Pumpkin Cake with Spiced Milk Soak & Cream Cheese Frosting
This pumpkin cake is soft, cozy, warmly spiced, and so tender from the pumpkin purée and oil. It’s baked as a simple single-layer cake, lightly soaked with spiced milk, then finished with fluffy cream cheese frosting and a little caramel on top.
The soak is optional, but I really recommend it. It makes the cake extra soft and gives it that almost tres-leches-style texture without making it too heavy.
Highlights
Soft, cozy, warmly spiced single-layer pumpkin cake.
Lightly soaked with spiced milk for a tender, tres-leches-style texture.
Finished with fluffy cream cheese frosting and an optional caramel drizzle.
Pumpkin Cake
Ingredients
170 g all-purpose flour
105 g granulated sugar
95 g brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¾ tsp salt
1½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp ginger
¼ tsp cardamom
185 g pure pumpkin purée
1 tbsp honey
128 ml canola oil, or any neutral oil
2 eggs, room temperature
Spiced Milk Soak
Ingredients
70 g whole milk
25 g condensed milk
¼ tsp cinnamon
Pinch of ginger
Pinch of cardamom
Pinch of salt
½ tsp vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
115 g cream cheese, softened
120 g unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp honey
370 g powdered sugar
¼ tsp kosher salt
1 tbsp vanilla extract
45 g heavy cream
Optional Caramel Drizzle
Use your favorite caramel, or make a quick one.
Ingredients
145 g granulated sugar
60 g unsalted butter, room temperature
85 g heavy cream, warm
Pinch of salt
Instructions
Add the sugar to a saucepan over medium heat and cook until melted and amber.
Add the butter carefully and whisk until combined.
Slowly pour in the warm cream while whisking.
Let bubble for 1 minute, then remove from heat and stir in salt.
Cool before drizzling over the frosted cake.
Make the Pumpkin Cake
Preheat oven to 350°F and line an 8-inch cake pan with parchment paper.
In a bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom.
Add the pumpkin purée, honey, oil, and eggs.
Whisk until a smooth batter forms.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
Bake for 35–40 minutes, or until the cake springs back gently when touched and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.
Let the cake cool completely.
Once cooled, trim the caramelized top if desired.
Make the Spiced Milk Soak
Mix the whole milk, condensed milk, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, salt, and vanilla until combined.
Use right away.
When soaking the cake, you don’t need to use the full amount. Spoon or brush it over the cake until it looks evenly soaked, then stop there.
Make the Cream Cheese Frosting
In a bowl, whip together the cream cheese, honey, and butter until smooth and fully combined.
Add the icing sugar, salt, and vanilla.
Whip until light, fluffy, and creamy.
Add the heavy cream and whip again until the frosting is soft, smooth, and spreadable.
Use right away, or store in the fridge. If chilled, let it soften slightly and re-whip before using.
Assemble
Place the cooled cake on your serving plate or cake board.
Soak the cake with the spiced milk mixture.
Frost with cream cheese frosting in your desired design.
Drizzle with caramel.
Slice and enjoy.
Notes
For the softest texture, don’t overbake the cake. It should spring back gently but still feel tender.
The milk soak is optional, but it makes the cake extra moist and cozy. Add it slowly so the cake doesn’t become too wet.
This cake is best served chilled or slightly softened at room temperature. The pumpkin flavor deepens, the frosting firms up beautifully, and the caramel makes it feel extra bakery-style.
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Pumpkin Cake with Spiced Milk Soak & Cream Cheese Frosting
This pumpkin cake is soft, cozy, warmly spiced, and so tender from the pumpkin purée and oil. It’s baked as a simple single-layer cake, lightly soaked with spiced milk, then finished with fluffy cream cheese frosting and a little caramel on top.
Ingredients
- 170 g all-purpose flour
- 105 g granulated sugar
- 95 g brown sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¾ tsp salt
- 1½ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ginger
- ¼ tsp cardamom
- 185 g pure pumpkin purée
- 128 ml canola oil, or any neutral oil
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 70 g whole milk
- 25 g condensed milk
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- Pinch of ginger
- Pinch of cardamom
- Pinch of salt
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 115 g cream cheese, softened
- 120 g unsalted butter, softened
- 370 g powdered sugar
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 45 g heavy cream
- Use your favorite caramel, or make a quick one.
- 145 g granulated sugar
- 60 g unsalted butter, room temperature
- 85 g heavy cream, warm
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Melt Sugar: Add the sugar to a saucepan over medium heat and cook until melted and amber.
- Combine Butter: Add the butter carefully and whisk until combined.
- Incorporate Cream: Slowly pour in the warm cream while whisking.
- Bubble & Season: Let bubble for 1 minute, then remove from heat and stir in salt.
- Cool Down: Cool before drizzling over the frosted cake.
- Prep Pan: Preheat oven to 350°F and line an 8-inch cake pan with parchment paper.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom.
- Add Wets: Add the pumpkin purée, oil, and eggs.
- Combine Batter: Whisk until a smooth batter forms.
- Pan Fill: Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
- Bake: Bake for 35–40 minutes, or until the cake springs back gently when touched and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.
- Cool: Let the cake cool completely.
- Trim: Once cooled, trim the caramelized top if desired.
- Mix Soak: Mix the whole milk, condensed milk, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, salt, and vanilla until combined.
- Timing: Use right away.
- Apply: When soaking the cake, you don’t need to use the full amount. Spoon or brush it over the cake until it looks evenly soaked, then stop there.
- Beat Base: In a bowl, whip together the cream cheese and butter until smooth and fully combined.
- Add Flavor: Add the powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla.
- Whip Fluffy: Whip until light, fluffy, and creamy.
- Lighten Textures: Add the heavy cream and whip again until the frosting is soft, smooth, and spreadable.
- Use or Store: Use right away, or store in the fridge. If chilled, let it soften slightly and re-whip before using.
- Base Placement: Place the cooled cake on your serving plate or cake board.
- Soak Cake: Soak the cake with the spiced milk mixture.
- Frost Surface: Frost with cream cheese frosting in your desired design.
- Drizzle Finish: Drizzle with caramel.
- Serve: Slice and enjoy.
