Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting and Nutella says it all with a bakery worthy finish that is so easy to make at home. A simple piping bag and toothpick are all you need to make the striking Nutella Chevron across the cream frosting. The cake is wonderfully moist filled with all the warm fall spices. Not only is it beautiful but it looks like it took hours to decorate but comes together with surprisingly little effort.
There's a story behind this cake. It actually started out as pumpkin bars! After I baked them I wasn't happy with how they looked so I divided the single sheet pan layer in half and stacked them. But then they were too tall to eat comfortably as a bar. So I reworked this idea into this layered pumpkin cake. Sometimes a recipe takes an unexpected turn, even in a professional baker's kitchen, and this one turned out better than my original plan.
Love pumpkin recipes? Here's a few more that you're sure to love: Pumpkin Streusel Coffee Cake, Simple Pumpkin Pecan Scones, (Almost) No-Bake Pumpkin Tart, Pumpkin Cake Donut Recipe, Pumpkin Dinner Rolls Two Ways, and Really Easy Pumpkin Muffins.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- A bakery-worthy finish: The Nutella chevron design looks impressive but requires only a piping bag, a tip and a toothpick.
- Moist, warmly spiced cake: Pumpkin, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg make every bite taste like fall.
- Cream cheese frosting that holds its shape: the frosting is sturdy enough to support the second cake layer and maintain a smooth, attractive finish.
- Make-ahead friendly: The completed cake freezes well, so you can prepare it ahead of time.
- Easy decorating: You don't need special decorating skills or complicated equipment to create the chevron pattern.
Recipe Ingredients
Pumpkin Cake
FRONT ROW: Salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, baking soda and nutmeg
SECOND ROW: Unsalted butter, sour cream, and eggs
BACK ROW: All-Purpose flour, pumpkin puree, brown sugar
Cream Cheese Frosting
FRONT ROW: Unsalted butter and cream cheese
BACK ROW: Powdered Sugar
Nutella Chevron Design
Nutella
Important Ingredients
Pumpkin Cake
- Pumpkin puree: Use pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. The latter already contains sugar and spices.
- All-purpose flour: Provides the structure for the cake.
- Dark brown sugar: Adds moisture and a deeper molasses flavor. Light brown sugar can also be used.
- Unsalted butter: Adds richness and flavor,
- Sour Cream: Helps create a moist, tender cake.
- Large eggs: Provides structure and helps bind the ingredients,
- Warm spices: Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves give the cake it characteristic fall flavor.
- Baking soda and salt: Helps the cake rise and balance the flavors.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cream cheese: Provides the familiar tangy flavor.
- Unsalted butter: Adds richness and helps create a frosting that holds its shape.
- Powdered sugar: Adds sweetness and thickens the frosting, Sift it before adding to other ingredients to avoid lumps.
Nutella Chevron Design
- Nutella: This is the finishing touch that makes this cake different. It is piped in straight lines over the frosting and dragged with a toothpick in alternating directions to cream the chevron pattern.
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full ingredients and instructions.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1. Combine the dry ingredients. Whisk the all-purpose flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, baking soda and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside . Step 2. Place the brown sugar and unsalted butter in the bowl of a mixer. Step 3. Cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Step 4. Add the sour cream and eggs.
Step 5. Mix on medium-low speed, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl several times to make sure everything is well combined. It will curdle. Don't worry. Just continue. Step 6. Add the pumpkin. Step 7. Mix it in and again, it will curdle. It will be fixed in the next step, Step 8. Add the flour mixture. Mix on low speed so the flour doesn't go everywhere and then increase the speed to medium-low just until mixed, scraping as necessary.
Step 9. The completed batter which is very thick. Step 10. Place it in the prepared pan. Step 11. Smooth it out so it is even. This is most easily done with an offset spatula. Step 12. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes at 350° until a tester comes out clean.
Assembly and Decorating
Step 13. Place the softened butter, cream cheese, and powdered sugar in the bowl of a mixer. Mix on low until it is combined. Step 14. Raise the speed to medium and beat until light. Do not be tempted to raise the speed to high or the frosting will have a lot of air bubbles in it. If you beat it on a lower speed, it will take longer but be very smooth with no unsightly air bubbles. Step 15. Divide the cooled cake in half legnthwise. You should have two 7" x 10" layers since the cake shrinks slightly in the pan when baked. Place one layer on a cake board and fill it with half the frosting. Place the second layer on top and finish it with the remaining frosting. Using an offset spatula, smooth it out so it is flat.
How to Make the Chevron Design
The Nutella chevron looks complicated, but it is one of the easiest cake decorating techniques to master. You don't need special decorating skills and you don't need a lot of pastry tips - just one. I use the #7 Ateco plain tip about 3/8" wide.
Step 15 and 16.
Start by placing the piping tip in a piping bag and place about 1/2 cup Nutella in the bag. Pipe lines straight across about 1 1/2" apart.
Now comes the fun part! Using a toothpick or cake tester, drag it from top to bottom of the cake first in a downward motion, then move over about 1 1/2" and then go straight up.
