All things pumpkin are on the menu right now. This snack cake is packed full of pumpkin flavor and the maple cream cheese frosting gives off those warm fall vibes. I am a big fan of snacking cake. They are single layer cakes made in a 8 X 8 square or 8″ round cake pan. You can eat this cake without frosting and it is yummy!! But being the sweet lover I am, I frosted the top of the cake with Maple Cream Cheese Icing. I like to icing the top of my snack cakes and leave the sides bare. This way you can pick up a piece of cake (like you would a brownie) and eat it without utensils. Just the perfect little decadent snack.
Jump to Recipe >>Pumpkin Snack Cake recipe here<<Why you will love this recipe…
- Quick and easy cake, easily made on a weeknight.
- You eat snack cake with your hands, so no messy dishes!
- The icing to cake ratio is very generous.
Ingredients you will need for the cake…
- Canned Pumpkin
- White Sugar
- Vegetable or Canola Oil
- Vanilla Extract
- Egg
- Sour Cream
- Flour
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Pumpkin Pie Spice
Ingredients you will need for the icing…
- Butter
- Cream Cheese
- Brown Sugar
- Pumpkin Pie Spice
- Maple Syrup
- Vanilla Extract
- Icing Sugar
Baking Tips
- The recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice but feel free to add more for a spicier cake.
- I have paired it with a Maple Cream Cheese Icing but my Not Too Sweet Chocolate Icing would be good too!
Like pumpkin? Give these recipes a try!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I bake it in a different sized pan?
I do switch between a 8 X 8 (for a thicker cake) or 9 X 9 (for a thinner cake) square pans. I would start checking the cake about 5 minutes early if baking it in a 9 X 9 cake. I have also split the batter between two 6 inch round pans for a tiny double layer cake.
How do you icing a snack cake?
I put a very liberal amount of icing on the top surface of my snack cake and leave the sides bare. There is enough icing in the recipe to do a thinner layer on both the top and sides of the cake. It is a really good cake without icing as well!
How do you know when it is done baking?
The cake will bounce back in the middle when touched and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake will come out dry. Snack cakes have a bit of a chewy edge around the outsides of the cake so the edges will appear to be more well done than the middle of the cake.
Recipe
Pumpkin Snack Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
For the Pumpkin Snack Cake
- 1 cup sugar
- ⅓ cup oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 egg
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 ½ cup flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
For the Frosting
- ¼ cup butter, softened
- ¼ cup cream cheese
- 3 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cup icing sugar
Instructions
For the Pumpkin Snack Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Spray a 9 X 9 square pan with non-stick spray.
- Combine white sugar, oil, vanilla, egg, pumpkin and sour cream.
- Add flour, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice. Stir until well combined.
- Pour into the prepared baking pan.
- Bake for 40 – 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out dry.
- Let cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes.
- Take a knife and trace along the outer edges of the cake pan.
- Turn pan upside down and hit the bottom of the pan to dislodge the cake.
- Let cool completely before frosting.
Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cream the butter, cream cheese and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add in pumpkin pie spice, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Beat until well combined.
- Beat in icing sugar ½ cup at a time. Continue beating until fluffy.
