This pumpkin spice cake is soft and moist. It only needs 4 ingredients and doesn’t require any eggs, dairy or butter. The cake is an easy one-bowl recipe. The cake only needs a few minutes to prepare and can be made ahead of time.

This pumpkin cake is soft, moist and full of pumpkin flavor and warm Fall spices. It takes only about five minutes to prepare the batter and then the cake is ready to go in the oven.

Ingredients

  • Self-rising flour
  • Pumpkin pie mix
  • Avocado oil
  • Maple syrup

Self-rising flour: Self-rising flour is a flour blend that already includes a leavening agent and salt. I prefer to use self-rising flour because it saves a few extra preparation steps, but you can also make a homemade self-rising flour blend with all purpose flour, baking powder and salt.

Pumpkin pie mix: Canned pumpkin pie mix is pumpkin puree mixed with sugar and spices. It gives the cake its pumpkin flavor and spice flavors. While the recipe can be made with canned pumpkin puree, you would need to adjust the other ingredient amounts.

Avocado oil: Avocado oil is used to give the cake a moist and tender crumb. You can substitute with another oil but you want to use a neutral flavored oil so you don’t taste the oil in the cake.

Maple syrup: Maple syrup is used to help sweeten the cake and add moisture.

How to Make Pumpkin Cake

  • Whisk together pumpkin pie mix, avocado oil and maple syrup until smooth. Add in the self-rising flour and fold with a spatula until there are no dry streaks in the batter. Be careful not to overmix.
  • Transfer the batter to your prepared cake pan. Use a spatula to smooth and even the surface.
  • Bake the cake for about 35 minutes or until the cake is cooked through. Let the cake cool.
  • If desired, you can add frosting to the cake before serving. This cake is frosted with cream cheese frosting.


Expert Tips

  • This cake uses canned pumpkin pie mix which is pumpkin puree with sugar and spices already added to it. Pumpkin puree will not work as a direct substitution without making other adjustments to the recipe. I do have a pumpkin cake recipe made with pumpkin puree.
  • You want to be careful not to overmix the batter, which will cause the cake to be gummy. Use a spatula to fold the flour into the batter rather than using a whisk. You do not need to mix until the batter is fully smooth–you only need to mix until there are no streaks of flour.

More Pumpkin Recipes

No ratings yet

4 Ingredient Pumpkin Spice Cake

This easy 4-ingredient pumpkin spice cake is soft, moist, and packed with fall flavors. Made in one bowl with no eggs or dairy, it comes together in minutes for a simple fall dessert. Enjoy it plain, dusted with powdered sugar, or topped with whipped cream or your favorite cream cheese frosting.
Servings: 10 slices
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Leave a Review

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup (202g) canned pumpkin pie filling
  • 5 tbsp (75ml) maple syrup
  • 5 tbsp (75ml) avocado oil
  • 1 1/2 cups (190g) self-rising flour

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 7-inch round cake pan with non-stick cooking spray. Line the bottom with a parchment paper round.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin pie filling, maple syrup, and avocado oil until smooth and well combined.
  • Add the self-rising flour and fold with a spatula just until no dry streaks remain. Be careful not to overmix because that will make the batter gummy.
  • Transfer the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth the top.
  • Bake for 38-40 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
  • Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.
  • Once cooled, slice and serve. Serve the cake plain, or dusted with powdered sugar, or frosted with whipped cream or cream cheese frosting. Store uneaten cake in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.

Notes

  • I used this 7 inch cake pan.*
  • Self-rising flour note. There are 2 main kinds of self-rising flour sold in the US. One that is a lower protein (2 grams per 1/4 cup serving) flour and one that has a regular amount of protein (3 grams per 1/4 cup (30g) serving). The amount of protein affects how much liquid is absorbed. For this recipe, I tested it with Gold Medal self-rising flour* (regular amount of protein). Please use a self-rising flour with a regular amount of protein (3 grams per 1/4 cup), or make your own self-rising flour with the recipe below.
  • *These product links are affiliate links. This means I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
  • Homemade self-rising flour: Whisk together 2 cups all purpose flour, 1 tbsp baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Make sure your all purpose flour has a regular amount of protein (3 grams per 1/4 cup). Most brands in the US contain this amount but there are some brands with higher protein (4 grams per 1/4 cup) such as King Arthur Flour and Bob's Red Mill, which will not work well for this recipe. Measure out 1.5 cups for the recipe. 
  • I used Libby's pumpkin pie mix.
  • Optional Cream Cheese Frosting (contains dairy) 
    • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
    • 8 oz cream cheese (brick type), softened to room temperature
    • 1 tsp vanilla extract
    • 3-4 cups powdered sugar
  • To make the frosting: Add butter and cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until creamy and light. Add vanilla extract and mix in on low speed. Gradually add 3 cups of powdered sugar on low speed until completely combined. Add enough powdered sugar for a thick frosting that is still spreadable over the cake. Start with 3 cups and add more if needed. This recipe makes a generous amount of frosting. You likely won't need it all but I wanted to include enough for those who prefer a very thick layer of frosting. You can also dust the cake with cinnamon after frosting.
  • Estimated nutrition is for the cake only and does not include optional frosting.
Serving: 1slice, Calories: 178kcal, Carbohydrates: 26g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 210mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 11g, NET CARBS: 25
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. This is not a comprehensive list of all the nutrients in the recipe (i.e., does not include vitamins, cholesterol, etc). I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
Did you make this recipe?Please leave a star rating and review below!