The alternating stokes pull the Nutella into a beautiful chevron pattern. That's it! A simple technique that makes an ordinary-looking cake look like it came from a bakery.
Make Ahead and Freezing
The prettiest cuts will be made if you refrigerate the cake for several hours or overnight. Trim the edges, and cut three top to bottom on the short side and four across on the long side.
The cake can also be completed and frozen until hard, then wrapped well in foil for several months. Thawed in the fridge overnight. Bring to room temperature to serve.
Recipe FAQ'S
Yes. Because the cake is topped with cream cheese frosting, it should be refrigerated. Store it covered in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Allow it to sit at room temperature briefly before serving for the best texture and flavor.
Spread the cream cheese frosting evenly over the cooled pumpkin cake. Place Nutella in a piping bag with a small plain tip. Pipe the Nutella in straight lines across the cake then drag a toothpick or skewer through the lines in alternating directions to create the chevron pattern.
Yes that is exactly what you need. Do not use pumpkin pie filling - that is a different product and will not work.
Expert Tips
- Don't worry if the batter looks curdled. This can happen when the sour cream, eggs and pumpkin are added to the creamed butter and sugar. This happens when the fat and water emulsion breaks. It is easily corrected when the flour is added.
- Soften the butter and cream cheese. A temperature between 72°F and 75°F is ideal. If it is colder than that, the mixture becomes sandy when mixed but does not form the creamy and airy texture required in creaming.
- Sift the powdered sugar. Sifting directly into the mixing bowl prevents lumps in the frosting.
- Beat the frosting at medium speed. When beating to increase the volume of the frosting, do not beat on high speed which can incorporate too much air resulting in unwanted bubbles in the finished frosting.
- Use fresh spices. Spices can lose their potency if kept too long. If they are a year old and stored in a pantry, they probably need to be replaced. Buy the smallest bottles possible. Penzy's has little bottles if you don't use them a lot. The other alternative is to freeze them if you have the room in your freezer. I freeze the expensive ones like cardamom, and seeds since they can become rancid.
- Don't have a jelly roll pan? A 9x13 inch pan can be substituted The cake will be a bit thicker and smaller but other wise fine. Be sure to bake it a bit longer and test with a cake tester to make sure it is done.
Looking for More Easy Cakes? Try These!
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Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting and Nutella
Equipment
- 10x15" jelly roll pan or 9x13" pan
- Piping bag
- Ateco #7 plain piping tip (about 3/8" wide)
- toothpick or cake tester
Ingredients
Pumpkin Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (280 grams)
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar (300 grams)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (114 grams, 1 stick or 8 tablespoons)
- 1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
- 1 cup sour cream (225 grams)
- 2 large eggs
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (114 grams, 1 stick or 8 tablespoons)
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened (225 grams)
- 1 pound powdered sugar (454 grams)
- Milk or cream as needed if too stiff to spread
- 1/2 cup Nutella
Instructions
Pumpkin Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a 10x15 jelly roll pan with parchment paper and spray the paper and sides of the pan with a non-stick baking release. Set aside.
- In a medium size bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, salt and baking soda. Set aside.
- Place the brown sugar and butter in a mixing bowl. Mix them on medium to bring them together then raise to medium high and beat until very light in color and texture, scraping as necessary.
- Add the pumpkin and mix on low It will curdle,
- Add the sour cream and eggs, beating on low to medium low It too will curdle
- Add the flour mixture and mix on low initially, then move to medium and beat until completely combined, scraping often. Do not over beat.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan, Spread it evenly in the pan.
- Bake for 20 to 22 minutes until a tester comes out clean and it springs back slightly when lightly touched,
- Cool it completely on a rack. Go around the edges with a small metal spatula and turn it out onto a cake board. Remove the parchment and turn it right side up.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Place the softened cream cheese and butter in the bowl of a mixer. Sift the powdered sugar into the bowl. Mix on low until it comes together, the raise the speed to medium and beat it until it is white and fluffy. Do not mix on high or you can incorporate a lot of air bubbles which are hard to get out when you spread the frosting.
Assembly
- Place the cake in front of you so the long side in is front of you. It should measure about 10 by about 14". Divide the layer in half so you have two 7x10" pieces.
- Place one piece on a cake board and spread half the frosting over it. Pace the second piece on top and spread the remainder of the frosting evenly and smoothly over the top.
- Place about 1/2 cup Nutella in a piping bag fitted with a #7 plain tip (about 3/8"). Place the cake with the 7" side in front of you. Pipe straight lines from one side to the other about 1 1/2" apart.
- Immediately drag the toothpick from top to bottom starting on the left side of the cake. Continue across the cake every 1 1/2" or however close you want the chevrons. (If this is a bit confusing see the photos.)
- Refrigerate the cake for a few hour or over night. When chilled, trim the edges of the cake so it is neat. Cut three across and four down for 12 pieces.
- The cake should be kept refrigerated if not serving. It can also be frozen completed. Freeze until hard, wrap well in foil where it will last for a couple of months. To thaw, unwrap the top only, and thaw in the refrigerator.
Notes
Nutrition
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