Easy Pumpkin Cake (1-bowl)
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This easy pumpkin cake is a breeze to make in 1 bowl. It’s so simple yet moist, delicious, and full of spicy goodness. It’s the perfect treat for your autumn days!
Published in Sept 2020 /Updated in Oct 2025
Just a few weeks from today, everyone will be all about Halloween and ready for the holiday season! Since we are all looking forward to celebrating this season, I’m re-sharing a fabulous, easy pumpkin cake, perfect for baking over the next few weeks.
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The super simple recipe uses pumpkin puree and comes together in no time: mix all the ingredients in 1 bowl, and the batter is ready.
And if you have been following me for a while now, you’ll know that most of my cakes are pretty simple and not loaded with sugar, butter, or decorations.
This easy pumpkin cake recipe is no exception.
It’s moist, not overly sweet, perfectly spicy and cozy, with a crumb that melts in your mouth. It’s truly the perfect fall treat —delicious with a cup of tea and totally a hit in my household! The kids love it!
The addition of dark chocolate chips balances the sweetness, but it’s also great with add-ins like raisins, nuts, and your favorite cream cheese frosting, too. It’s so easy to customize if you wish —just perfect for cozy fall baking.
Now, you have enough reasons to make this pumpkin cake just in time for the weekend!
List of the ingredients
- Pumpkin purée
- Eggs
- Brown sugar
- Vegetable oil
- Spices
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder + baking soda
- Salt
- Vanilla extract
How to make this easy pumpkin cake
(Note: this is just a quick description; the full recipe is at the bottom of the page).
- Whisk eggs and sugar in one large bowl.
- Stir in vegetable oil, milk, pumpkin purée, and vanilla extract.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
- Finally, stir in the chocolate chips (or your favorite nuts or raisins).
- Spread the mixture into the prepared cake pan.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes. Let the cake cool, then cut into slices and enjoy with your cup of coffee!
Recipe notes
Easy pumpkin cake ingredients
Pumpkin purée: You need approximately 1 1/4 cups (about 300 grams) of canned pumpkin puree. Avoid using pumpkin pie filling, as it typically contains additional ingredients and added sugar. However, if time allows, you can make excellent pumpkin purée from scratch following these simple tips from King Arthur Baking.
Egg: Eggs provide structure. Make sure they are at room temperature.
Vegetable oil: It’s easy to stir into the batter and essential for providing a tender, moist crumb.
Milk: This liquid helps to thin out the batter and combine the ingredients. You can use buttermilk or any non-dairy milk of your choice.
Spices: I love mixing pumpkin pie spices and cinnamon, but you can use only cinnamon and ginger, or just pumpkin spices, either homemade or store-bought. Don’t forget the salt—it enhances all the flavors!
Extracts: I use a vanilla extract to complement the spicy pumpkin flavor, but the zest of a fresh orange works just as well if you don’t have the vanilla extract.
Brown sugar: Brown sugar provides the perfect sweetness and moisture to keep the crumb softer. If you don’t have brown sugar on hand, you can use white sugar, such as granulated or caster sugar, if you’re in the UK.
Dark chocolate chips: To add delicious chocolate notes that contrast the sweetness of the pumpkin.
Pumpkin cake variations
This recipe is super versatile! For a simple yet delicious pumpkin spice cake, use dark chocolate chips, raisins, or nuts like walnuts, pecans, or hazelnuts to add texture and extra flavor.
If you’re feeling indulgent, cover your pumpkin cake with luscious dark chocolate, as I do for this blender chocolate beetroot cake. It tastes Delicious!
How long does this pumpkin cake keep?
Pumpkin cake keeps well stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days (4 days in the refrigerator). It’s also freezeable for up to 2 months.
Looking for more pumpkin recipes?
Here I pulled together a few delicious, easy recipes to make the most of your pumpkins:
- Spicy pumpkin carrot soup
- Pumpkin frittata with feta
- 1-Pot pumpkin pasta
- 25 delicious vegan pumpkin recipes
- Mini pumpkin muffins
- Pumpkin ice-cream
If you make this easy pumpkin cake recipe or if you have any questions, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, or tag a photo #theclevermeal on Instagram. I would love to hear from you!
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Easy Pumpkin Cake
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- ½ cup (100 grams) dark brown or brown sugar
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) vegetable oil (I use expeller-pressed canola oil)
- ¼ cup (60 ml) milk
- 1 ¼ (300 grams) pumpkin puree (unsweetened) (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ (190 grams) all-purpose flour (spoon and leveled US cups)
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice*
- 2 tsp teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 tsp fine salt
- ½ cup (100 grams) dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 360°F (180°C), set the oven rack in the middle position, and line a 9 or 10-inch cake pan with parchment paper or grease with cooking spray for easy release.
- In a large bowl, mix sugar and eggs until the sugar is dissolved. Then add vegetable oil, milk, vanilla extract, and pumpkin puree. Stir until smooth .
- Next, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt to the wet ingredients and mix until well combined and no lumps remain (but do not overmix).
- Stir in the chocolate chips until they are evenly mixed into the batter. I like keeping a small handful apart and adding them on top of the cake just before baking. Totally optional.
- Pour and spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for about 30-35 minutes. Baking times vary; keep in mind the cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove the cake from the oven and set the pan on a wire rack. Allow the cake to cool for about 15 minutes in the pan before unmolding. I would recommend waiting another 10 minutes to cut into slices (if you can resist!).
Hi Katia
Your post mentions swapping out the “cream cheese” for dark chocolate chips, raisins, etc. I don’t see cream cheese listed as an ingredient. Can you clarify? Thank you!!
Hi Melanie,
Sorry, the sentence might create confusion! There’s no cream cheese in this recipe (although I used it for the previous version); it was an invitation to use wholesome ingredients like nuts or raisins instead of the typical cream cheese frosting. I should articulate it better! x
For this and your beetroot chocolate cake can we substitute applesauce for the oil?
Hi Tanya, I’ve never tested these recipes with applesauce, sadly I can’t help. Cheers x
How do you replace a tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice with a teaspoon total of the individual spices. Is it over-spiced to start with, or bland with the individual spices?
Hi Carol, thanks so much for your comment, it’s actually 1 teaspoon of pumpkin spice, I’ve made the adjustment to avoid confusion. Hope this helps x