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.
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.
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.
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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.
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.