Sourdough Pumpkin Spice Cake (with cream cheese frosting!)
Fall is one of my favorite seasons, and you can't have fall without pumpkin! I set out to make the perfect fall cake, and after trying several- this was the final product. This Sourdough Pumpkin Spice Cake (with cream cheese frosting!) is soft, cozy, and perfectly spiced with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cardamom. Pumpkin puree keeps this cake moist and tender, and the silky cream cheese frosting makes this cake the ultimate fall showstopper.
Equipment
- Mixing bowls - for mixing cake batter and icing.
- Stand Mixer or hand beaters - for icing.
- Spatula and whisk - for folding ingredients.
- Kitchen scale (optional) - for accurate measuring especially helpful with sourdough baking.
- Measuring cups and spoons - to measure smaller ingredients.
- Cake pans - two 9-inch round pans or one 9x13-inch pan.
- Parchment paper (optional) - for lining pans.
- Cooling rack - for cooling cakes.
- Toothpick or cake tester - to test when cake is done.
- Frosting spatula - for spreading frosting.
- Cake stand or platter - for serving.
- Pastry bags and decorating tips (optional) - to pipe decorations on cake.
- Food colors (optional) - for coloring icing if desired.
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons (138g) avocado oil
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter
- ½ cup (120g) sourdough starter (100% hydration)
- 2 large eggs + 2 yolks
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup (200g) granulated white sugar
- ¾ cup (150g) packed brown sugar
- ½ cup (100g) buttermilk or whole milk
- 1/3 cup (100g) sour cream
- 1½ cups (360g) pumpkin purée
Dry Ingredients:
- 2½ cups (320g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 2½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1½ tsp ground ginger
- ¾ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 8 8 oz (225g) cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup (112g) unsalted butter, softened
- 3¾ cups (450g) powdered sugar or confectioner's
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1-2 Tablespoons heavy cream if needed
Instructions
Step 1: Mix Cake Base
- In a bowl, combine with a whisk the avocado oil, sourdough starter, vanilla, white sugar, brown sugar, buttermilk, sour cream, and pumpkin until smooth.1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons (138g) avocado oil, ½ cup (120g) sourdough starter, 2 tsp vanilla extract, 1 cup (200g) granulated white sugar, ¾ cup (150g) packed brown sugar, ½ cup (100g) buttermilk or whole milk, 1/3 cup (100g) sour cream, 1½ cups (360g) pumpkin purée
- Stir in the flour until just combined.2½ cups (320g) all-purpose flour
- Overnight Fermentation Option: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. This step is key in your fermentation process. If you want to shorten your fermentation time, you can allow the batter to rest for 4 hours at room temperature for a same day bake. I don't advise leaving this batter at room temperature overnight, its too hydrated and will overproof.
Step 2: Finish Mixing Cake Batter
- Continued Directions for Overnight Fermentation: The next day, remove bowl of batter from refrigerator and allow to rest on the counter for roughly 2-4 hours depending on the temperature of your home. This is a key step to achieving a tender crumb, don't skip this step! If you like temperature cues, the temperature of the batter should read roughly 70 F before proceeding.
- If you allowed batter to rest on the counter and did not refrigerate or you're doing a quick bake, skip this step of resting.
- In a microwave safe bowl, melt your butter. Allow to cool slightly. Add your room temperature eggs and yolks to this mixture and whisk to from an egg/butter emulsion. This should looks smooth and pale when you're done whisking.½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, 2 large eggs + 2 yolks
- In a small bowl, combine the spices and remaining dry ingredients.2 tsp baking powder, 1½ tsp baking soda, ½ tsp salt, 2½ tsp ground cinnamon, 1½ tsp ground ginger, ¾ tsp ground nutmeg, ½ tsp ground cardamom
- Pour the egg/butter emulsion into the bowl of cake batter, and then sprinkle the remaining dry ingredients into the bowl.
- Whisk until just combined, and no streaks remain. It's important not to overmix the batter at this stage, or you'll overwork the gluten and the crumb will be tough.
Step 3: Bake Cakes
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly spray a 9×13 pan or two 9-inch cake pan rounds with cooking spray, then add some flour to the pan and tap to evenly coat the surface. Line the bottom with parchment paper to avoid the bottom sticking.
- If using 2 9-inch cake pans, divide batter evenly between the two pans. This should roughly be 3 1/2 cups of batter per pan. If using a sheet pan, pour all of the batter into the pan.
- Tap the pans with batter lightly on the counter to release any large air bubbles.
- Set your timer for 30 minutes. Check cake at 30 minutes, inserting a toothpick to check doneness. This cake takes me anywhere between 30-35 minutes to be done. When the cake is done, a toothpick should come out with a few moist crumbs but not with wet batter. When you touch the top of the center of the cake, it should be firm and not overly glossy. Internal temperature should be between 200-210 F in the center.
- When cakes are done cool slightly in pans, then turn out onto racks. Allow to cool completely. If desired, trim any uneven tops and wrap in plastic. Freeze cake while you prepare your frosting.
Step 4: Make Cream Cheese Frosting
- Make sure your cream cheese and butter are soft, but not melted. They should be firm but leave a dent when you press with your finger.
- Cream together butter and cream cheese using hand mixers or a stand mixer on medium. Allow to beat for 2-3 minutes until no clumps remain and mixture is pale and fluffy.8 8 oz (225g) cream cheese, softened, ½ cup (112g) unsalted butter, softened
- Sift powdered sugar to avoid large clumps. On low, add to the cream cheese and butter slowly. Once all of the powdered sugar is added and incorporated, beat icing on medium/high for 1-2 minutes.3¾ cups (450g) powdered sugar
- Add vanilla and salt to icing. Beat one more minute on medium/high speed. Scrape down the edges and return to mixer for one last time and beat for 30 seconds to 1 minute to make sure all of the ingredients are well incorporated.1 tsp vanilla extract, ¼ tsp salt
- If frosting is too thick, you can add 1-2 Tablespoons of heavy cream while whipping on medium/high speed. Add slowly until desired texture is achieved.1-2 Tablespoons heavy cream
- Icing should be creamy but have stiff peaks. Refrigerate for a few minutes if frosting is too soft to help it set up. It won't need long, so keep an eye on it.
Step 5: Frost Pumpkin Cake
- For a two-tier cake: If frosting a two-tier cake, remove cakes from the freezer, and place 1 cake upside down on cake stand. I like to put a dollop of icing on the cake stand first to help the cake stick to the stand. Use half of the cream cheese frosting to frost the 1st layer of cake.
- When first layer of cake is smoothly covered in icing, place second layer upside down on top of the first. Use remaining frosting to cover the top and sides of the second layer, leaving some left over icing if you want to pipe any decorative details. .
- to cover the top and sides of the second layer, leaving some left over icing if you want to pipe any decorative details. I piped small pumpkins of different sizes all over my cake using Wilton decorating tips #21 for the body of the pumpkin in orange icing, #16 to make the stems in brown icing, and #2 to pipe small green vines.
- For a single sheet cake: turn cake upside down onto serving platter. Spread frosting over the top and sides of the entire cake, smoothing with a spatula. Decorate cake if desired with left over frosting.
- Slice cake and serve!