Today I’m going to share an amazingly moist and flavorful doctored cake mix Pumpkin Spice Cake recipe!
Every year, as summer draws to a close and the temperatures begin too cool off, I start to crave all things pumpkin and spiced!
There’s such a coziness around these fall flavors. In fact, I think that we should call them snuggly flavors because one bite or sip of spiced or pumpkiny goodness just makes you want to snuggle up in a warm, fluffy blanket and call it a day. Ahhhhhh….
Nobody would guess that this heavenly Pumpkin Spice Cake starts from a simple cake mix!
I love a good scratch cake recipe (and we happen to have a fantastic scratch Pumpkin Spice Cake that you can find linked below)… but doctored cake mix recipes are so convenient, consistent, and when you find a recipe as good as this one, you NEED to drop everything and save it!
This cake is soft, ultra moist, and the flavor of the pumpkin is perfectly complemented by the pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and of course, cream cheese frosting!
Ohhhh, how I love cream cheese frosting! Make sure to scroll beneath the recipe for links to our favorites! For this cake, I would recommend the Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting, but you cannot go wrong with any of the options linked below!
Make sure to keep this flavorful cake recipe in mind for your Thanksgiving or fall gatherings. It is sure to be a hit!
Pumpkin Spice Cake~Doctored Cake Mix
This delicious Pumpkin Spice Cake all starts with a simple cake mix!
Ingredients
For the Pumpkin Cake Layers
- 1 Package Yellow Cake Mix ( I used Duncan Hines Classic Yellow 15.25 oz (432g) Plus 5 Tablespoon flour (42g) ******See my note below
- 1/2 c. (100g) Granulated Sugar
- 1/2 c.107g) vegetable oil
- 1 cup (235g) pumpkin (Not pumpkin pie filling). We use Libby's 100% Pure Pumpkin--15 oz. can (425 grams)
- 1/2 cup (121g) milk
- 1 tsp (4g) vanilla
- 2 teaspoons (6g) ground cinnamon
- 4 eggs
- 1 teaspoon (2g) nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon (1g) ginger
- You could also add chopped pecans or mini chocolate chips as add ins if you like
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease and flour baking two 8 or 9 inch cake pans or a 9 x 13 baking pan (Batter makes great cupcakes too!)
In the bowl of your mixer, add the cake mix, 5 Tablespoons flour, (hand whisk to blend the flour into the cake mix, sugar, vegetable oil, vanilla, pumpkin, milk, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and eggs.
Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes until well blended. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl half way through. Transfer to the cake pans.
Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 min. or until it springs back to the touch.
Frost with cream cheese frosting or Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting
Notes
**Since my original posting of this recipe, I have also tried this recipe using Spice Cake Mix -- I just left out the spices that the recipe calls for since they are already in the mix. It works perfectly if you need a short cut or don't have the spices on hand!
What Frosting goes well with Pumpkin Spice Cake?
*As I mentioned above, all things pumpkin and spiced deserve a generous slathering of silky smooth Cream Cheese Frosting! You will LOVE this cake with our Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting or Classic Cream Cheese Frosting. The combination is out of this world!
**Looking for a Pumpkin Spice Cake recipe from scratch? We have fallen head over heels for this flavorful autumn classic: Homemade Pumpkin Spice Cake
For more fall favorites, check out our Fall & Thanksgiving Roundup of Ideas, Recipes, and Tutorials!
My Cake School Online Cake Recipes, Tutorials, and More!
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Can you make this for cupcakes? How do you think it will work?
Thanks: Karina
Hi Karina–I actually made the recipe for cupcakes too and they were great! Here’s the link–it was a blog post last year :0) —
https://www.mycakeschool.com/blog/mmmmm-pumpkin/
Thanks Melissa.
Is this a durable cake. I am looking for a pumpkin spice cake that is able to be carved.
Hi Jenn, no this recipe is not durable and wouldn’t do well with a lot of carving.
It tastes amazing though! I tried it and it is a keeper! Love the taste with Cream cheese frosting!
Thanks Andrea–Glad that you liked it! –I love it too!! ;0)
Would it work to use a spice cake mix instead of yellow cake mix?
can this cake be covered in fondant
Hi Josie, I’m sorry that I can’t say for sure, we haven’t covered this cake in fondant.
Thank you BeBe…I am new to this site and surprised at the quick response.
Tried thus recipe and absolutely loved it!!!!!
I’m happy you liked it, thanks for making your post.
Would this cake stand up to stacking using dowels? I know you said not for carving… Thanks! Lori-Ann
Hi twiceasnice, yes, the dowels will support the weight of the cake tier above it so the pumpkin spice cake would be fine.
Hi has anyone tried making this with spice cake box mix instead of yellow cake.
Does anyone know how many cupcakes this makes?
Hi Melissa, it should make 24 cupcakes
Hi Melissa, can I use white cake mix ?
Hi Nadeen, yes, you can.
Is this a pretty firm cake if it sits over night?? I have to do a Thankgiving 11×18 sheetcake.??
Hi Mary, I think it would be fine to sit overnight.
I was going to use this recipe to make a pumpkin shaped cake. I want to cover it in fondant and I am a fan of frosting the outside of the cake with ganache. Do you think this recipe would taste ok frosted with ganache? If so, do you recommend white or semi sweet ganache? Thank you!!!!
The cake mix you used – was it an 18.25 oz mix? If not, do you have to add for to make up for the reduced size of the new mixes? Thanks’
Hi JeanF,
Yes, originally the recipe used a cake mix with 18.25 ounces. I have made it with the current mix size and it was fine. Also, you can whisk in 4 to 6 Tablespoons flour until the mix equals 18.25 oz. and this will give you the same quantity cake batter as the original recipe. This is what I usually do. This is the recommendation of Anne Byrn, the author of The Cake Doctor Books.
This recipe looks wonderful. Can you tell me how many cups of batter it makes in order to determine if I need a 2″ or 3″ deep round pan. Thanks – I am new to this website and to baking, for that matter.
Hi Mary, I forgot to list the cups of batter this recipe makes but I think about 6 1/2 cups. We used 2 inch deep cake pans for this recipe. I hope you enjoy the cake!
Looks good
Thank you for sharing this recipe This cake is so good and moist will def make again I seen in the mixing directions it calls for water but didn’t see water in the measurements so I didn’t add any water just wondering if it’s suspose to have water also ? Thank you for sharing this delicious cake recipe
Hi Pamela, Thank you for letting me know. I have made the correction, it should read milk instead of water. I’m so happy you enjoyed the cake!!
I want to make this a belly bump cake covered in fondant. Would it be firm enough for me to do that and can a spice cake mix be used to make it “extra spicy?”
This recipe was absolutely delicious! I had a request for a pumpkin spice cake for a baby shower cake. The customer said it was a hit! This will be going into my cake flavor options. (My husband and I ate all the cake trimmings with our morning coffee!)
Hi Debbie, I love the way you decorated your cake……just beautiful! Thanks so much for your nice review, I am so happy it was a hit with your customer. Thank you for posting!
Is it 5 tablespoons of flour or 6
Hi Katrina, Thanks, it is 5.
How much pumpkin pie spice can I use in place of all of the individual spices?
Hi Ashley- I haven’t tried but I would probably go with two teaspoons. If you’re adding pumpkin spice to your frosting, that will give it an extra boost of spice also.
What is the baking time for the cupcakes?
Hi Chris, For standard size cupcakes bake 18 to 20 minutes.
Thank you.