Pumpkin Loaf Cake

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Small sized Pumpkin Loaf Cakes start with a boxed cake mix and have a delicious spiced pumpkin flavor that’s topped off with caramel buttercream frosting.

Fall is almost here and that means it’s my favorite foodie season!   Warm spices, pumpkin, apples, maples, and more will be found in everything from cakes and cookies to drinks and main dishes.

For years I refused to eat pumpkin because I had eaten something pumpkin when I was younger and did not like it.  I finally tried it again as an adult and realized that I absolutely love pumpkin!

That means I’ve been making a ton of pumpkin dishes.  I love Pumpkin Spice Coffee Cake for breakfast in the fall. When it comes to drinks there’s nothing like a warm Pumpkin Spice Latte to warm you from the inside out. For a sweet treat I can’t get enough of these Pumpkin Cranberry Whoopie Pies.

But pumpkin isn’t just for sweets!  I’ve been making tons of tasty savory dishes like Pumpkin Mac n Cheese with Bacon and Brussels Sprouts as a fall side dish.    At the holidays I like to serve Pumpkin Rolls with Herbs with my meals. Ravioli with Pumpkin Vodka Sauce is a main dish favorite.

Recently I’ve been experimenting with making boxed cake mixes taste like they are homemade and I’ve been getting pretty good at it.  This was my first time using a pumpkin cake mix and I decided to use it for Pumpkin Loaf Cakes.

How to Doctor a Boxed Cake Mix:

• Substitute milk for the water.  You will be doing a 1:1 substitution.  Use regular milk or a plant based version.
• Add an extra egg to the batter.  Most box cake mixes use 3 eggs so add in a fourth egg.
• Use melted butter in place of the oil.
• Add a box of pudding mix.  Trust me on this, it will enhance the flavor.  Choose a flavors that pairs well with your cake mix flavor.
• Use vanilla yogurt or sour cream in place of the water in the recipe.
• Add vanilla or almond extract to give the cake additional flavor.

For this recipe I used a pumpkin cake mix along with a vanilla pudding mix.   I also added in pumpkin pie spice to the mix to give it a nice spiced flavor along with the pumpkin.

How do you make pumpkin Pie spice?

If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice at home you can easily make your own. Combine 3 Tablespoons cinnamon, 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg, 2 teaspoons ground ginger, 1 teaspoon allspice, and 1 teaspoon of ground cloves.  Mix them together and keep in an air tight container in the cupboard.   If you don’t have the allspice or the ground cloves this recipe will still work as long as you have the other ingredients.

Ingredients:

• pumpkin cake mix
• vanilla pudding mix
• eggs
• vegetable oil
• whole milk (plant based milk will work)
• vanilla extract
• pumpkin pie spice

To make the pumpkin loaf cake preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spray two 8 x 4 loaf pans, five mini loaf pans, or three medium sized loaf pans with cooking spray.  Set aside.

Whisk together the eggs, vegetable oil, whole milk, and vanilla extract in a large bowl.

Add in the pumpkin cake mix, vanilla pudding mix, and pumpkin pie spice and whisk for 2-3 minutes or until smooth.

Divide the batter between your prepared pans.   Bake the 8 x 4 loaf pans for 35-45 minutes, the mini loaf pans for 20-25 minutes, or the medium sized loaf pans for 30-35 minutes.   Remove from oven and cool completely.

Make a buttercream frosting and pipe over top of the cakes.   Top with sprinkles.

These cakes are so fun!   I love that you can pipe the frosting on in different ways and use your favorite sprinkles.  I had three different fall and Halloween sprinkles so I used one on each cake. 

You can also serve these cakes from the pans if you use disposable.  That makes it easy to take to parties or to give as a hostess gift.  Cover it with a plastic lid, clip a fork to it, and you have a sweet edible gift.

How do you store these cakes?

I like to just put plastic wrap over top of the cake and leave it on the counter for up to 4 days.  You can also buy the disposable pans with the plastic lids and just top it with the lid.   Foil would work over top of the cakes as well.

These cakes were moist and tasty.  The pumpkin flavor was subtle so the pumpkin pie spice was helpful in allowing the flavor to come through. 

The vanilla buttercream frosting was sweet and paired well with the spiced cake.  You could also make a chocolate or caramel buttercream frosting to go with these cakes.

Pumpkin Loaf Cakes

Sweet and spiced pumpkin loaf cakes with buttercream frosting.

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Servings: 2 loaves

Author: Hezzi-D

Equipment

• 1 Large cookie scoop
• 1 Mixing Bowl
• 2 loaf pan
• 1 hand mixer

Ingredients

For the Cakes:

• 1 box 15.25 oz pumpkin cake mix
• 1 box 3.4 oz vanilla pudding mix
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 c. vegetable oil
• 1 c. milk
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

For the frosting:

• 1/2 c. butter softened
• 2 c. powdered sugar
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2-3 Tablespoons milk
• sprinkles optional

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray loaf pans with baking spray and set aside.
• In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, vegetable oil, milk, vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice.
• Add in the cake mix and pudding mix and mix for 2-3 minutes or until smooth.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pans. Bake for 40-45 minutes for 8 x 4 loaf pans, 30-35 minutes for medium sized loaf pans, or 20-25 minutes for mini loaf pans.
• Remove from oven and cool completely in the loaf pans.
• To make the frosting place the butter in a large bowl and use a hand mixer to beat at medium high speed until smooth.
• Add in the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla and beat until desired consistency is reached.
• Place frosting in a piping bag with a tip and pipe on top of the cakes. Add sprinkles if desired.

Notes

A Hezzi-D Original Recipe