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Pumpkin Layer Cake (Episode 1: The Great Pumpkin Cake Series)

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Cool Time 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 2 6-inch layers (or one 8-inch layer)
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American, Fall Baking

Ingredients
  

Pumpkin Cake Layers
  • 150 g cake flour 1 ¼ cups
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp fine sea salt
  • 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp nutmeg
  • ¼ tsp ground ginger
  • 113 g unsalted butter softened (½ cup)
  • 60 ml neutral oil ¼ cup
  • 150 g light brown sugar packed (¾ cup)
  • 75 g granulated sugar ⅓ cup
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 120 g pumpkin purée ½ cup
  • 120 ml buttermilk room temperature (½ cup)

Equipment

  • 2 6-inch cake pans (or one 8-inch) line with parchment for clean release; lightly grease sides with butter.
  • Mixing bowls one large for wet ingredients, one medium for dry.
  • Stand mixer or hand mixer
  • Whisk
  • Digital scale helps to ensure accuracy for a soft, even cake crumb
  • Cooling rack

Method
 

Make the Pumpkin Cake Layers
  1. Preheat oven to 340°F (170°C). Line two 6-inch pans (or one 8-inch pan) with parchment and lightly grease.
  2. In a bowl, whisk together 150 g cake flour (1 ¼ cups), 1 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda, ½ tsp fine sea salt, 1 ½ tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp nutmeg, and ¼ tsp ginger.
  3. In a stand mixer, cream 113 g softened butter (½ cup), 60 ml neutral oil (¼ cup), 150 g packed brown sugar (¾ cup), and 75 g granulated sugar (⅓ cup) for 2 minutes until pale and fluffy.
  4. Add 2 large eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each. Mix in 1 tsp vanilla extract.
  5. Mix in 120 g pumpkin purée (½ cup) until smooth.
  6. Add dry ingredients in two additions, alternating with 120 ml buttermilk (½ cup), mixing on low until just combined.
  7. Divide batter evenly between pans (approx. 420 g per 6-inch pan).
  8. Bake 40–45 minutes (6-inch) or 48–52 minutes (8-inch), until a toothpick comes out clean.
  9. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then turn onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Tips & Tricks:
    Why bake at 340? Not 350?
    1. Pumpkin cakes have high moisture from pumpkin purée, brown sugar, buttermilk, and oil. At 350°F, this often causes:
    2. doming
    3. sinking centers
    4. gummy lines through the middle
    5. darker edges before the center sets
    6. Baking at 340°F fixes all of it. Here’s why:
    7. More even heat penetration
    8. The center cooks through before the edges over-brown.
    9. Ultra-soft crumb
    10. A lower temperature keeps the rise gentle, giving you a cloud-soft texture instead of dense or tight.
    11. No cracking or doming
    12. This batter has high moisture + high sugar — a lower temp prevents aggressive doming.
    13. Even color
    14. You’ll get warm, even golden layers instead of dark edges.

    Notes

    Storage 

    • Store cooled cake layers wrapped tightly at room temp for 1 day, or refrigerated for up to 3 days. Make sure to let cake come fully to room temp before eating or the cake layers will feel more gummy due to the high moisture content in the cake.
    • Freeze unfrosted cake layers up to 2 months (double wrap). Thaw fully before frosting.