Nobody would guess that this moist and delicious Pumpkin Spice Cake starts from a mix! This flavorful cake (and cupcake) recipe is perfect for Thanksgiving and fall gatherings, but we love it year-round!
**Looking for our Pumpkin Spice Cake recipe from scratch? Find it here: Homemade Pumpkin Spice Cake
Pumpkin Spice Cake- Doctored Mix
Ingredients
- 1 Package Yellow Cake Mix ( I used Duncan Hines Classic Yellow 15.25 oz (432g) Plus 6 Tablespoon flour (42g)
- 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 (4g) ground cinnamon
- 4 eggs
- 2 tsp (4g) pumpkin pie spice
- You could also add chopped pecans or mini chocolate chips as add ins if you like
Directions
- 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, 6 Tablespoons flour, (hand whisk to blend the flour into the cake mix, sugar, vegetable oil, vanilla, pumpkin, water, 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
*We love this cake with Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting or Classic Cream Cheese Frosting. So delicious!
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) —
link to mycakeschool.com
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.