puree? Make Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer.

Serving and storage

Serving: Serve this cake chilled or at room temperature. It’s best within 2 days of being made.

Storage: Store this cake at cool room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerated for up to 4 days.

More pumpkin recipes

  • Pumpkin Cupcakes
  • Pumpkin Bundt Cake
  • Pumpkin Muffins
  • Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

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Recipe

Slice of pumpkin spice latte cake next to a gold fork.

Pumpkin Spice Latte Cake

The popular fall beverage turned into a CAKE! This is a single layer pumpkin spice cake topped with an incredible espresso frosting. The perfect combination of flavors: warm spices, pumpkin, vanilla, and coffee. Not only is this cake delicious, it's super easy, too. 
5 from 9 votes
Print Pin SaveSaved!
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 23 minutes
Total Time: 43 minutes
Servings: 9 – 12
Calories: 306kcal
Author: Allison – Celebrating Sweets

Ingredients

Cake:

  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour, see note
  • 1¼ teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 cup canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling
  • ½ cup light brown sugar
  • ⅓ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup sour cream or plain yogurt
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Frosting:

  • 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to cool room temperature
  • 2½ cups powdered sugar
  • 2 teaspoons milk, plus more, if needed
  • 2 teaspoons espresso powder, adjust to taste
  • ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Cake:

  • Preheat oven to 350°F with a rack in the center of the oven.
  • Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, pie spice, and cinnamon until combined. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, whisk pumpkin, brown sugar, granulated sugar, sour cream, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and whisked until just combined (don't overmix). Tap the excess batter off the whisk and use a rubber/silicone spatula to stir the batter a couple of times, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl.
  • Grease a 9×9 square baking pan and pour the batter into the pan. Tap the pan gently but firmly on the countertop a couple times to remove air bubbles. Bake for 22-26 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Place the pan on a wire rack to cool completely.

Frosting:

  • Using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, a cup at a time, followed by milk, espresso powder (see note), and vanilla. Beat on high speed for one full minute. If desired you can adjust the consistency by adding more powdered sugar to thicken or more milk to thin.
  • Spread the frosting all over the top of the cooled cake.

Notes

Flour: Fluff the flour several times with your measuring cup to lighten it. Lightly scoop a heaping portion (not packed) and level it off with the back of a knife.
Espresso powder:
Espresso powder/instant espresso is finely ground coffee crystals that have a strong and concentrated coffee flavor. This ingredient is sold in most well stocked grocery stores near the coffee or on the baking aisle. You can also purchase it on Amazon or here.
Using 2 teaspoons in the frosting will create a bold flavored frosting. If you’d like the coffee flavor to be less strong start with one teaspoon, taste the frosting, and increase from there. 
If you’d prefer to skip the coffee flavor you can swap the espresso powder for 1 teaspoon cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice.
Serving: Serve this cake chilled or at room temperature. It’s best within 2 days of being made.
Storage: Store this cake at cool room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerated for up to 4 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 306kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 55mg | Sodium: 68mg | Potassium: 136mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 40g | Vitamin A: 3539IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional Information is an estimate based on third-party calculations and may vary based on products used and serving sizes.

Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and rating below!
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Comments

  1. Taryn

    September 06, 2022 at 10:45 am

    5 stars
    So many amazing flavors in one cake! Thanks for the recipe.

    Reply
  2. Natalie

    September 07, 2022 at 12:18 am

    5 stars
    So looking forward to fall and pumpkin recipes. This one is going on my to do list, thanks!

    Reply
  3. Maurina

    September 07, 2022 at 5:27 am

    Hi, I am curious what is the “note” about the flour? The recipe says 1 cup + 2 tbs. Are the 2 tbs in the cake or was it thought to flour the pan or ?

    Reply
    • Allison

      September 07, 2022 at 8:46 am

      Hi, Maurina. Apologies! The note about the flour wasn’t there (good catch). I just added it. And for clarification, yes, the 1 cup AND 2 tbs are in the cake batter. Thank you!

      Reply
  4. Malayni26

    October 15, 2022 at 11:38 am

    Can you use Greek yogurt or should it be regular yogurt?

    Reply
    • Allison

      October 17, 2022 at 8:01 am

      Either is fine. Enjoy!

      Reply
  5. Sheila Brennan

    October 18, 2022 at 6:59 am

    5 stars
    This cake is delicious. It’s a surprise when you bite into it and have the double taste of pumpkin and coffee. I think the cake would be delicious without frosting as well. It’s so moist!

    Reply
    • Allison

      October 26, 2022 at 9:38 am

      I’m glad you enjoyed it! 🙂

      Reply
  6. Christina

    October 20, 2022 at 3:50 pm

    Love all your recipes! I’m going to make this one for my dad’s birthday this weekend. I might end up doing a 9 x 9 square baking pan, but wondering what you think the baking time would be with a 6” round?
    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Allison

      October 26, 2022 at 9:24 am

      Hi, Christina. Thank you! If you’re using a 6-inch round I would recommend two pans. I think it’s too much batter for one 6-inch.

      Reply

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aboutHi, I'm Allison! I'm a busy wife and mom with a passion for cooking and baking. This is where you'll find my favorite homemade recipes, designed to help you make every day delicious! Read more....

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